New-York tribune., 1918-02-02
Information Bureau Plans
Yelled Peace Drive,
He Says
Son of the Senator
Called Pro-German
Accusation an Infamous
Lie" Creel Declares
in Rebuttal

Robert La Toilette, ir., son of the
pacifist Senator. makes the charge in
news letter, which he has sent from
Washington to string of news
papers, that the Administration is CO.
verify conducting peace drive veilcd
III lecture campaign on the country's
war aims as arranged by certain peace
societies.
lie charges that George Creel's COM
mittee on public Information is work
ing with the lecturers on peace; that
speakers and their subjects have been
carefully selected and that. assured
of immunity from the Secret Service
or other government agents. they are
to tour the country and spread the
gospel Of pacihsm. Representatives Of
the organizations named reply that La
Follette's charges are pro- German and
an attempt to weaken the morale Of the
American people.
In an interview at Washington last
night George Creel characterized the
charge as "an infamous lie" and with
out the slightest foundation in TRUTH"
copy of his news letter, printed
recently in "Thc Tampa (Fla.) Citi-
zen," has reached The Tribune. 1t is
printed herewith. Inquiry at the Of
fees Of the Church Peace Union and
the League to Enforce Peace, which
are Jointly concerned in lecture and
educational campaign to cxpound the
supreme issues of ne war and to pro-
mulgate the doctrine of permanent
peace after Germany shall have been
beaten-doctrines as laid down by
President Wilson-confirmed that
representatives Of those organizations
had conferred with George Creel. am!
that Creel had tac:tly Endorsed their
proposals, but it was Indignantly de-
MED that the move in any way smacked
of peace drive. On the contrary, it
was insisted that at every meeting
"Win the war first" would be empha-
sized.
The Church Peace Union and the
League to Enforce Peace both have
their Offices at 70 Fifth Avenue, which
is also the home CT Scott Near.ng's
Peoples Council and other pacihst or
CARNATIONS whose activities have
brought them into dsrepute.
La Follette's Charges
La Toilette does rot omit this Fiftl,
! Avenue address in his news letter. He
says:
'In some ways the most significant news
OF the week is being completely ignored
by the metropolitan press. Or perhaps,
they don't know it. At any rate, I am
able to give you piece of exclusive in
formation the news that the Administra-
ton, after stepping all over the pacifsts
ever since the began. has now begun
to send out 'peaccmakers' of its own.
George Creel. chairman of the Committee
on Public Information and general handy
man around the White House, has COM
pleted arrangements this week with the
Church Peace Union, 70 Fifth Avenue,
New York City. and the American Peace
Society, Colorado Building, Washington,
to send out through the country carefully
selected speakers who will discuss peace
terms under what might be described as
the unofficial imprimatur of the govern
ment.
That is to say, the Administration will
not hold itself responsible for what the
speakers say, but it will exert itself
through Creers bureau TO see that they
are not molcsted by the 'thickwts of
the Department of Justice. Committees
which tmid about having peace talks
under the impression that they will be
raded by the Marshal McCarthes of the
Administration if they do will be given
to understand that speakers of a certain
! conventional type have the Admnistra-
tons o. X. Back Of the move, of course
is the feeling the part Of the President
that the country needs education on some
of the European questions involved in the
peace terms.
His Informant on the Inside
"My informant, who is distinctly on the
inside tells me that Creel has laid only
two stipulatons. One is that speakers
must not criticse Congress or discuss uni
versal military training. pro or con- The
C1uf:nryoI IN y1ck D~~o