---
title: 'A Call to the Colors: America''s Second Line of Defense, Girls in Wartime Will Tell You What America Expects of Her Girls'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/call-to-the-colors-americas-second-line-of-defense-1918/
description: A flat design of three horizontal bands in red, white and blue carries the words 'A Call to the Colors' set vertically in a side strip.
section: Collection
---

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3. A Call to the Colors: America's Second Line of Defense, Girls

[![A Call to the Colors: America's Second Line of Defense, Girls in Wartime Will Tell You What America Expects of Her Girls](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/call-to-the-colors-americas-second-line-of-defense-1918.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/call-to-the-colors-americas-second-line-of-defense-1918.jpg)

# A Call to the Colors: America's Second Line of Defense, Girls in Wartime Will Tell You What America Expects of Her Girls

A flat design of three horizontal bands in red, white and blue carries the words 'A Call to the Colors' set vertically in a side strip. The text names girls as America's 'second line of defense' and promises that 'Girls in Wartime' will say 'What America Expects of Her Girls', without saying what that is. The tell is the flag colours and the broad phrase 'what America expects', which attach national duty to the audience without a stated task.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Transfer](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/transfer/) [Glittering generalities](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/glittering-generalities/)

## Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
A
Call
to
the
Colors

America's
Second Line of Defense
Girls in Wartime

____________
Will Tell You
____________

"What America Expects
Of Her Girls"
```

'A Call to the Colors' runs vertically up the left-hand strip, read bottom to top. The two horizontal rules around 'Will Tell You' are blank lines in the original.

[← Buy Liberty Bonds. Give Them for 2 1/2 Million Starving Armenians, Syrians, Greeks](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/buy-liberty-bonds-give-them-2-5-million-starving-1918/) [Canada's egg opportunity (Canada Food Board) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/canada-egg-opportunity-1918/)

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