The Speaking Division

The Speaking Division owed its establishment to the need for some organization to act as a clearing house for national speaking campaigns. By the beginning of September, 1917, more than a dozen national speakers' bureaus were being conducted by Government departments and by associations which were seeking to promote the national interest. Scores of State speaking campaigns were being inaugurated under the auspices of councils of defense and other organizations. All these were competing for speakers, in danger of duplicating each others' activities, and failing to coordinate their efforts in an effective and comprehensive campaign. There was a need of some central clearing house in Washington through which these various organizations, working for a great common purpose, but each with its special message, could be brought into touch with the affairs and facilities of other departments, and given the inspiration and information which came from the vital national interests involved. ■ In consideration of these needs, the Speaking Division of the Committee on Public Information was brought into being on September 25, 1917, through the approval of the President, given in the following letter :

My Dear Mr. Creel :

I heartily approve of the suggestion you have made that through your committee some effort be made to coordinate the work of the various bureaus, departments, and agencies interested in presenting from the platform various phases of the national task. With the cooperation of the departments, the Food Administration, the Council of National Defense, and the Committee on Public Information, it would seem possible to enlist the many State and private organizations who have put. the Nation's cause above every other issue and stand ready to participate in a speaking campaign that shall give to the people that fullness of information which will enable and inspire each citizen to play intelligently his part in the greatest and most vital struggle ever undertaken by self-governing nations.

Your suggestion of Mr. Arthur E. Bestor, president of Chautauqua Institution, to direct this work is excellent. You are fortunate to be able to enlist one who has been so intimately connected with a great American educational institution devoted to popular instruction without prejudice or partisanship.

Cordially and sincerely yours,

WooDBOw Wilson.

Certain general policies were followed from the very beginning with such modifications as from time to time became necessary. It was not the purpose of the division to attempt to combine the speakers' bureaus of the several departments or private organizations, nor to assume any responsibility for supervision over them, but rather to establish a bureau to coordinate their efforts where they related to common aims or activities. It was the purpose to seek cooperation among these speakers' bureaus by agreement and consultation; to offer a national clearing house for speaking campaigns; to avoid duplication of effort and overlapping of territory; and to supply speakers with usable information from Government departments; to concentrate the attention of speakers during special periods upon different national needs; and to foster in all speakers a sense of the unity of the national purpose. There was never an attempt to control and supervise the speaking of the country — the problem was one of cooperation and coordination.

A card catalogue of over 10,000 speakers and makers of public opinion was eventually gathered and a select list of 300 effective speakers. Whenever a request was made for an individual address a list was prepared of those available for such service. This resulted in many appointments being made by organizations direct with speakers reconunended by the division.

While aid was given to every organization that requested it, direct relationship was constantly kept up with the following organizations: Treasury Department (for the three Liberty loans). Department of Labor, Council of National Defense, United States Food Administration, American Red Cross, Friends of German Democracy, American Alliance for Labor and Democracy, National Committee on the Churches and the Moral Aims of the War. Relations were established with many national organizations which had organized audiences, such as the United States Chamber of Commerce, International Association of Rotary Clubs, Advertising Clubs of the World, Open Forum National Council, League to Enforce Peace, and various bureaus conducting circuit chautauquas. The International Lyceum Association held a very successful | Conference for American Lecturers in Washington whose |^ I program was largely arranged through Mr. Creel's personal % approach to officials of our own and to allied Governments. The division kept in touch with all these organizations through bimonthly bulletins, conferences, and correspondence, and was thus able at all times to have knowledge of the patriotic campaigns which were being carried on in the country.

In January, 1918, a service of speakers bulletins was inaugurated, which supplied approximately 15,000 makers of public opinion with various governmental publications. In order not to duplicate the work so admirably done by the Four Minute Men, it was decided after the third issue to utilize the bulletins of the Four Minute Men and other governmental agencies. I'he following bulletins were issued together with various publications of the committee :

No. 1. " Purpose and Scope of the Work of the Speaking Division." No. 2. "Hints for Speakers — The Issues of the War at a Glance," accompanied by publications of the Committee on Public Information as follows :

How the A¥ar Came to America. The War Message and the Facts Behind it. The Nation in Arms. The Government of Germany. The Great War : from Spectator to Participant. No. 3. " Ships, Ships, and yet More Ships — The Nation's Greatest Need," accompanied by the War Encyclopedia issued by the Committee on Public Information. This bulletin was issued in cooperation with the United States Shipping Board. No. 4. Letter transmitting Four Minute Bulletin No. 24 "The Danger to Democracy " and the pamphlet " Conquest and Kultur " issued by the Committee on Public Information. No. 5. Letter transmitting the Four Minute Bulletin on the Third Liberty Loan issued in cooperation with the Treasury Department.

In cooperation with the States Relations Division of the Council of National Defense speaking organizations were created under the State councils of defense in all of the States except New York and Delaware. Upon recommendation of the division, in connection with many State speakers' bureaus, there was organized a committee in which the following interests were represented:

State Council of Defense.

State Division of the Woman's Committee. Extension Division, Department of Agriculture.

State Department of Education.

Extension Division of the State University.

State Department of Labor. State Community Organizer. Cliairman Four Minute Men. Federal Food Administrator. Federal Fuel Administrator.

Patriotic Societies which have carried on effective speaking campaigns or have ready-made audiences.

It was possible therefore to route national speakers on short notice and put them into communities and before audiences where they could be most effective. This decentralization of the work meant that responsibility was put upon the State officials who knew intimately of local needs ~ and who had in Washington an organization in touch with all speaking campaigns.

District conferences to plan war conferences and more effective organization were held by officers of the Speaking Division and the States Kelations Division with representatives of the State councils of defense as follows : Washington, November 10, 1917, for Pennsylvania and the South Atlantic States ; Chicago, November 17, 1917, for the Middle Western States; Birmingham, February 15, 1918, for the Southern States; and Boston, April 1, 1918, for New Jersey and the New England States.

In cooperation with the States Relations Division of the Council of National Defense and under the direct auspices of the State councils of defense, there were held 45 War Conferences in 37 States, and in addition, local conferences were held in four cities in Arizona and five cities in Utah. These War Conferences brought together all the effective war workers in the State, usually occupied two days, and m addition to the general meetings addressed by the speakers sent out by the division, there were sectional conferences held by Federal and State officials who were carrying on war work. These War Conferences were oftentimes the greatest gatherings held within the States during the war. They had a profound effect upon public opinion and upon the efficient organization of State war work. Usually the State-wide conferences were followed by county and town conferences of the same character. A list of the War Conferences, with the speakers furnished by the division, is as follows :

December 5-6, Richmond, Va. :

Secretary Newton D. Baker, Hon. Henry J. Allen, George F. Porter, and Arthur E. Bestor. December 6-7, Columbia, S. O. :

Hon. Henry J. Allen and Dr. J. A. B. Scherer. December 13-14, Indianapolis, Ind. :

Vice President Marshall, George Creel, Medill McCormick, Lieut. Paul Perigord, and Arthur E. Bestor. December 14-15, Des Moines, Iowa. December 17-18, Philadelphia, Pa. :

Secretary William G. McAdoo, Lieut. Paul Perigord, and Arthur E. Bestor. December 20, Little Rock, Ark.

January 14-15, Chicago, 111. ; 15-16, Louisville, Ky. ; 16-17, Columbia, Mo. ; 17-18, Topeka, Kans. ; 18-19, Lincoln, Nebr. :

Sir Frederick E. Smith, Solicitor General John W. Davis, Dr. George E. Vincent, and Arthur E. Bestor. February 20, Lansing, Mich. ; 2'2', Sioux Falls, S. Dak. :

Hon. Crawford Vaughan and Prof. Thomas F. Moran.

February 24, St. Paul, Minn. : "^^

Hon. Joseph C. Grew and Prof. Thomas F. Moran. February 25, Bismarck, N. Dak. :

Hon. Joseph C. Grew, Prof. Thomas F. Moran, and Charles Edward Russell. February 26, Aberdeen, S. Dak. :

Hon. Joseph C. Grew and Prof. Thomas F. Moran. March 11, Oklahoma City, Okla. ; 12, Dallas, Tex. ; 13, Houston, Tex. ; 14, Shreveport, La. ; 15, Jackson, Miss. ; 16, New Orleans, La. ; 18, Birmingham, Ala. ; 19, Atlanta, Ga. ; 21, Tampa, Fla. ; 22, Jacksonville, Fla. ; 23, Columbia, S. C. :

Secretary David ¥. Houston, Lieut. Paul Perigord, and Prof. Thomas F. Moran. May 7-8, Denver, Colo. ; 9-10, Albuquerque, N. Mex. ; 10-11, El Paso, Tex. ; 11, Phoenix, Ariz. ; 13-14, Los Angeles, Calif. ; 14-15, San Francisco, Calif.; 16-17, Reno, Nev. ; 17-18, Salt Lake City, Utah; 20-21, Boise, Idaho ; 22-23, Portland, Oreg. ; 24-25, Seattle, Wash. ; 27-28, Spokane, Wash. ; 28-29, Helena. Mont. :

Lieut. Paul Perigord, Prof. Guy Stanton Ford, and George B. Chandler. May 7, Trenton, N. J. :

Maj. Laughlin McLean Watt, Maj. Rutledge Smith, Senator J. Hamilton Lewis, and Arthur E. Bestor. ■ May 8, Portland, Me. ; 9, Concord, N. H. ; 10, Montpelier, Vt. ; 11, Hartford, Conn. :

Hon. Frederick D. Walcott, Maj. Laughlin McLean Watt, Maj. Rutledge Smith, and Arthur E. Bestor.

The most extensive work of the division was the handling of national speakers and routing through the country representatives of our own Government and of our Allies. No salaries were paid any speakers and no payment made for individual addresses except traveling expenses, which were sometimes borne by the division and oftentimes by the State or local organization for whom they spoke. The most distinguished speakers in America were among those who gave their services on this basis. The division worked in close cooperation with the British War Mission, the French High Commission, the Italian Embassy, the Belgian Legation, as well as with the various departments of the United States Government.

Among officials of our own Government for whom appointments were made were Vice President Marshall ; Secretaries Baker, Lane, McAdoo, Houston, and Redfield; Solicitor General John W. Davis ; Senators Kenyon and Nelson ; Congressman Albert Sidney Johnson ; Col. Clarence Ousley and Carl Vrooman, Assistant Secretaries of Agriculture ; Hon. Joseph E. Grew ; Hon. Gaillard Hunt and Hon. Wesley Frost, of the Department of State ; Hon. F. C. Walcott ; Dr. Vernon Kellogg; Maj. W. L. Brown, Dr. Henry J. Waters, and Dr. Henry C. Culbertson, of the Food Administration; and Dr. Anna Shaw and Miss Ida Tarbell, of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense.

In cooperation with the British War Mission, engagements were made for Sir Frederick E. Smith, the British Attorney General; Sir Walter Lawrence, Sir George Adam Smith, Gen. H. D. Swinton, Col. A. C. Murray, Maj. Ian Hay Beith, Lieut. Hector MacQuarrie, Hon. Harald Smith, Maj. Robert Massie, and Maj. Laughlin McLean Watt.

The French High Commission placed at the disposal of the division Lieut. Paul Perigord for seven months' service, and appointments were also made for M. de Billy, M. Maurice Casenave, and Lieut. Wierzbicke.

Speaking engagements were also arranged for Lieut. Bruno Roselli, of the Italian Embassy.

In cooperation with the Friends of German Democracy, Mr. Henry Riesenburg made 27 addresses in 19 States ; Dr. Frank Bohn, 9 addresses in 3 States ; Dr. William H. Bohn, 26 addresses in 3 States ; Dr. Karl Mathie, 18 addresses in 2 States ; and Prof. A. E. Koenig, 9 addresses.

The American Alliance for Labor and Democracy were furnished many speakers, but most the engagements were made direct.

Lieut. Paul Perigord, loaned to the division for seven months by the French High Commission, made 152 addresses under the auspices of the division in all parts of the country. Probably no speaker heard in America aroused more enthusiasm.

Lieut. Hector MacQuarrie, through the cooperation of the British War Mission, gave 93 addresses in four months in 9 States, and everywhere was a most effective speaker for the allied cause.

Hon. Crawford Vaughan, ex-premier of South Australia, a noted labor leader, was brought across the continent" by the division, spoke at several of the War Conferences, and gave in all 22 addresses under the auspices of the division until he became connected with the United States Shipping Board.

Capt. Eaould Amundsen, who had had unusual opportunities to observe the American troops at the front, made a tour in March and April, speaking 13 times in 6 States with particular success before Scandinavian audiences.

Hon. Wesley Frost, former consul at Queenstown, and the official reporter of 81 submarine sinkings, created profound sensation in his transcontinental tours, and from September to February gave 63 addresses in 29 States for the Speaking Division.

Charles Edward Russfell, a member of the President's Commission to Russia, who was particularly effective before labor audiences, gave 58 addresses from October to February in all parts of the country.

Congressman Albert Johnson, just back from the front, delivered 19 addresses in 9 States from December to February.

In conjunction with the Four Minute Men, Prof. S. H. Clark delivered 19 addresses in 4 of the Western States in March and April.

Among others for whom the division made speaking engagements are the following: Prof. Guy Stanton Ford, Dr. Mitchell Carroll, George B. Chandler, Maj. Rutledge Smith, Mary Antin, Dr. George E. Vincent, Prof. J. S. P. Tatlock, Dr. Hugh Birckhead, Richard D. Hollington, Justice S. Harrison White, Dr. T. Alexander Cairns, Dr. James Sullivan, Judge A. D. Dabney, Gapt. J. M. de Beaufort, William Forkell, Prof. Bertram Nelson, Dr. E. Y. Mullins, Judge Clarence W. Goodwin, Sergt. Bernard S. Wolff, Felix M. Warburg, Dr. D. F. Garland, Dr. George E. Raiguel, William B. Guthrie, Bishop William F. McDowell, James Hugh Keeley, Col. Thomason, Miss Jane Addams, Dr. J. A. B. Scherer.

Inasmuch as the division had relations with State councils of defense in practically all the States and with various organizations like the chambers of commerce, rotary clubs, and others that had ready-made audiences, the division came more and more to be the organization to handle tours for patriotic purposes which were other than merely speaking tours. The French Blue Devils were routed under the auspices of the division and the 344 Belgian soldiers returning from Russia were brought across the continent by the division. The 50 American soldiers sent by Gen. Pershing to aid in the third Liberty loan were, at the conclusion of that loan, routed by the division for one month and heard in practically all of the States.

An extensive trip through the South was arranged for the Marquis and Marquise de Courtivron and the Marquis and Marquise de Polignac, accompanied by Mr. Charles Edward Russell.

Mr. Arthur E. Bestor, president of Chautauqua Institution, and from May until September, 1917, chairman of the committee of lecturers and entertainments in training camps for the Young Men's Christian Association War Council, was Director of the Speaking Division from its organization, September 25, 1917, until its consolidation with the Four Minute Division, September 1, 1918. From September until May he delivered 53 addresses under the auspices of the division.

Mr. J. J. Petti John, director of the extension division of Indiana University and head of the Indiana State Speakers' Bureau, became associate director of the division on May 6, 1918, and from June was in active charge in the absence of Mr. Bestor, until the consolidation of the division with the Four Minute Men, when he become the associate director of that division. His wide experience in popular education and his ability as an organizer were of great value to the division in the last months of its separate organization.

, *'/■ Prof. Thomas F. Moran, of Purdue University, was loaned

|ffo the division by that institution for service from January jto April. His ability as a writer and speaker was used to

1^ great advantage in the editing of the bulletins and in ad-

■ dresses before the Southern War Conferences and individual addresses before many audiences, 34 in all.

Mr. W. Frank McClure, publicity director of the Eedpath Bureau, Chicago, was loaned by that organization to the division for the month of November. He performed a very useful service in organizing the publicity machinery for the committee.

Division of Pictorial Publicity

One of the first realizations of the Committee on Public Information was the importance of pictorial publicity in building morale, arousing the spiritual forces of the Nation, and stimulating the war will of the people. It was not only that America needed posters, but it needed the hest posters ever drawn. To this end the Division of Pictorial Publicity was created on April 17, 1917, and the following organization formed to mobilize the art forces of the United States :

Chairman. — Charles Dana Gibson.

Vice chairman and secretary. — F. D. Casey.

Associate chairmen. — Herbert Adams, E. H. Blashfleld, Ralph Clarkson, Cass Gilbert, Oliver D. Grover, Francis Jones, Arthur F. Matthews, Joseph Pennell, Edmond Tarbell, Douglas Volk.

Executive committee. — F. G. Cooper, N. Pousette-Dart, I. Doskow, F. E. Dayton, C. B. Falls, Albert E. Gallatin, Ray Greenleaf, Miss Malvina Hoffman, W. A. Rogers, Lieut. Henry Reuterdahl, U. S. N. R. F. ; H. Scott Train, H. D. Welsh, J. Thompson Willing, H. T. Webster, Walter Whitehead, Jack Sheridan.

Departmental captains. — C. B. Falls, H. T. Webster, Walter Whitehead, Ray Greenleaf, I. Doskow, N. Pousette-Dart, H. Scott Train.

Enlisting for the duration of the war, as members of the division, American painters, sculptors, designers, postermen, illustrators, and cartoonists volunteered their artistic services to the Government, and worked together under the chairmanship of Mr. Gibson, with headquarters at No. 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City.

To increase the scope of the committee and to stimulate the personal interest of the artists outside of New .York, sectional branches were formed, and Oliver Dennett Grover, of Chicago, became the chairman of the Western Committee, Mr. E. Tarbell and Mr. Arthur F. Matthews taking charge in Boston and San Francisco.

The full contribution of the artists of America to the national cause, as well as the reliance placed upon the Division of Pictorial Publicity by every department of Government, is shown by the following record of achievement :

Poster designs. Car, bus, and window cards. Newspaper and other advertising. Cartoons. Seals, buttons,. banners, etc.

American Red Cross, Washington and 10' 25 50 10

100 25 15 25 50 50 43 3 15 3 2 1 1

15 10 10 50 23 Pubhc Health Service 7 7 3 2 4 3

Young Men's Christian Association Young Women's Christian Association . Umted States Boys Worldng Reserve.. 1 1 2 2 6 10 2 4 11 2 2 2 3 6 2 1 5 1 3 5 6 8 1 1

1 5 3 9 1 2 Federation of Neighborhood Associa- Offlce of Chief of Staff

1 1 3

Bastile Day i4 ^ar,bus. Poster and designs, window cards.

Newspaper and other advertising. Cartoons. Seals, button's, banners, etc. Ma.riTifi Corps 5 2 2 Fifth Avenue Association American Poets Committee Federal Food Board 3 2

Rehabilitating Wounded Soldiers Dewey Recreation Committee Italian War Work ...

Mayor's Committee 1 1 3 1 Official Bulletin

Phonograph Recruiting Records Connecticut Defense Council United War AVork Campaign RECAPITULATION. Departments and committees requesting work Poster designs submitted 700

Cards requested 122 Newspaper and other advertistug 310 Cartoons submitted 287 Seals, buttons, etc., executed 19

Total material (drawmgs, designs, etc.) 1, 438

In addition to the above, Lieut. Henry Keuterdahl and N. C. Wyeth worked on a painting 90 feet long, 25 feet high, which was placed at the Subtreasury Building for the third Liberty loan. Lieut. Keuterdahl made also three paintings, each over 20 feet, for the publicity of the fourth Liberty loan in Washington, D. C.

During the United War Work Campaign the same plan was followed, seven artists painting on days assigned, in front of the Public Library, two others assigned in front of the Metropolitan Museum. This work was carried on by a committee of this division. These artists were :

P. D. Steele, Young Men's Christian Association.

Micldleton Chambers, Knights of Columbus. C. B. Falls, Salvation Army. I. Olinsky, Jewish Welfare. Denman Fink, Library Association.

Jean McLane, Young Woman's Christian Association.

Howard Giles, War Camp Community Service.

Charles Chapman and Luis Mora, Metropolitan Museum.

An Allied War Salon, under the direction of Mr. Albert Eugene Gallatin, appointed by Mr. Charles Dana Gibson, to further the cause of pictorial propaganda and to acquaint our people with the extent of our nlitary and naval preparations, was held at the American Art Galleries from December 9 to 24. A feature of this salon was the 200 drawings by the artists officially attached to our armies in France.

All of the above mentioned work was gratuitously offered by and through the Division of Pictorial Publicity.

Too great credit can not be given to Mr. Gibson and to Mr. Casey for inspired leadership and tireless enthusiasm.

When Gen. Pershing cabled for the services of eight artists, the question of picking the proper men was placed in the hands of the Division of Pictorial Publicity.

Besides the work of procuring drawings, this division has also arranged complete exhibitions of American posters in such places as the Corcoran Art Gallery, in Washington; the Academy of Fine Arts, of Philadelphia; the Art Institute, of Chicago; the Brooklyn Academy, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Aeolin Hall, Brooklyn; the Woman's Committee, East Orange, N. J. ; the National Arts Club, oi New York City ; Taft Hotel, New Haven, Conn.; the Graphic Arts Society, New York City; and the Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia.