Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-09-21
PLAYING WITH FIRE.

The other day, according 10. the
testimony of an Industrious CORE.
spondent, a Kansas farm hand, arrest
ed for failing to register for the draft,
told his captors he did not know the
country was at war. 1t seems he could
not read and had been kept in ignor-
ance of the facts by his employer who
feared he might enlist. He had heard
OF the registration, he said, but had
neglected to participate, thinking 1t
was merely a preliminary to political
election
1t is not dificult to believe such an
unusual story in view of the ignorance
rs to facts regarding the Red Cross
which exists right here in Ottumwa
among persons who can plead neither
illiteracy nor that they are victims
Of hiding OF facts.
II has come to the attention Of Red
Cross workers in the city that interest
has waned among some of the men
and women Of the community because
of the rumor. which they believed,
that the sweaters, socks and other ar
ticles gathered by the Red Cross are
sold to the soldiers instead OF being
given to them.
Nothing could be more absurd, and
It seems almost waste of time to call
attention to the groundless story. But
the fact remains that it has been in cir
culation in Ottumwa and has been be.
lieved at least by some Of the persons
on whom the Red Cross depends for
encouragement and assistance from
now until the war ends.
The Red Cross Is voluntary organ
ization Its officials who give to its
work their every waking moment, la
Dor entirely without compensation.
Its local and state branches are main
tanned without administrative expense.
and the money 1t obtains Is disbursed
in giving relief and assistance.
Not cent has been or will be col
lected by the Red Cross or any of It's
workers from a soldier OF any country
for anything that has been given him
OF tnE any service rendered him. The
articles which are being assembled all
over the country for the army and
navy are gifts from loyal men and wo-
mon to loyal fighting men. The
thought of charging soldiers for them
never occurred to anyone connected
with the Red Cross and any rumor to
foundation.
This statement rs made as emphatic
ally as possible to Offset the malign
influence Of the report which, despite
It's lack Of truth, already has worked
injury to great movement for hui
manity.
1t Is impossible to discover its
origin, but it Is not unreasonable to
believe that the story was the work Of
that subtle system Of German espion-
age which has its ramifcations, APP
parently. in every little corner of the
United States.
It is to combat just such propaganda
of the enemy that the espionage law
was framed and enacted The story
attacking the motives of the Red
Cross is not the only groundless lie
that has gained circulation in the
country. There are the stories Of
huge death percentages among fight
ing forces in Europe These have
been contradicted successfully. by ex-
pert statisticians. There are the sto-
ries such as that which found utter
Rnce at the sociallstic meeting in OF
tumwa July 4, that ring of master
hnanciers in New York controls the
liberty Bond issue and that the bonds
themselves are worth little more than
so cents on the dollar.
Persons who circulate these base
less falsehoods are laying themselves
liable to prosecution under the espion-
age law and to Imprisonment or in
ternment or heavy fines. Repetition
proaches treason in It's seriousness.
The penalty fixed by the law is none
too severe.