1. War Industries Board: Encouraged companies to cut down on waste and mass-produce products more efficiently; caused industrial production to rise by 20%, but prices to rise exponentially as well; companies profited but citizens suffered.
2. Railroad Administration: Regulated the railroads as the WIB regulated factories.
3. Fuel Administration: Watched coal supplies and rationed heating oil; introduced and popularized Daylight Savings Time in order to save fuel.
4. National War Labor Board: Moderated issues that arose between workers and managers; took away draft exemptions from workers who caused problems; also worked to improve work conditions - supported eight hour days, safety inspections, child labor bans.
5. Food Administration: Helped to ration food by promoting the "gospel of the clean plate" and days where you would go without something: one day a week without sweets, one day without meat, two without wheat, and two without pork; encouraged restaurants to reduce waste; promoted the planting of victory gardens to supplement home kitchens; tripled food shipments to the Allies.
6. Committee on Public Information: Nation's first propaganda agency; George Creel convinced thousands of artists to create posters, cartoons, paintings, and statues to promote patriotism and the war; distributed thousands of pamphlets and other literature promoting the war; had "Four Minute Men" promote joining up and sell war bonds; these efforts angered many opponents of the war.
7. Espionage and Sedition Acts: stated that a person could be fined up to $10,000 or incarcerated for 20 years for interfering with the war effort or saying anything disloyal about the war or the government; led to over 2,000 prosecutions, about 1/2 of which were convicted; targeted socialists and labor leaders; dissenters were sent to jail, fined, or even deported.
Briefly explain why Bernard M. Baruch and George Creel are significant historical figures.
Bernard M. Baruch is a significant historical figure because he was the leader of the WIB - it was under his organization that conservation and mass production techniques to support a war effort became popular. We still use some of the ideas that he pushed forwards today - even if not to the extent that the WIB used the, Baruch's ideas and motives underly our war effort today.
George Creel is an important historical figure because he was the head of the first national propaganda organization. Without him, propaganda would never have gotten going in such a big way, for it was during WWI that it got its start. Creel came up with techniques to intrigue the public and tug at their heartstrings, often shaming them into contributing to the war effort. Creel is significant because he forwarded a new technique that would be used widely in every war that America would fight in the future.
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