Pitchmen on the Potomac

How Uncle Sam sells Amtrak, Army life and Express Mail

It is not his best-known attribute, but Uncle Sam is becoming one of the greatest salesmen since P.T Barnum. Switch on a radio or TV set, flip through a newspaper or magazine, and there he is, in one guise or another. Here is the U.S. Postal Service, sniping at Federal Express, Emery, Purolator and other private-sector small-package carriers, boasting that it can do just as competent a job and make mailers "look good for less." Here is the U.S. Army invading the air waves with...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!