Content note: Shows two caricatured enemy faces (swastika cap and rising-sun cap) with exaggerated, distorted features over a burning forest. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Our carelessness, their secret weapon: prevent forest fires
Poster with two large caricatured heads, one in a swastika cap and one in a cap with the rising-sun flag emblem, leering over a burning forest. Text: 'Our carelessness, their secret weapon' and 'Prevent forest fires'. The enemy faces are drawn with exaggerated, distorted features, a name-calling image; the fire and the claim that carelessness serves the enemy add fear-appeal.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, with State Forest Service
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, War and the military
- 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)
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, with State Forest Service. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1475 (NAID 515140).
Text on the object
OUR CARELESSNESS Their Secret Weapon PREVENT FOREST FIRES U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE STATE FOREST SERVICE [imprint: U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1943--O-505840]
