The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-23

Giles designed TO combat ignorance and
diraffection.
| Ii has organized, and now directs, a
round dozen OF societies and leagues
designed to appeal to certain classes
and particular foreign language
groups, each body carrying a specific
message to it's section OF Americas
adopted peoples.
It acts as a bureau of information
for all persons who seek its direction
in volunteer war work. In acquiring
ki ewiedge OF any administrative &C.
tivittes. or In approaching business
dealings with the government.
1t. superyises the voluntary censor
shiI, OF the newspapers and periodical
press
II established rules and regulations
for the cable censorship with respect
to press dispatches.
1t prepares and distributes. advises
upon and censors photographs and
moving pictures 10 the number OF more
than 700 day.
It has only $50 paid employees, but
1T directs and co-ordinates the pa
triotic work of 5000 volunteer writer's
ard artists and 90, 900 public speakers.
To carry on its multifarfeus activl-
ties in the United States. 1t has spent
from its beginning in April. 1877. down
to December 81, 1917. st1s.s21.s6 for
salaries and ss25,71s.20 for all its
other expenses.
This remarkable showing has been
ms de possible by the generous coop
GRAFTON of patriotic gvoups and indi-
viduals, the sacrifice of volunteer
workers, and the devotion Of others in
accepting service at half this salary
r&CafUad In "a nj M
II 10 not an economy. however. that
can be or should be maintained. / can
aAsura you that the country. as a
whole, 10 behind the war. but In every
section there 10 q vast amount OF ia
norance and misunderstanding that
may possibly tester and infiame.
Forces of dissension and dislovalty are
steadily at work. and particularly Ia
this true among the foreign pepula-
ton. We shall not discharge our full
duty to the national defense until we
have reached every community in the
United States by written or spoken
word or motion picture; until every
individual. native, naturalixed. or
aheu. has IL scared iato his conscious
ness that this war In a war of self
defense, and that IL has got TO be
master OF every thought and action.
Needs in Other Lands.
Our greatest need, however, is in
other lands England and France at
tach prime Importance TO educational
and informative campaigns, and Ger
many, am credtbiy informed. spent
100000 n month in Russia alone.
For years the United States has been
known TO the rest OF the world
through drib6Ies OF information SUP
piled by foreign news agencies. ana
as the result there in not a country
that has any exact or comprehensive
3iea OF American life, activity or ideals
This Ignorance has lent itself with ne
criiar effect 10 the lies of the enemy.
and there ia no work more important
than this dght for better understand
ina and a more intelligent public
oil inion.
Much has been done. but IT can only
be regarded as experimental. Machtn.
cry has been created and tested. and
we are now able to commence 100 per
cent operation In all confidence II Is
for this that I ask sanction. There IA
no detail in connection with these ac-
tiy.ties that we shall be ashamed 10
reveal No paper will he subsidized
no official bought. and no corrupt.or
employed,
From a thousand sources we hear az
the wonders of German propaxanda
hus my original determination has
never altered. Always do / try &c
find out what the Germans are doing
ard then don't do It, Even If the
very Ioftiness of our war aims did not
command honesty at every point. II
have the conviction that corrupt meth
ode work their own destruction.
Russia 10 q case in point For years.
first secretly and at last quite openly,
Germany has poisoned the people with
lies. yet within the short space OF 4 |
few months cur own open publicity
campaign was able to work Q funda-
mental change In public sentim ent. |
We do not argue or exhert or eensurs,
but confine all activities TO q plain. |
straightforward presentation of cur !
aims. our purposes. and our ideals /
We have nothing to fear from the
truth II can be made our principal
weapon. -s.Sf;
May ask that you permit me to
have copies OF this report printed and
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