World War I


2. Letter From Walter S. Rogers to the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information (Creel)

Source: Library of Congress, Papers of Woodrow Wilson, Series 2: Family and General Correspondence, 1786–1924, Reel 90, 1917 July 31–Aug. 29. No classification marking. Also published in Papers of Woodrow Wilson, vol. 43, pp. 456–459.


5. Report From the Embassy in Spain

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 111, Correspondence of Arthur Wood, Box 1, Commission in Spain and Italy Frank J. Marion. No classification marking. “Naval Attaché” is typed at the top of the first page. The report was presumably written by the Naval Attaché, Captain Benton C. Decker. The Ambassador to Spain was Joseph Willard.


6. Letter From the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information (Creel) to President Wilson

Source: Library of Congress, Papers of Woodrow Wilson, Series 2: Family and General Correspondence, 1786–1924, Reel 93, 1917 Nov. 27–1918 Jan. 7. No classification marking.


7. Cablegram From the Committee on Public Information Commissioner in St. Petersburg (Sisson) to the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information (Creel)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 106, Correspondence, Cables, Reports, and Newspapers Received from Employees of the Committee Abroad, Nov. 1917–Apr. 1919, Box 2, BullardSisson—Russia—Cables. No classification marking. Sent via Western Union. A stamp on the back of the last page reads: “1918 Jan 4 AM 8 31.”


8. Letter From the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information (Creel) to Paul Fuller of the War Trade Board

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 1, General Correspondence of George Creel, Box 10, Hart, Charles. No classification marking.


9. Cablegram From the Committee on Public Information Commissioner in St. Petersburg (Sisson) to the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information (Creel)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 106, Correspondence, Cables, Reports, and Newspapers Received from Employees of the Committee Abroad, Nov. 1917–Apr. 1919, Box 2, BullardSisson—Russia—Cables. No classification marking. Sent via the Postal Telegraph-Commercial Cables Company. The time “1:27 a.m.” is printed on the last page of the cablegram. Creel forwarded the cablegram to Wilson on January 15. (Papers of Woodrow Wilson, vol. 45, p. 596)


10. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Russia

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Decimal File 1910–1929, Box 736, 103.9302/12a. No classification marking. Marked “Seen” by Alvey Adee on January 23. Patchin initialed the telegram.


11. Memorandum by the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information (Creel)

Source: Papers of Woodrow Wilson, vol. 46, pp. 200–203. The original notes that the memorandum is dated “c. Jan. 31, 1918.” All brackets are in the original. © 1984 by Princeton University Press.


12. Report Prepared in the Division of Foreign Press, Committee on Public Information

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 105, Director’s Office of the Foreign Section, General Correspondence, Box 16, Poole, Ernest Feb–June 1918. No classification marking.


13. Memorandum From the Chief of the Military Intelligence Section, Department of War General Staff (Van Deman) to the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information (Creel)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 111, Correspondence of Arthur Wood, Box 2, R.H. Van Deman. No classification marking. An unknown hand made minor editorial revisions throughout the memorandum, which have been incorporated into the text. This memorandum is attached to a February 28 letter from Arthur Woods of the Foreign Section of the CPI to Colonel Van Deman, in which Woods wrote:

“I hope that you are carrying out this plan and will let us have the information mentioned in the different items as they come in.

“We are particularly in need of anything to throw light on ways in which public opinion anywhere in the world is being misinformed; and the effect produced by the educational work this Committee is now doing.”


14. Telegram From the Embassy in Mexico to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Decimal File 1910–1929, Box 731, 103.93/48. No classification marking. Blue. Received February 19 at 1:46 a.m. A handwritten notation at the top of the telegram reads: “Copy to Creel. Feb 19, 1918. File RBM [?].” Beneath this notation Patchin wrote: “Copy to Creel + File. PHP.”


15. Telegram From the Embassy in Russia to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Decimal File 1910–1929, Box 731, 103.93/54. No classification marking. Green. Received on February 24 at 9:17 a.m. Patchin wrote on the first page of the telegram: “Paraphrase sent to Creel. File. PHP.”


17. Letter From the Committee on Public Information Commissioner in Switzerland (Whitehouse) to the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information (Creel)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 1, General Correspondence of George Creel, Box 25, Whitehouse, Vira. No classification marking.


18. Letter From the Director of the Foreign Section, Committee on Public Information (Irwin) to the Committee on Public Information Commissioner in France (Kerney)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 106, Correspondence, Cables, Reports, and Newspapers Received from Employees of the Committee Abroad, Nov. 1917–Apr. 1919, Box 8, Kerney—Corres. March–July 1918. No classification marking. The letter was sent to Kerney in care of the Embassy in Paris.


19. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Decimal File 1910–1929, Box 732, 103.93/121. No classification marking. Blue. Received at 11 p.m. Patchin wrote at the top of the telegram: “Copied to Creel Apl. 3, 1918. File. PHP.”


21. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Decimal File 1910–1929, Box 732, 103.93/195. No classification marking. Blue. Received April 25 at 3:07 a.m. Patchin wrote at the top of the telegram: “Copied to Creel + Irwin Apr 26, 1918. File. PHP.”


22. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Decimal File 1910–1929, Box 732, 103.93/221. No classification marking. Green. Received May 2 at 8:15 p.m. Patchin wrote on the first page: “Para[phrase] sent over. File. PHP.”


23. Report Prepared in the Military Intelligence Branch, Department of War General Staff

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 133, Manuals Giving Psychological Estimates of Foreign Countries, Prepared by the Military Intelligence Branch of the General Staff, Feb.–June 1918, Costa Rica Psychologic Estimate. No classification marking. There are two typewritten dates on the first page of the report: February 27, 1918, and May 1, 1918.


25. Letter From the Committee on Public Information Commissioner in France (Kerney) to the Chairman of the Committee on Public Information(Creel)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 1, General Correspondence of George Creel, Box 11, Hatrick, E.B. No classification marking.


26. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Decimal File 1910–1929, Box 733, 103.93/461. No classification marking. Red. No Distribution. Received on July 2 at 7:42 p.m. Patchin wrote on the first page of the telegram: “Sent to Irwin 7/3/18. File. P.H.P.


27. Letter From the Chief of the Military Intelligence Branch, Department of War General Staff (Churchill) to the Director of the Foreign Section, Committee on Public Information (Irwin)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 105, Director’s Office of the Foreign Section, General Correspondence, Box 13, Military Intelligence and CPI Agreements. No classification marking.


28. Letter From the Director of the Foreign Section, Committee on Public Information (Irwin) to the Chief of the Military Intelligence Branch, Department of War General Staff (Churchill)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 105, Director’s Office of the Foreign Section, General Correspondence, Box 13, Military Intelligence and CPI Agreements. No classification marking.


29. Letter From the Director of the Foreign Section, Committee on Public Information (Sisson) to the Chief of the Military Intelligence Branch, Department of War General Staff (Churchill)

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 105, Director’s Office of the Foreign Section, General Correspondence, Box 13, Military Intelligence and CPI Agreements. No classification marking. On July 23, Sisson wrote Creel that Churchill had “received no letter from Irwin or from you” on an agreement between CPI and MIB. He therefore drafted the letter printed here and asked Creel to “countersign both copies” if it “meets with your views.” (Memorandum from Sisson to Creel; National Archives, RG 63, Entry 105, Director’s Office of the Foreign Section, General Correspondence, Box 7, Creel, Geo. June–August 1918)


30. Letter From Edwin Björkman of the Division of Work Among the Foreign Born, Committee on Public Information, to David F. Swenson

Source: National Archives, RG 63, Entry 105, Director’s Office of the Foreign Section, General Correspondence, Box 4, Bjorkman—August 1–20. No classification marking. Swenson was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.