The Dermott news., 1917-10-11
UNCLE SAM AFTER
LYING TRAITORS
TRYING TO CATCH AND PUNISH
THOSE WHO SPREAD FALSE
STORIES ABOUT WAR.
THEY ARE ALL PRO-GERMANS
Estravagant Rumors Are Circulated
Constantly for the Purpose Of Injur-
ing the United States and Of Aiding
Its Enemies
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

MISUNDERSTANDING the gov
eminent knows that large part of
the press of the United States is doing
what II can to Offset the work of the
pro-Germans in America and of those
who, seemingly loving a lie for the lies
sake, circulate through the communi-
ties stories invented apparently for the
sole purpose of injuring the cause of
this country.
1t is said, however, that the gov
eminent also knows that a certain
part of the press lends itself appar-
emily willingly to the spreading of mis-
information of the kind which Il for
mer president of the United States
once described by what he called the
Shorthand ugl y-word"-lie
1t Is certain that If the newspaper
men In the city of Washington cared
TO build stories out of rumors touch
ing this war. they could keep busy
writing all day long. Most of them do
not care to. If correspondent here
wanted TO believe all that he heard he
would be sure that peace is coming
with Germany within twenty-four
hours on tals basis or that basis. II
he wanted To believe further what he
hears he could be quite positive thnt
Russia intends quickly to line itself
up with Germany. TO supply that coun-
try with arms, ammunition and food
and 10 help ii in its war against the
United States and the countries allied
with Ii. More than this, If the CORE
spondent wanted to believe what he
hears he would feel confident that Italy
is going To quit the fight. and finally,
If he wanted TO believe what he hears
one-half of the soldiers who have been
sent from this city already are either
ut the bottom of the sea or in graves
in France. the victims of disease.
Trying to Find the Traitors.
The correspondent does not want 10
believe these things and he does not
have to believe them because they are
all lies put out by pro-Germans for the
purpose of aiding the cause of the enc
mics OF freedom and democracy.
The government is hard nj work to-
day trying To lind out how To reach the
men and women who are spreading
lies through the country. the traitors
who work in darkness Uncle Sans
searchlight may be able 10 find them,
but then the puzzle will come rs 10
how To secure their punishment Free
speech is fetch with the American
people and thus far there does not
seem TO be any way for the authorities
To draw Il clean line between free
speech and free falsehood.
Nevertheless the government today
IL giving attention to the work OF run
ming down the rumor mongers the
plain liars. the hinters of happenings
that never happened and others of the
sinister pro-German propaganda groups
that today are doing what they can 10
hurt this country aud to help its
enemy.
II Is said TO be possible 10 STAY a
woman with word and II seems that
the alien enemies and the worse than
allen enemies In the United States
think that what is possible in the one
case Is possible In another. The gov
eminent knows they are sowing seeds
of suspicion In every field In the land
believing that they will produce the
desired crop of poison.
intention Hard to Prove.
What is the government going TO do
about II? Ii Is handicapped In Il thou
sand ways. Ii traces story which
has brought damage To the cause OF
democracy and finds that the man or
the woman responsible for II pleads
that IL came In tea-table tSlk and that
II was repeated innocently. Premedi-
tated intention 10 hurt America and
help the kaiser Is one OF the hardest
things To prove, and this Is known by
men and women who invent tales OF
disaster and schemes TO obstruet war
preparation.
Recently attention t5as called in the