The Sum Of All Our Parts

At the close of the Advertising the War:  How Business Bought In, I leave it to the reader to decide whether the Creel Committee was a propaganda machine or not.  Ultimately it comes down to who you believe in. 

George Creel would argue, no.  In his own words, "Under the pressure of tremendous necessities an organization grew that not only reached deep into every American community, but that carried to every corner of the civilized globe the full message of America's idealism, unshelfishness, and indomitable purpose.  We fought prejudice, indifference, and disaffection at home and we fought ignorance and flasehood abroad.  We strove for the maintenance of our own morale and the Allied morale by every process of stimulation; every possible expedient was employed to break through the barrage of lies that kept the people of the Central Powers in darkness and delusion; we sought friendship and support of the neutral nations by continuous presentation of facts.  We did not call it propaganda, for that word, in German hands, had come to be associated with deceit and corruption.  Our effort was educational and informative in our case as to feel that no other argument was needed than the simple, straightforward presentation of facts".

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines propaganda as the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause or a person.  Ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect.

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