What did Idaho think about the Great War?

Before the United States was involved in the war, the opinions expressed in the news were reflected the belief that not only was it better for the country to stay out of the war, but that America had a duty to stay out of it. In fact, this was almost the exact wording used in the Pocatello Tribune. Even though the paper ran many articles that discussed the war and seemed to show a favorable view of the allies, it still maintained that the country had a duty to the world to stay out of the war.[1] This outlook later changed. According many newspaper articles from local papers of the time such as, the American Falls Press and The Camas County Courier, opinion tended to support the war and exude patriotism. Stories about the war, as well as stories about people showing their support on the home front, dominated both the headlines and most of the pages of both of these papers. Any form of news about the war seemed worthy of printing. For example, the September 10, 1918 edition of the American Falls Press was filled with not only the big and exciting stories of battles won and territories taken, but also had a whole section dedicated to letters received from local soldiers along with an article about the people of Power County saving the shells and pits of fruits and nuts to be made into charcoal for respirators.[2] There was also a short story article praising a group of young American Falls boys who put on a miniature fair to raise money for the Red Cross to support the war effort.[3]

The Camas County paper was also filled with stories of the war, although much of the Camas County Courier seemed dedicated to stories about the soldiers serving from their local area. Many of the articles were about who in the area had enlisted, where were they being trained, and where were they being sent, as well as letters from them in the field.[4] The Courier’s headline for May 30, 1918 was titled, “We Are All Enlisted for Service During the War,” and again was filled with letters from soldiers and news about Camas County’s contributions to the war effort.[5] It would seem that personal pride in their young men who are serving and the hard work of their community was important to many of the people of Camas County.

Along with showing an interest and at least idealized view of the war, these papers also showed examples of using the power of public opinion as a tool for correcting behavior. In an article in the American Falls Press, titled “A Hell of a Time to Strike,” people on job strikes are addressed and called selfish for striking while soldiers are out there fighting for them. In another article in the same paper titled, “Black List”, the producers of the paper speak of the importance of the news during wartime and used this as a threat against congressmen who were putting pressure and restrictions on publishers.[6] In many ways, this could be seen as a real world example of the type of “social facts” examined by Emile Durkheim. In his work “What is a Social Fact?,” Durkheim describes how social pressures can shape our opinions and behaviors, and can be very powerful even when not fully noticed. In fact, in the before mentioned letters from local soldiers, a few let slip that some of their mail was censored and that they were restricted on what they said and wrote. So even though on the surface most of them seem very positive there are could be many opinions hidden behind that which cannot be brought forward because of social pressure.

The Idaho Techniad, predecessor to the ISU Bengal, provided an additional perspective. Very little was directly said about the war, especially when compared to other papers; but in most pre-war editions the paper maintained a positive tone. At the same time, they expressed a desire for peace and to not have to fight in the war, because “education suffers because of war.”[7] In the December 14, 1915 edition there was an article about Henry Ford’s trip to Europe to attempt to promote peace. The article championed Ford’s efforts, and said he should be applauded.[8] The Pocatello Tribune voiced similar sentiment, namely, that many people would rather try staying out of the war. But Pocatello, like many other small towns across, maintained its autonomy while following wider national trend. For instance, in January 1916, as the war entered its most deadly phase, the Pocatello Tribune shifted toward military preparedness and the realization that the war would be long, and potentially invasive to American culture – a distinct compromise from what had previously been steadfast isolationism.[9]

– Micah Williams

[1] Pocatello Tribune, 15 September 1914.

[2] American Falls Press, 10 September 1918.

[3]  Ibid.

[4] Camas County Courier, 8 August 1918.

[5] Camas County Courier, 30 May 1918.

[6] American Falls Press, 10 September 1918.

[7] Idaho Techniad, 23 November 1915.

[8] Ibid., 14 December 1915.

[9] Idaho Techniad, 11 January 1916.