Rumors (c1944)
The most Seuss like of all the Snafus.   A rumor spreads through an army base.   Snafu is to blame.  He goes insane.

ABOUT PRIVATE SNAFU

Lt. Col. Geisel's most famous contribution to the war effort was the creation of the character Private Snafu, (Snafu is a military acronym standing for "Situation Normal- All Fouled Up".) Private Snafu was a hapless, clumsy and easily misled recruit. He starred in a series of hugely entertaining training films shown to soldiers. Because the soldiers were adults, the cartoons are sexier than those seen in movie theaters. Because a war was going on, they are full of racism. “Lovers of Dr. Seuss will take renewed delight in his whimsical and imaginative illustrations even as they may be disturbed by the attitudes reflected in some of his work.” People magazine.

Geisel also worked on documentaries. "Your Job In Germany" was shown to the soldiers who would occupy Germany after the war, It strove to impress upon them that the German people were inherently evil and could not be trusted. Especially not the children! Horrifying film footage was used: mass hangings in Russia, emaciated survivors of concentration camps, mass graves, towns reduced to rubble, American soldiers being put into body bags. It is twenty minutes of viciousness hidden under the cloak of education. Could this be written by the same good Doctor who gave us! The Cat in the Hat? Directed by Captain Frank Capra and written by Lt. Colonel Theodore Geisel.

Similarly, "Our Job In Japan" was shown to the troops sent to occupy post-war Japan. It explained that Japanese people are not inherently evil, just brain washed by religion and cultural into becoming killers. There was still hope for them. Less vicious than "Your Job in Germany", it is still a far cry from "Horton Hears a Who". Written and directed by Lt. Colonel Theodore Geisel,