Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-08
FALSE NOTES SENT TO FRONT
Soldiers Are Given Wrong Ideas as
to Their Families Left at
Home.
PLOT IS SOON RUN DOWN

CCorrespondence OF Associated Press
PARIS Aug. 5.-The houiovards Of Paris
have come into their own. Thousands Of
soldiers now mingie with the usual war
time Sunday crowds-soldiers Of all arms
and IN uniforms Of ali the regulation col
ors, bringing back some Of the Joy and
animation that disappeared last summer
They are grouped with families and
friends on the terraces Of all the cafes
they whiz along all the streets In taxi
autos or In sumptuous limousines. they
crowd tho entrances 20 all the moving
picture shows and promenade NTH the
arms Of women resting on their faded.
stained sleeves. while the little tots hang
10 their bronzed necks OF cling to their
calloused hands.
They are popular 'poiius' Cthe hirsute)
home from the front II seemed last
Sunday that all the 5000 that left the
trenches Saturday on four days leave
were there.
IL is believed these soldiers were re-
turned from the front 10 check one phase
OF a systmatIc propaganda OF discourage
ment that started at the beginning OF the
war and IL still going on. The latest
manifestation Of II was flood OF anony-
nous letters to soldiers at the front In
forming them that while they were she'd
ding their blood their wives we're lead
ing loose lives Mt home. This is supposed
10 be the reason for the decision OF the
war department 20 give four days leave
20 tho men az the front ~ contingents OF
$1,000 az q time, 20 that they may look
into the situation at home on their own
account
CuIprtts Hard 90 Reach.
The anonymous character OF much OF
the news that circulates gave the
fabricators OF false news a clear neld' tne
Ignorance in which the public is kept con-
corning the details OF the military opera
tons making II impossible for anyone TO
deny stories that are circulated; Il also
makes Il difficult for the police to reach
the cuiprite, though the secret service
ala succeed In tracing some Of the work
10 an eccentric millionaire named
Provost living at Saint Raphael who
has been convicted by court martial
ana sentenced TO prison.
After making a fortune out OF insur-
ance. Provost espoused the anarchist
cause. published subversive pamphlets
and journals and finally fell into the
clutches Of the Bonnet band, whose sem
sational crimes excited Paris two years
ago. False news began to circulate be-
hind the lines early in the fall Of last
year; soldiers In hospitals and at the
front received anonymous letters and
circulars with significant headlines such
al They are deceiving us" Germany
has made peace overtures that we re-
pulsed" "our generals have had entire
regiments Of our soldiers executed"
All these documents glorified great
Germany" Names and addresses Of sold
Iera in hospitals. names OF refugees adver-
Using for lost relatives. names OF women
Advertising for employment-all those
whose state OF mind seemed to make theH
accessible to depressing news and sngses-
tions received anonymous letters ane CIT
culars. A suspicious circumstance was
that those sent 70 soldiers was postpaid
while most OF the correspondence sent TO
them IL post free Thousands were dis
tributed by unknown means through tho
big department stores. slipped by mys-
FERROUS hands under street doors and into
private letters boxes; they were even
scattered over the floors Of postoffices
and the cars OF the subway
same ne German Notes.
n wss finally discovered that the sub
jects treated and the language used
we're the same as In come proclamations
dropped by German aviators upon po-
sltions held by troops Of the second line
Of Baaseux In November. Finally .
woman was detected dropping large
pockets OF letters into letternoxeas and
was Swallowed She received letters from
ST. Raphael IN the department OF the
Var in the name Of Herman. her real
name being Donnadieu. wife OF q well
known anarchist. living with another
anarchist named Hureau. Ali three were
arrested and their correspondence was
traced 10 the millionaire Provost. Prou-
vost admitted paying the postage on
the letters and circulars. but declared
that no had no intention Of engaging m
guilty propaganda. Behind Provost.
Hureau and Madame Donnadieu. the
police think. there was q we'll directed
system OF German espionage.
The Eclair declares that It has traced
some OF the false news circulated in