Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-09
'FOUR-MINUTE MEN ARE
TELLING PEOPLE OF WAR
Organization, Nation Wide. 1s
used to Arouse Public
to Action
WASHINGTON Auo q

The u-, WASHINGTON, Aug, O.
Tho rraon soiu'lon had its Minute Men"
Man present es, war has its -Four. Minute
minu,o ,,,, 80, history Is written the four
sdas 20 nen ., VIII take their place by the
sues, s,ues OF the minute men"-at least In ,hoir
mor,n 10 their countrymen. officials hara
ia,s pointed out The minute men" were
au'on au go, TO act The 'four-minute men" are
-Four, -Four thousand "four-minute men ara
,Ln rs 'ouaH IN thirty States and in more
tnan 100 cities, arousine America 90 ,a,Ia
~ ~ preserve the honor established weave a.o
by the minute men" years ago
a..Np minute men" are speakers. LAWYERS
uoc.oIs .r ana merchants who are giving thel,
,h,n e 10 tne nation. to tell the citizens what
utns var @ means They speak but four min.
about the war A''' VI ruths
Motlon picture theatres are places cbosor
ior the four-minute speeches In tho d.
eIhiissions-while the operator is cbang-
n.e .ne reefs the "four-minute man" stems
o,i 'ne platform and tells the audience what
!. "uuiehce needs to know. In this way
* ooo ~lnaleo ~ 4ooo speakers speaking in
Lo,VVV motion picture theatres reach more
tnan ten million people each week Each
speaker delivers two of the pithy speeches
week. and this means that there are
o-'VVV minutes or patriotic talk given the
american people each week
ihe lour-mlnute men" are q national
organization. They are directed from
washington from the Bureau of Public
Information. In each of the thirty States
there is state chairman. The state
chairman appoints chairmen i'm the cities
ana the city chairman secures men of
reputation In each locality to do the talk
ing.
Each week from Washington there is is
sued bulletin for -four minute men"
In tot afyl. tai
on the subjects to be used by the speak
ers in the ensuing week. The individual
speaker uses this simply as source Of
information and makes his own speech
Each week the subject chosen is used by
every one of the 1000 speakers This
means that 1000 men. from Maine to Ore
gon, and from Florida to the Great Lakes.
are telling the people of the United States
about some one feature of the great war
why are we at war?" is one subject.
The speakers have been used also to explai in
the selective draft the Liberty Loan. the
Red Cross and food control All of these
subjects are of vital interest to every Amer
lean. The "four-minute men" strive to give
them information.
The ''four-minute men" originated in
Chicago as an Independent organizat ton
backing the Chamberlain universal service
bill. Since that time they have grown into
governmental organization approved by
President Wilson.
While the organization is official in its
capacity, it belongs to the public in the
execution of its work The "four-minute
men" tell the people what they want to
know. The pulse of the nation is contin-
ually felt. Letters are sent broadcast
throughout the country, inquiring what
subjects the people desire to be informed
upon, The answers to these letters guide
the directors In issuing their bulletins to
the speakers.
Back of the entire plan is an energetic
Chicago banker-McCormick Blair, a man
so enthusiastic in his service to his nation
that he has given up his business to direct
the "four-minute men without compen-
sation. His staff of workers in Washington
is also unpaid. The "four-minute men
are unpaid.