Four Minute Men The Four Minute Men were a group of volunteers authorized by the US President Woodrow Wilson , to give four - minute speeches on topics given to them by The Committee on Public Information . The topics dealt with the American war effort in the First World War and were presented during the four minutes between reels changing in movie theaters across the country . History . In the year of 1917 the war in Europe had been raging for three years and America ' s involvement had not begun . Woodrow Wilson had just been re - elected president under the slogan " He Kept Us Out of War " . The British had been calling for the United States involvement and eventually helped convince Wilson through items like the Zimmerman Telegram and the sinking of the RMS Lusitania . Eventually on April , 6th 1917 the US Congress declared war on Germany . Purpose . With a large number of German Americans in the United States , and many others with strong isolationist feelings , there was a strong need for a propaganda campaign to stir support for the war . This effort had many unique challenges to meet to address the existing political climate . Wilson needed to speak directly to the fragmented and spread out audience in the United States . He had to address the country ' s self - perception to generate support for the war . The Four - Minute Men provided an answer to these challenges . Addressing Challenges . The Four Minute Men idea became a useful tool in the propaganda campaign because it addressed a specific rhetorical situation . One of the challenges of the effort was the fragmented audience of the United States . Many different heritages were represented in the United States , and the president needed their support for the war . To address each groups specific needs , the director of the Four Minute Men , William McCormick Blair , delegated the duty of speaking to local men . Well known and respected community figures often volunteered for the Four Minute Men program . This gave the speeches a local voice . Also , the four minute men were given general topics and talking points to follow and rotated between theaters to help the speeches seem fresh , instead of generic propaganda speeches . Organization . The four minute men was a division of the Committee on Public Information , headed by George Creel . The Committee on Public Information appointed William McCormick Blair as director of the Four Minute Men . Blair appointed state chairmen of the Four Minute Men , who then would appoint a city or community chairman . Each of these appointments needed to be approved in Washington . The local chairman would then appoint a number of speakers to cover the theaters in the city or community for which he is responsible for . Significance . The Four Minute Men provided Americans with valuable information , and served as a connection between the government and citizens . More than 75 , 000 citizens volunteered and served in the Four Minute Men . Over 11 , 000 , 000 people heard Four Minute Man speeches in the eighteen month program . Because the American government created a positive propaganda source , United States citizens were informed about the war . The Four Minute Men contributed to public morale , and focused attention on the principles at stake in the war .