FOUR - MINUTE SPEECH 1 9 1 8



Document #1: FOUR - MINUTE SPEECH 1918

After the United States declared war on Germany on April 2, 1917, Woodrow Wilson appointed George Creel, a liberal journalist, to head the Committee on Public Information (CPI) in order to raise public support and money for the war effort. One CPI program sent 75,000 Four-Minute Men to “carry the flaming arrow into every corner of America” by delivering speeches in movie houses.

THINK THROUGH HISTORY : Recognizing Bias

1. How did this Four-Minute speech use exaggeration to sway public opinion?

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While we are sitting here tonight enjoying a picture show, do you realize that thousands and thousands of Belgians, people just like ourselves, are languishing in slavery under Prussian masters?

Driven into slavery, after they were lured back home by Prussian promises— Prussian scraps of paper.

Read the stories of deliberate governmentally ordered brutalities as told in the

book, German War Practices, recently published by the Government’s Committee on Public Information.

Read how the Prussian war lords robbed Belgium, pilfered and stole. How they extorted fines of millions of francs for trivial reasons—e.g. 5,000 francs [5,000,000?) ($1,000,000) in Brussels because of an attack by a policeman; 200,000 marks at Tournai for refusal to send a list of citizens. Taxes went to 50,000 francs a month and more in Belgium.

Prussian “Schrecklichkeit” (the deliberate policy of terrorism) leads to almost unbelievable besotten brutality. The German soldiers—their letters are reprinted—were often forced against their wills, they themselves weeping, to carry out unspeakable orders against defenseless old men, women, and children, so that “respect” might grow for German “efficiency.” For instance, at Dinant the wives and children of 40 men were forced to witness the execution of their husbands and fathers.

Now, then, do you want to take the slightest chance of meeting Prussianism here in America?

If not, then you’ll have to help in summoning all the resources of this country

for the giant struggle. For resources will win the war. Here’s the way you can help save our resources. Instead of throwing money away on unnecessary things, buy Thrift Stamps, 25 cents, and War-Savings- Stamps, $4.12, worth $5 in five years, 4 per cent compound interest. They’re

good as government money; like a mortgage on the U.S.A. Here’s one of the War-Savings Certificates, and here’s a Thrift Card. Ask at any post office, any bank, or store wherever you see a W.S.S. sign. It is up to us. We, the people, must win the war.

Source: Words That Won the War by James R. Mock and Cedric Larson

(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1939), pp. 123–124.

Document #2: Passage of the U.S. Sedition Act of 1918

Sec. 3. Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully make or convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States…shall willfully cause or attempt to cause, or incite or attempt to incite, insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully obstruct or attempt to obstruct the recruiting or enlistment services of the United States, and whoever…write or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States or the Constitution of the United States, or the military or naval forces of the United States, or the flag of the United States…into contempt, scorn, contumely, or disrepute, or print, write, or publish any language intended to incite, provoke, or encourage resistance to the United States…or advocate any curtailment of production in this country of any thing or things, product or products, necessary or essential to the prosecution of the war in which the United States may be engaged, with intent by such curtailment to cripple or hinder the United States in the prosecution of war, and whoever shall willfully advocate, teach, defend, or suggest the doing of any of the acts or things in this section enumerated, and whoever shall by word or act support or favor the cause of any country with which the United States is at war or by word or act oppose the cause of the United States therein, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or the imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both . . .

Questions

2. What can’t you do according to this act?

3. What would happen to you if violated the act?

4. How does this act limit your freedom? Can you name the Amendment it might possible infringe upon?

Document 3: Schenck v. U.S. (1919)- During World War I, Schenck mailed circulars to draftees. The circulars suggested that the draft was a monstrous wrong motivated by the capitalist system. The circulars urged "Do not submit to intimidation" but advised only peaceful action such as petitioning to repeal the Conscription Act. Schenck was charged with conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act by attempting to cause insubordination in the military and to obstruct recruitment.

Question #5 : Do you believe Schenck's actions (words, expression) are protected by the free speech clause of the First Amendment? Explain why you agree or disagree with the opinion of the court.

MR. JUSTICE HOLMES delivered the opinion of the court.

…It denied the power to send our citizens away to foreign shores to shoot up the people of other lands, and added that words could not express the condemnation such cold-blooded ruthlessness deserves, &c., &c., winding up, "You must do your share to maintain, support and uphold the rights of the people of this country."

…But it is said, suppose that that was the tendency of this circular, it is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution… The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. It does not even protect a man from an injunction against uttering words that may have all the effect of force…The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent. It is a question of proximity and degree. When a nation is at war, many things that might be said in time of peace are such a hindrance to its effort that their utterance will not be endured so long as men fight, and that no Court could regard them as protected by any constitutional right. It seems to be admitted that, if an actual obstruction of the recruiting service were proved, liability for words that produced that effect might be enforced…

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