Watch yourself pal! Be careful what you say or write!
Security poster with a photograph of a large guard dog with a chain collar, whose speech balloon says 'Watch yourself pal!'. The banner below reads 'Be careful what you say or write!'. The technique is faint: the dog's wary look implies a warning, a mild fear-appeal that readers are being watched.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1945
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. War Department
- 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, 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)
U.S. War Department (issuer line illegible. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-154 (NAID 513600).
Text on the object
Watch YOURSELF PAL! BE careful WHAT YOU SAY OR WRITE! [imprint:] WD Poster No. 32-3, "Pal" Security Poster. Additional copies may be requisitioned as prescribed in AR 310-200, 1 May 1943, as changed by Changes No. 2, 15 September 1945 [imprint:] U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1945-O-625023 [imprint:] DISTRIBUTION: AAF (2); AGF (2); ASF (2); T of Opns (2); Def Comd (2); Sv C (Dir of Intell and Sec) (5); PC&S (2); PE (Intell Off) (2); A (2); CHQ (2); D (1); B (1); R (1); Bn (1); C (1); AF (1); W (1); G (1); S (1); F (1)
