Guard the supply lines
Painted view of locomotives and flatcars loaded with sheeted tanks, under the headline and a caption box addressed to railroad men. The tell is the implied threat to wartime freight, carried by the slogan 'Head clear, eyes open, mouth shut' with no incident named, a mild fear-appeal addressed to workers as colleagues.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Association of American Railroads (artist Adolph Treidler)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Corporation
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, Security and surveillance
- 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)
Association of American Railroads (artist Adolph Treidler). National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-922 (NAID 514428).
Text on the object
GUARD THE SUPPLY LINES RAILROAD MEN Alert! HEAD CLEAR EYES OPEN MOUTH SHUT Association of American Railroads [signature:] Adolph Treidler
