The Washington herald., 1917-11-28
SPEAKER TRAILS
RED CROSS LIES
TO RUMOR Mill
DR.. McKelway Tells Depart,
ment Employees Washing
ton Is Gossip Factory.

Washington has become the
rumor factory Of the United States"
said DR.. A. J. McKelway, who de-
scribed the newspaper as "the great
corrective Of gossip" In . Red Cross
lecture before employees Of the Agri-
culture Department, at the Central
High School. last night.
people have come to Washington
on all sorts of business, from all cor
ners Of the country. and each one
departs to his home district with
a large assorted stock Of misinfor-
nation which he calls inside infor-
nation" he said: He has been to
Washington. and he knows.
mo wonder that President Wilson
10 glad sometimes to get away, as
he said recently at Buffalo, from
people who know SO many things
that are not 50. A great deal of
this gossip is harmless and is soon
forgotten; but we sometimes need
to remember that there are a great
many people In the United States
who are among US. but not of us,
and who hope in their hearts that
we shall not win the war against
Germany.
Good Word Corrupted.
There are some whom I hate to
call pacinsts-for that is a good
word gone bad-who are So much
opposed to the war and were so hos
tile to the entrance Of the United
States into the war. that they are
willing to have their opinions vindi-
Gated even at the sacrifice of their
country's interests,
'They will say one word for the
United States, two words for Ger
many, and ten words against which
ever one Of our allies II is their
pleasure at the moment to antagon-
ize; in fact, we are solemnly told
that the United States has no allies
in this great world war. but is hght-
ing. as IL were, Q lone hand. a
theory which conveniently aids
American traitors in their effort to
hinder the United States in the con-
duct OF the war.
1T Is only natural therefore that a
great institution like the American
Red Cross should have its critics and
that all sorts OF slanderous stories
should be started about the organiza-
ton and its work. These stories even
IL true, would prove nothing except
that the Red Cross Is OF tremendous
benefit to the United States and our
allies in this great world conflict. and
that any crippling Of its endeavOr is
in the interest OF the enemies of the
United States.
Case of Mr. Tumulty.
when We remember that Secretary
10 the President Joseph Patrick
Tumulty has had to affirm that the
accounts OF his being executed as
German spy have been greatly exag-
gerated, we can only wonder that the
enemies OF America have been occu-
pied with such petty business as the
of the knitting Of sweat
ers.
I'VE are met here tonight to see II
by organization, by economy OF our
resources. by sacrifices and BY gifts
and free-will offerings. We cannot APP
proximate in some measure the sacri-
fees OF our soldiers, knowing that the
moro We give. the more comfortable
will be their lives, the more efficient
will be the relief that is ministered
to them in sickness and suffering. the
more certain will be the recovery Of
the wounded and their restoration to
their loved ones at home. and the
more tenderly and reverently will the
bodies of the dead be cared for.
Surely one needs but to state the
object OF such q meeting as this to
enlist in this high service every soul
that is worthy Of the name Of an
American, every heart that beats with
an impulse OF humanity"
Others who addressed the meeting
held in the interest OF the Red Cross
were Mrs. David Houston. wife Of the
Secretary: Assistant Secretary Carl
vrooman, Walter Ufford. charity
leaders, and Mrs. Archibald Hopkins.