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During the Great War, the countries involved in humanitarian assistance largely broadcasted their actions. Why did they do so? What type of arguments were used? Through the study of the Swiss and American cases, this article aims to highlight the goals of humanitarian rhetoric. While the structure and posterity of this discourse differed for both countries, its objectives were similar. This rhetoric had its utility in foreign policy, for it justified neutrality and reassured the Allies. But it also served internal purposes, as it was fully integrated into the process of the mobilization of minds. In the end, these findings might be extended to other neutral countries and thus highlight the deep transnational aspect of this rhetoric.