Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-06-10
GERMANY LEARNS
MILITARY MOVES
Important Information Leaks
to Enemy, Secretary Dan
iels Declares.
FALSE REPORTS SPREADING
Government Denies Stories of
Naval Disaster; Public
VIII Be Informed.

WASHINGTON. June 9.-Convinccd
that valuable naval Information Is
reaching the enemy Secretary Daniels
issued an order today at the urgent
request OF Admiral Benson. chief of
operations forbIddiug all persons H.
the naval service from discussing cN-
CCpt officially, even among themselves
or with thc members of Their families
any question relating to the dlsposi
uoh. moNemcHN or proposed move
nents Jf naval or military forces.
The department acted after officers
OF the Intelligence division had re
ported trat Information, tho nature
of which was not disclosed had leaked
e Germany M. Daniels stid he nau
hcsitatcj to issue the order but that
his military advisers had been very
urgent There was no thot, he said,
that my persons in the navy had To-
NcaleI The plans of the department
except thru inadvertencc.
Press Not Ia blame.
The secretary pointed out that cX-
pcricnCcs of the allies had shown that
very uu.n portant seeming news was
sometimes o sufficient clue for an
alert foe to determine a movement IN
advance.
The purposes of the department are
AllN ~ piNlll'h az Wv blh'i WIN -
Secretary Daniels was careful to eX-
plaln did not refer to the press was IN
no sense an effort 10 prevent the
newspapers from getting news.
False Reports Spread.
Persistent false reports of naval
battles aud disaster 10 American ana
entente forces nave reached such i
point that Secretary Daniels has con
Cluded there Is an organized con-
spiracy to alarm the Amcricn people.
&c day the secretary issued the fol-
lowing statement:
The country Is being poisoned by
ruInors of battle and disaster that are
without the slightest foundation. Re
ports from the commandants of naval
districts, kilograms from newspapers
and letters from individuals have
forced me to conclude that there is
an organized conspiracy to distress
the people of the United States-
Among the most persistent of
these false reports is one that in a
naval engagement between the Ger
man fleet and the combined fleets OF
England and the United States, sixty
Eng slish and American ships were
sunk or disabled among them the
Pennsylvania and the Texas.
I'm elaboration Of the falsehood,
tlltIc Is dlleBeu tnat nOSplldlS at the
Atlantic coast naval yards are filled
with crippled sailors and marines and
that various hospitals in New York
city are crowded with wounded men.
1T is being rumored widely thar
n passenger arriving on one Of the
Holland American line steamers has
stated that his vessel passed thru the
battle area after the engagement and
that the sea was thick with floating
bodies
Must Keep Faith With Public
"All of these outrageous falschoods
are accompanied by the explanation
that the Washington authorities are
in a conspiracy with the press to
keep the truth from the people,
mo such engagement has taken
place. The American fleet has not
been in action. There are no wounded
sailors OF marines in any hospital
The declared policy of the navy
department is one Of absolute open
ness. If disaster comes no effort will
be maze to minimize It. Tho people
Of the United states are asked to
trust i'm this pledge and to aid in
stamping out this campaign of rumor
that is so plainly the product Of dis
loyalty"