Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-17
ENGINEERS RECT.
WELL AND HAPPY,
SAYS RALPH SMITH
Report of Disaster to These
and Other Troops Believed to
Be Work of German Prop
agandiStS
BY RALPH SMITH

WASHINGTON.-Pro propo-
gandists are active in Georgia Their
efforts to spread disloyalty as means
of hampering the government in its
prosecution of the war can be measured
only by the ingenuity with which they
seek to impose upon the credulity of the
people.
Evidences of their work bob up in the
most unexpected quarters and the ex-
tremes to which they have gone in Geor-
gia shocks well informed persons in
Washington. Members of the Cracker
congressional delegation daily are annoy
ed by the circulation of miS-statements
fact designed to breed discomfort among
the people and weaken the governihent
in it's war program. The congressman
have received many letters and tele-
grams inquiring as to the truth of the
most patent and palpable canards, such
as would do credit to the most upscrup-
ulous rigger of the stock market
Within the past few days the Georgia
congressman, along with representa-
tives from other southern states, have
received many kilograms reporting the
threadbare rumor that a regiment OF
engineers recruited in the south had
been lost at sea. Thee is no word of
truth in this rumor, not a scintilla OF
basis for its circulation, yet 1t has been
peddled from one end Of Georgia to an
other.
The members of this parti-
cular regiment of engineers to
my certain knowledge, are as we'll
and happy today as they were
when they enlisted in the SER
vice of the United States to-
do their patriotic duty for their
country I may say, in fact,
that no untoward incident has
occurred to mar the equanimity
OF the regiment or seriously
disturb the routine of the aver
age soldiers life. They are
l may add delighted with the
change of scenery as con-
trasted with the red clay hills
of Georgia, and are pleased
with the character of the work
in which they are engaged.
MEN ARE DELIGHTED.
And, more important still, these boys
of the engineers are favorably impress
ed with the methods adopted by the gov
eminent for their physical safety and
the manner in which they are being car
ed for as to bedding and rations 1t is
regarded as singular here that the ru-
NOR of the loss" of this regiment
should persist in Georgia, in spite OF
the fact that the safety of every moth
=
official knowledge in Washington, and
known unoficially to persons in Georgia
who have the deepest personal interest
in the matter.
The persistence with which the rumor
is circulated, bobbing up first in one
section of the state and then another,
may be accepted as evidence of the
work of pro-German propagandists,
whose motives are obvious. BY spread
ing unfounded reports of accidents, dis
asters, etc, these disloyalists hope to
create opposition to the selective draft
and weaken the government in the pur-
suit of it's other activities.
Nothing could please che kaiser more
than the lip service of the propagandists
in Georgia and elsewhere who give cur
rency to such groundless rumors, which
statements are music to the ears of the
German emperor.
In the present crisis II is a safe rule
to follow that mo news is good news"
The people generally may accept it as
certain that any reverses on land or any
accidents or losses at sea to the armed
forces of the United States will be an
nounced the minute authenticated ad-
vices of such an occurrence are received
by the government
But the government cannot, and does
not intend to. deny every underground,
perf1dious rumor that may be circu-
lated by the enemies of America. There
is a very good reason why the govern
ment doesn't intend to follow this
course. To do so would be to give not
only aid and comfort to the enemy, but
to furnish the enemy with valuable mill
itary information, in many instances.
The diabolical rumor about the en-
gineer regiment serves to illustrate the
point. If the government issues an Of
fetal denial of the rumor and publicly
discloses the whereabouts of the regi-
ment, the government places the in
formation at the disposal of the enemy.
or, rather. makes it easier for the en-
envy to inform itself as to military
movements.
ar n NJ W