Committee On Public Information And Freedom Of Speech

The relationship between national security and free speech in wartime has always been discussed. After the 9/11 incident, the tension between them became the focus again. The thesis is going to make a research on the relationship of them in the United States in World War I.After America entered the European war, abandoning isolationism and neutrality, President Wilson recognized the difficulty in leading a disunited nation into war. He established the Committee on Public Information (CPI), hoping that it could propagandize his war aims and mobilize public opinion in support of the war. Creel, the CPI's chairman, understood the magnitude of the task. In order to fulfill the task, Creel set up more than twenty divisions under the Domestic and the Foreign Section. Under his leadership, the committee developed an astonishing propaganda effort on behalf of the war. The CPI employed all media, written words, spoken words, films and pictures, to disseminate information and propagandize the notion of war. The Division of News was set up to release news information; the Official Bulletin was established to publicize governmental activities; the Division of Civil and Educational Cooperation was created to educate the public with the war aims and to encourage anti-German sentiment. The Speaking Division and the Division of Four Minute Men were founded to publicize various campaigns in the country. Films, posters, cartoons and pictures were used as well to propagandize the war and win the support of the public.There is little doubt that the CPI's work promoted national unity, but there has been considerable skepticism as to whether the CPI strengthened democracy, which, in the United States, had been associated with freedom of expression under Constitution, especially the First Amendment. When the First Amendment was ratified by the Framers after they won the Revolutionary War, they valued free speech as the keystone of a democracy. In their opinion, the free speech clause meant, at least, free from prior restraints, tolerance of different ideas, and free exchange of ideas. However, the CPI's activities, in some aspect, violated the principles of free speech by censoring the publication, suppressing the dissent, and blocking the channels of communication. The CPI realized that to win the hearts of the public, providing affirmative information was not enough. It had to suppress opposition to the war or war effort. With this in mind, Creel issued "Preliminary Statement to the Press of the United States", monopolizing information gathering and releasing. It also classified news into catalogues and performed strict control over the undesired news. At the same time, Creel tried to control information at the source and practiced voluntary censorship on the press, which turned out to be coercive persuasion. The CPI did not show mercy to the dissidents. Any one or group who opposed the war or hindered the war effort would be suppressed and persecuted severely. The German immigrants, radicals such as the socialists, pacifists were the targets of the CPI's persecution. Under such circumstances, it is impossible for the public to hear different opinions and form their own judgment. This intolerant atmosphere is harmful for the protection of the right of free speech.The CPI left Americans a legacy of miserable curtailment of free speech, which repeated in one form or another in World War II, the Vietnam War and War on Terrorism after the 9/11 incident. What happened in these wars tells us that in wartime it is difficult, if not impossible, to protect people's right of free speech. In the long run, the most effective way to protect free speech in wartime is to create a tolerant public opinion.