Four Minute Men
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The Four Minute Men were a group of volunteers who spoke under the guidance of the U.S. government. They spoke throughout the nation and gave four minute talks during the intermission at motion picture theaters on current war issues.
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[edit] History
During the United States’ entry to World War I, the American opinion was divided by counterclaims of German and Allied propaganda. President Wilson needed public opinion on his side. With the help of George Creel an expression of rational pro-war policy was developed. This led to the development of the Committee of Public Information in April 1917. The function of the committee was to influence American public opinion if favor of the war, while still conveying the seriousness of the situation. This was achieved through newspapers, films, and the public speakers.
[edit] Purpose
The public speakers of the Committee of Public Information were established on June 16, 1917. They were known as the Four Minute Men. These Four Minute Men derived their name from the specific time limit imposed on their speeches and the reference to the “Minute Men” of the Revolutionary War. These men were volunteers who spoke under the authority of the United States government. Their purpose was to present important messages of the war and issues of the time to motion picture theater audiences. They were allowed four minutes to speak on topics such as: why we fought the war, who the enemy was, food conservation, the Red Cross and the draft.
[edit] Branches and Divisons
The Four Minute Men spoke at mainly motion picture theaters but also at lodge and union meetings, granges, lumber camps and Indian reservations. As the process became effective divisions were established including women’s divisions and singing divisions that led the audience in patriotic songs. Junior Four Minute Men were established in primary schools as well as 153 university branches.
[edit] Credentials
To become part of this national service, high credentials were necessary. Every state had a chairman that chose a local chairman for each town. To become the local chairman a man must have had three endorsements from prominent citizens of his hometown. They were to be professional men with good public speaking skills. Their goal was to stir the audience’s patriotism while they discouraged pro-German opinion.
[edit] Significance
The importance of the Four Minute Men was equivalent to fighters at the war front. The Four Minute Men provided Americans with valuable information and also served as a connection between the American government and its citizens. Their speeches were heard by over 11,000,000 people in the eighteen month life span of the Four Minute Men. By the end of this eighteen month period over 75,000 citizens had volunteered and served as a part of the Four Minute Men.
By the American government creating a positive source of propaganda, United States citizens were informed as well as educated about the events taking place in the war. The Four Minute Men performed a service of maintaining home morale and focusing attention on the principles at stake in the war. These men were an effective form of propaganda during the war and their messages influenced the opinion of the nation.
[edit] References
Cornebise, Alfred E. War as Advertised. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1984. 1-18.
"Four Minute Men." Everything2. 14 Oct. 2001. Epicenter. 2 Nov. 2006 <http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1178163>.
Larson, Cedric, and James R. Mock. "The Four-Minute Men." The Quarterly Journal of Speech: 97-112. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Augustana Library, Rock Island. 2 Nov. 2006. Keyword: Four Minute Men.
Oukrop, Carol. "The Four Minute Men Became National Network During World War I." Journalism Quaterly: 632-637. 2 Nov. 2006.
United States. The White House. Committee on Public Information. Purpose and Plan of Four Minute Men. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1917.
