Speech of Senator Harry S. Truman in the United States Senate On Relation of Advertising to the War Program at Chicago, Illinois

(Not printed at Government expense) CONGRESSIONAL RECORD ADDRESS for the War bond and other Government In the United States, our natural resources campaigns, and his remark in this connec- were so great that it was possible to obtain BY tion: sufficient food, shelter, and clothing for bare HON. HARRY S. TRUMAN "It is a tribute to the advertising industry subsistence with only a fraction of the labor and to advertisers that all of this has been available. If there had been little knowledge OF MISSOURI done on a voluntary basis, rather than by of better things and no stimulation of the ON RELATION OF ADVERTISING TO THE paid Government campaigns. The dangers desire to obtain them, we would not have and difficulties inherent in attempting to do created the factories and machinery which WAR PROGRAM AT CHICAGO, ILL. a job of this type by paid Government ad- have enabled us to amaze the world in the November 11, 1943 vertising are obvious. Even if there production of war material. were no abuses, public confidence in the in- If our people had not known the better (Printed in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD of tegrity of the press and radio might be un- things in store for them after victory, they November 18, 1943) dermined.' would not have appreciated so thoroughly what we are fighting for, and it would have Mr. BURTON. Mr. President, I ask been difficult to increase production of war THE RELATION OF ADVERTISING TO THE WAR unanimous consent to have printed in the material when the quantity of civilian goods, PROGRAM Appendix of the RECORD an editorial en- which workers could buy with increased titled "Advertising Has Paid Its Way," (Speech of Senator HARRY S. TRUMAN, of wages, was so small. We have found, during Missouri) published in the Washington News of the war, that in many foreign areas even the Mr. Chairman and members of the central November 16, 1943. The editorial is payment of high wages is not sufficient to in- council of the American Association of Adver- duce production because the workers are used based upon an address delivered by the tising Agencies, I appreciate this opportunity to bare subsistence, are unfamiliar with the distinguished Senator from Missouri to address you on the subject of the relation benefits which increased wages would bring [Mr. TRUMAN] on November 11, at Chi- of advertising to the war program. to them, and have not been stimulated to cago, Ill., before the annual meeting of In the years before the war, advertising work to obtain them. the Central Council of the American As- had become increasingly important to Amer- When the war broke out, it was apparent sociation of Advertising Agencies. I ican business. Some people made the mis- that this advertising machinery could render should like to have the editorial followed take of assuming that the only result of ad- important assistance to the Government in in the RECORD by the address of the Sen- vertising was to get the public to buy one informing people about matters important to company's product in preference to that of the war effort and in inducing them to act ator from Missouri. its competitor. If that were the only pur- accordingly. There being no objection, the editorial pose of advertising, there would have been Theoretically this could be done without and address were ordered to be printed merit in the suggestion that was sometimes advertising, by public statements from Gov- in the RECORD, as follows: made by the uninformed that advertising ernment officials which would be carried by was simply an extra expense which had to be the press and radio as news stories. There is [From the Washington Daily News of No- paid by the consumer. no doubtith our press and radio have done vember 16, 1943] Such a position wholly overlooks the fact a tremendous job in that respect. However, ADVERTISING HAS PAID ITS WAY that advertising calls the attention of the news stories alone might not be sufficient to public to the availability of new articles strike deep into the public consciousness and Advertising being one of the sinews of and better merchandise and, thereby, stim- induce action. newspaper prosperity, perhaps we will be par- doned for citing some kind words by Senator ulates a desire on the part of the reader to To use an example, the prospective short- TRUMAN of Missouri. purchase such merchandise. For example, age of food, the necessity for rationing, and when Americans were told about new and the consequent desirability of planting vic- Not all of the Senator's talk to the Amer- improved household devices which would tory gardens is a news story which would be ican Association of Advertising Agencies was make their homes more comfortable and re- widely circulated. It would be sufficiently honeyed. He was properly critical of mis- duce the work of their wives, they planned important, as a news story, to warrant some leading advertisements, citing some examples and worked to make the savings necessary repetition, but to accomplish the task of and of overlarge outlays (before taxes) for to acquire them. This, in turn, enabled the inducing the actual planting of millions of advertising by war contractors. But he had manufacturers to produce goods in greater Victory gardens it was necessary to keep the this to say in retort to critics of the institu- quantities, thereby both providing work for attention of the public constantly focused tion of advertising-critics who regard adver- additional thousands of employees and re- on that subject. This was done, and could tising as "simply an extra expense to be paid ducing the cost of production. This brought only have been done, by advertising. You by the consumer": the cost of the articles within the price range will all recall that almost every issue of our "Such a position wholly overlooks the fact of still other consumers. leading magazines carried advertisements that advertising calls the attention of the Because advertising acquainted the Amer- recommending the planting of Victory gar- public to the availability of new articles and ican public with the facts, every American dens, and many radio programs called the better merchandise and, thereby, stimulates businessman realized that his products were attention of their listeners to the campaign a desire on the part of the reader to purchase in competition for the consumer's dollar not to get Victory gardens planted. such merchandise. only with the similar products manufactured Similarly, the announcement of a drive for "For example, when Americans were told by his competitors, but with all other articles the sale of War bonds is news, but a large about new and improved household de- which were being offered to the American number of the purchases are actually induced vices they planned and worked to consumer. This served as a strong stimula- by the advertising campaigns which con- make the savings necessary to acquire them. tion to improve the products, and to make stantly bring to the attention of the public This, in turn, enabled the manufacturers to them more satisfactory to the consumer. the purpose of the loans and the benefits, produce goods in greater quantities, thereby Advertising has induced progress in the both to the country and to the individual. both providing work for additional thousands use by manufacturers of new materials, new Campaigns by advertisers to assist the of employees and reducing the cost of pro- tools, and new processes of manufacture by Government to get Victory gardens planted duction. This brought the cost of the arti- calling their attention to the economies and War bonds purchased are only 2 of 44 cles within the price range of still other which could be achieved and to the new uses war campaigns which advertisers have worked consumers. * to which they could be put. Without such out in cooperation with the Government. "Advertising has induced progress in the advertising, information of this kind would Such campaigns include scrap salvage, con- use by manufacturers of new materials, new take years to reach all of those who might servation of household greases and fats, tools, and new processes of manufac- benefit by it, and progress would be delayed. transfer of workers to essential jobs, reducing ture. Advertising has paid its way. Its contri- absenteeism in war plants, part-time labor to "Advertising has paid its way. Its con- butions have resulted in better living, not harvest crops, food rationing, avoidance of tributions have resulted in better living, not only by providing greater comfort and lux- black markets, and the reduction of travel. only by providing greater comfort and lux- ury, but also by providing better health and They have been a great help to the war ury, but also by providing better health and a greater opportunity for leisure and cultural effort. a greater opportunity for leisure and cul- development. Advertisers estimate that the commercial tural development." A practical measure of the value of adver- value of advertising time, space, and services, There are people in the Government who tising is the fact that American businessmen, voluntarily contributed for war purposes, could read that, and the rest of the speech, the shrewdest in the world, are willing to in 1942, exceeded $250,000,000. Substantially with profit if not pleasure. pay hundreds of millions of dollars annually more is being contributed this year, which Incidentally, we commend to Senator for advertising, because they know that it pro- should be contrasted with the less than BANKHEAD, author of the pending press- duces results in stimulating people to the $2,000,000 contributed during all of World subsidy bill, Senator TRUMAN'S praise of the activity necessary to acquire good merchan- War No. 1. Most of you are more familiar way the advertising industry has gone to bat dise. with these facts than I am, for you have 561999-4320 TRUMA NARA u