Show words slogans played important role during hectic war years of 1914 1918 by JAMES R MOCK and CEDRIC LARSON released by western New newspaper union we had gone to war world war I 1 we had decided to send our boys over to france to save democracy but even as indignation against germany had surged higher and higher in those last tense days before a m april 62 6 1917 no one could say just what wha t the american people would do after their eloquent leader had urged them into war the great majority of americans it seemed wanted to fight but people wondered in the world war of 1914 18 words and slogans played an important role inthe in ahe struggle of the nations for victory just how important that role was uw has been the subject of a book words that won the war written by janaes james R mock and edric cedric larson the accompanying article is a condensation of that book and is presented because of interest now centering aroun around d another european war when opinions are expressed they alethe opinion of the authors and not necessarily of this newspaper anxiously how large and how determined the mi minor ty might be minorities are dangerous when the fate of civilization is hanging in the balance how could we count on the millions of germans aus arians hungarians Hung arians poles russians and other aliez aliens Ls in our midst there something very disquieting in in the widely quoted opinion of dr ales hrdlicka that the melting pot to io melt how many people still believed there was such a thing as being too proud to fight how many remembered the presidents statement that there was no essential difference in the expressed war alms aims of the belligerents what of enemy spies spie of whom there were said to be or more at large and their allies the pacifists paci fists socialists and labor agitators what mat about the success of wilsons Wil sons campaign slogan he kept us out of war what about warnings against entanglement in in Eu ropes q quarrels barrels which still echoed in countless homes and what above all about the unknown thousands of americans who might not feel very strongly one way or the other but thought europe was a long way off and might find it too much bother to make the sacrifices which a modern war demands of the entire population we had pledged our lives our fortunes and our sacred honor but could we fulfill that pledge when a peaceful nation jealous of individual liberty and proud of its freedom from militarism attempted attempt ed to mobilize its men money resources and emotions for one mighty effort even a rather small minority could bring disaster widespread coop co op aeration era tion was not good enough when the nations life was at stake nothing less than complete solidarity would do america was not unified when war was declared the necessary reversal of opinion was too great to be achieved overnight the agonizing question in official washington the question on which hung the fate of the count rys entire wartime effort was whether the inner lines at home would hold as effectively as the lines in france the committee on public information was assigned the staggering task of holding fast the inner lines the story of how i it fulfilled that mission is a dramatic record of vigor effectiveness and creative imagination the committee was americas propaganda ministry during the world war charged with encouraging and then consolidating the revolution of opinion which changed the united states from anti militaristic democracy to ari an organized war machine this work touched the private life of virtually every man woman and child it reflected the thoughts of the american people under the leadership of woodrow wilson and it popularized what was for us a new idea of the individuals vi relation to the state committees creation president wilson created the committee on public information by executive order dated april 13 1917 and appointed george creel as civilian chairman with the secretaries of state war and navy as the other members mr creel assembled as brilliant and talented a group of journalists scholars press agents editors artists and other manipulators 1 of the symbols of public opinion as america had ever seen united for a single purpose it was a gargantuan advertising agency the like of which the country had never known and the breathtaking scope of its activities was not to be equalled equal led until the rise of totalitarian dictatorships after the war george creel carl byoir edgar sisson harvey guy stanton ford and their famous associates were literally public relations coun to the united states government carrying first to the citizens of this country and then to those in distant lands the ideas which gave motive power to the stupendous undertaking der taking of 1917 1918 news was the lifeblood life lile blood of the committee on public information CPI news from the front from training camps from the white house from farms and factories from workers homes from every place that had a story to tell regarding the american people in the war this news had to be selected interpreted cast into new form translated into different languages expressed through new media but without it there would have been no committee on public information dean ford and his corps of scholars charles dana gibson and his world famous illustrators william johns and his advertising men ernest poole and his foreign press bureau reau none of these would have had material with which to work if it had not been for the spade work by the news division the primary source of information about the war press operation cooperation co As george creel and many other people have repeatedly emphasized press operation cooperation co with the CPI and its support of the war rested on a voluntary basis but with impressive legal authority behind it this authority was gradually ext extended endea by congressional and presidential action as the war progressed and by the time of the armistice the governments potential control of the press was nearly complete A self denying ordinance by yr mr wilson and mr creel was all that stood in the way of an attempt to impose a harsh rigorous and thoroughgoing censorship even before the CPI an agreement for voluntary censorship had been reached by representatives of the press and of the departments of state war and navy then on april 16 1917 10 days after declaration of war and three days after creation of the CPI mr wilson backed this up with a warning proclamation lar la regarding treason and misprision of treason stating among other things that the courts had bad found to be treasonable the performance of any act or publication of statements or information which will give or supply in any way aid and comfort to the enemies of the united states A new system of general surveillance was also brought into being for on april 25 J C koons first assistant postmaster general issued an order to all postmasters to report suspicious characters disloyal and treasonable acts and utterances and anything which might be important during the existence of the present state of war three days later the president clamped down on all cable telephone and telegraph messages entering or leaving the united states wireless establishments had already been seized by the navy so that after april 28 no electrical communication ni could go in or out of the the authors of the book words that won the war point poin out the two above examples of information work don done in the world war of 1914 18 as appeals that are 44 not too academic ideas of this type appeal directly and do their selling lesson quickly without any subtle reasoning united states without government approval the presidents order was put into instant effect as it applied to the orient and latin america though transatlantic communication was not censored until july 25 out of a desire to learn leam the workings of the french and british censor ships in order to assure effective operation cooperation co without duplication president wilson had favored adequate censorship power all along but for the first 53 days of the war that is from april 6 to may 26 28 selection of news was very largely a matter of the editors individual discretion lie he was subject to laws against treason and his good sense normally told him what might and what might not be published then on may 28 came the preliminary statement in which the CPI codified rules but still depended upon existing laws tor for its authority dangerous news included stories of naval and military operations in progress movement of official missions threats and plots against the life of the president news regarding secret service and confidential agents movements of alien labor naval information in the forbidden category included the position number or identification of at allied or american warships certain data pertaining to lights and buoys mention of ports of arrival or departure any details of mines or mine traps signals orders or wireless messages to td or from any warship all phases of submarine warfare facts regarding dry docks forbidden military information included any relating to fixed lany lann tenses movements of amerie canadian troops assignment of small detachments concentration at ports aircraft and equipment that was or might be in the process of experimentation it in general editors were warned against feeling that because facts vo were tre e generally known in a local district it was therefore therefore safe to give them publication editors were also charged to examine with the same care that they devoted to news the contents of advertising copy and even paid reading notices and of course everyone was to guard against indiscriminate publication of maps charts and pictures so the fighting with printers ink was carried on vigorously on many fronts during the war with george creel as editor in chief of the whole great publishing venture unless a person chanced upon one of the rare disloyal publications any news story feature picture cartoon poster book short story dealing with the war either carried the official seal of the CPI or carried no less clearly to our latter day eyes the stamp of CPI influence As the war to end war recedes into the past americas fighting men turn back to the CPI improvements on the creel committee would undoubtedly be made but lt if another war should come to this country no american would need to read the story of the CPI he would relive it elaborate rules were prescribed and frequently amended only certain codes could be used acknowledgment of receipt of messages was forbidden tor for some circuits codes were entirely outlawed every at tempt was made to ease the siti sit tion of the american trader a correspondent consistent with military safety but all cablegrams cable grams were accepted at the senders risk and with the knowledge that they might be stopped delayed or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of f the censor and without notice to the the sender |