Enemies in hiding!
A text poster dated August 3, 1942, framed by red-white-and-blue stripes and pale war-industry scenes, calling waste and extravagance 'enemies in hiding' that 'lurk' and 'sneak' and promising that saving and salvage will defeat waste. Name-calling by metaphor: household waste is described in the vocabulary of an enemy force.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- American Institute of Publicity, Philadelphia
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
American Institute of Publicity. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-724 (NAID 514211).
Text on the object
AUGUST 3, 1942 ENEMIES IN HIDING! Sly WASTE Lurks About Our Jobs! EXTRAVAGANCE Sneaks Into Our Homes! They destroy materials urgently needed by our Relatives, Friends and Neighbors serving at the Battle-Front. They're Slippery Foes and Hard to Mop-Up! but SAVING and SALVAGE will DEFEAT WASTE RETAIL STORE BANK [imprint:] COPYRIGHT 1942 AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PUBLICITY, PHILADELPHIA
