Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
I.
Congress Gives Power to Wilson
a. Because WWI was such an immense conflict, the entire economy had to be refocused on
the war effort
b. Congress gave Wilson direct control over much of the economy, including the power to
fix prices and to regulate even to nationalize certain war-related industries.
c. War Industries Board
i. The main regulatory body was the War Industries of Board (WIB) established in
1917 and reorganized in 1918 under the leadership of Bernard M. Baruch, a
prosperous business man
ii. It encouraged companies to use mass production techniques to increase
efficiency
iii. It also encouraged them to eliminate waste by standardizing products
iv. WIB applied price controls only at wholesale level therefore resulting in soaring
retail prices
v. Corporate profits soared, especially in industries such as chemicals,
meatpacking, oil, and steel
vi. The Railroad administration controlled railroads, and the Fuel administration
monitored coal supplies and rationed gasoline and heating oil
d. War Economy
i. Wages rose, however a households income was largely undercut by rising food
prices and housing costs
ii. Stock holders in large corporations such as the DuPont Company saw enormous
profits
iii. To deal with disputes between labor and management, Wilson established the
National War Labor Board in 1918
iv. Workers who refused to obey board decisions could lose their draft exemptions
v. The board worked to improve factory conditions, by pushing for and 8 hour work
day and promoting safety inspections and enforcing the ban on child labor
e. Food Administration
i. To help produce and conserve food, Wilson set up the Food Administration under
Herbert Hoover.
ii. meatless, sweetless, twice wheatless, and twice porkless
iii. children after school grew tomatoes and cucumbers in public parks, while
homeowners planted victory gardens in their backyards
II.
Selling the War
a. War Financing
i. The US spend about 35.5 billion on the war, collecting 1/3 of the money through
taxes, including a progressive income tax, a war profits tax, and higher excise
taxes on tobacco, liquor, and luxury goods
b. Committee on Public Information
i. To popularize the war, the government set up the nations first propaganda
agency, the Committee on Public Information (CPI) headed by a former
muckraking journalist named George Creel
ii. Propaganda is a kind of biased communication designed to influence peoples
thoughts and actions
iii. Creel tried to get the word out pro-war with posters and newspaper articles
iv. Creels propaganda campaign was highly effective, however, while the campaign
promoted patriotism, it also inflamed hatred and violations of the civil liberties of
certain ethnic groups and opponents of the war
III.
Attacks on Civil Liberties
a. As soon as war was declared conformity became the order of the day, with attacks on
civil liberties, both unofficial and official, erupted
b. Anti-Immigrant Hysteria
i. Those who emigrated from Austria-Hungary or Germany were mainly attacked.
ii. Many Americans with German names lost jobs,
IV.