I
2.
1
VII. Wartime Propaganda Administration
156. WARTIME CIVILIAN AGENCIES. In the United States
government, war propaganda has traditionally been a function of the execu-
tive branch of the government. Though a responsibility and power of the
President, it has not been conducted by President Wilson or President
Roosevelt in their respective capacities of commander-in-chief of the
armed forces, but has been operated as a special, emergency, civilian
enterprise in each war. In World War I, there was established the Creel
Committee. In World War II, psychological warfare was at first a re-
sponsibility of seven or eight agencies, the most active being the Office of
the Coordinator of Information (COI) and the Office of Facts and Figures
(OFF). In the summer of 1942, the OWI was established and took over most
psychological warfare functions, particularly all those involving official
use of the name of the government; other agencies, such as the Office of
Strategic Services (OSS) and the established departments, maintained an
interest in the subject. Coordination was effected by a system of con-
sultation and liaison, as shown in the chart on page 29. At the termination
of hostilities, both OWI and OSS were dissolved. Some of their informa-
tional and research functions have been assigned to the State and War De-
partments.
157. FUTURE PROPAGANDA ADMINISTRATION. Psychological
warfare cannot be studied on the assumption that appropriate staff proce-
dures will involve civilian agencies. Since the national agency for propa-
ganda has been improvised for each war, with very little carry-over of
doctrine, skill or personnel from one war to the other, it must be con-
sidered that another war, should one occur, would require new organization.
This might or might not be military. Experience in World War II showed
excellent results in the use of large civilian staffs under military command.
158. MILITARY FUNCTIONS OF THE NATIONAL PROPAGANDA
AGENCY. A national propaganda agency has as its primary job the secur-
ing of the home front by sound, effective, honest domestic propaganda which
will maintain national morale, support production and keep the national
base of the military effort in good condition--so far as this can be done
through affecting opinion. The national agency must necessarily serve as
the gather and supply point for special news, features, guidances, background
studies and so on which are needed by military propaganda facilities over-
seas. It also has the exceedingly important function of supplying presses,
special radio equipment, inks, basic propaganda materials and other supplies.
which cannot be drawn through ordinary army channels. The OWI in World
War II--and the Creel Committee to a lesser extent the time before--per-
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