Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-11-17
SPREADING RUMORS
INF FRACTION OF LAW
Derogatory Statements About
Government Activities Will
Bring Punishment

That the spreading OF rumors or the
making of statements derogatory TO
the Red Cross or any other govern
ment activity, is an infraction of the
law and will be dealt with under sec
/ tion three of the Espionage Act. is
indicated in letter received by VIII
liam Woodburn. United States attor-
ney, from Arthur NJ. Allen, special
agent of the bureau of investigation
of the United States department OF
justice.
Special Agent Allen has investigat-
ed number of cases already and
found that all the rumors circulated
about the Red Cross to have been
false.
His letter to Mr.. Woodburn is as
follows:
For your consideration submit
the question of procuring indict-
ments under Section 3 of the Espion-
age Act against any person in this
district who by statement, innuendo,
gossip, or the repeating of indefinite
rumor spreads misinformation tend
ing to discredit any Of the enterprises
connected with the prosecution of the
present war by the United States.
Your Office is the proper place to
lodge complaints relating to any part
of the federal activities. Rumors which
are heard, are properly reported at
once to you and not retailed on street
corners, in bar rooms. at sewing cir
cles and card clubs or other gather
ings where the story (true or false)
spreads to the discredit of the nation
and its task. A prompt report to you
Is the duty of loyal citizen. To aid
in spreading the rumor by gossip Is
disloyal and can only be construed
as giving aid and comfort to the en-
emy.
The writer spent two days tracing
rumors rejecting on the honor and
honesty of the Red Cross association
and found in the end the rumors were
orphans; no individual would admit
parentage. They were born of gossip.
sired by ency or malice, and nurtured
by idle tongues that wag because of
the energy Of cranial clock work
which takes the place of brains for
their possessors. There is no neces-
sity of detailing the rumors here. II
is sufficient to say they were officially
reported either TO you or TO me they
came as the gossip of the streets and
are without foundation in fact.
Similar baseiess rumors, retailed
as publicity but never officially re.
ported, dealt with the alleged contem.
plated confiscation by the government
of foodstuffs. canned or otherwise pre-.
pared by thoughtful housewives. In
vestigation developed the fact that
these rumors grew out of an all.time
but joking remark made by a profes-
sional man to a woman acquaintance
who accepted the remark seriously
and warned her woman friends and
neighbors.
Another statement made in the
presence of at least one stranger, was
to the effect that a certain depositor
had been warned by friend to with
draw deposits from banks as the gov.
ernment was about to commander all
such private deposits TO finance the
war. This proved to be the letter of
one woman to another-at least the
writer and the one to whom II was
written did not discuss the matter in
public so perhaps they are not TO be
censured. However, II is all disloyal
and traitorous and there is law
which provides punlshments for dis.
loyalty"
!