Can you believe that PR existed during the 1st world war?

Before I tell you, about the existence of PR during World War 1, let me introduce you to, Carl Byoir. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of PR. He started as a reporter for the Des Moines Register when he was 14. When he was 17 he became the editor of the Waterloo Times-Tribune. Byoir became a member of the Committee on Public Information in 1917. This committee was in charge of publicly organizing the objective of the United States for World War I. 

During Byoir’s stint in the Committee on Public Information he executed many techniques that influenced public opinion. He was also credited with the campaign directed at non-English speaking Americans eligible for the draft. This campaign was effective enough that it added over 70,000 men to the American war effort.
And here we thought that PR is a new topic ! Amazing right?