ABSTRACT
The art of propaganda was yet to be organized. To resolve this dilemma, an Office of War Propaganda was established, directed by Charles Masterman (1873-1927), who was distinguished for the speed with which he accomplished his tasks and for his general work ethic. England had had a long history of voluntary recruitment and the liberal government was against conscription. However, from the first days of 1916, news arriving from the front was increasingly alarming and the numbers of volunteers alone were no longer sufficient to continue the battle. The duration of the war and the reports of atrocities and suffering described by those who returned from the trenches weakened the idealized images of the propaganda material. In order to prevent similar efforts in public awareness on the part of Germany from developing, the headquarters of the main centre of the British secret propaganda organization overseas, Wellington House, was inaugurated in September 1914.
