The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-09
PROPAGANDA Of
AMfR|CAN|SM
President Wilson's Peace Mes
sage to be Brought Before
Eyes Of AL the
World.
ON RUSSIAN BnLBoARDS
Circulars Scattered Over Enemy Lines
BY Aviators as Part Of the
Big Publicity
Scheme.
ON RUSSIAN BuLBoARDs
LBy Robert j. Bender, United Press
Staff CorrespOndent1

[By Robert ]. Bender, United Press
Staff Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-President
Wilson is conducting man to man
appeal to the Russian people and the
liberals of enemy nations. Through
open air diplomacy" he is trying TO
convince the Russians that their safe
ty lies in allegience to the principles
for which America Is fighting in this
war-and Austrian and Bulgarian 10
erals that danger to them would fol-
low German victory.
Following President Wilson's d.
rect appeal to these peoples in his
war aims message yesterday, 1t was
learned today that the official text
of the message will be placed direct
ly before the working classes OF Rus
sia and the enemy peoples. The
committee on public information not
only sent the address by cable to
every capital In the world. but gave
orders for bill board display IN Rus
sia and aeroplane distribution on
both fronts.
The work Is. 4 part Of tremend-
Gus world propaganda launched ny
this government to convince the peo-
pie of Russia that the United States
is right and that Germany Is wrong.
Shown United Press Petrograd
dispatch today stating that bill boards
and the aeroplanes were spreading
the gospel of Americanism, Chairman
George Creel of the committee on
public information, admitted this TO
be only part Of the educational WORK
we are now conducting, not only in
Russia, but in enemy countries and
neutral nations"
1t is not being done behind closed
doors or In secret sessions with dip
lomats. Practicing the doctrines he
is now preaching the president IS
carrying on his propaganda IN tne
open. He believes world peace must
and will come through open discus
sion of peace terms started by him
lust q year ago, followed later by
Lloyd-George and now participated IN
by all the peoples throughout the al
lied countries.
In Russia the work is being done
by bill board posters giving IN Rus-
sian. Americas views on the interna-
tional situation, her aims In the war
and her peace ideals. The theatres
in cities large and small, are showing
motion pictures sent over by the
Creel committee and literature OF all
kinds Is being distributed by the ton.
In Austria-Hungary aeroplanes are
dropping educational matter over the
enemy trenches to convince thinking
people among the soldiers fighting
there that their battle Is vain one.
should Germany be victorious ana
place her iron heel upon Emperor
Charles domain.
Similar tactics are being pursued
over German and Bulgarian trenches.
This country, for the first time since
the war started, is>actually getting
across" to enemy fighters the Amer
ican position in the war, the dangers
Of a German-made peace and the
safety of a peace sponsored by thls
government.
Hundreds of thousands Of dollars
are being spent in the undertaking,
probably the greatest moral often
siye' in the worlds history. But
confidential reports show that the
effort is bearing fruit. Conditions In
Austria Hungary and even IN Ger
many are such as to cause tremen-
dous concern by the rulers at the
demand for democratic government
by the liberals.
In Russia, the Germans have found
that the spirit of the peasant, even
in political chaos cannot be easily