Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-12
FALSE STORIES CAUSE
NEEDLESS UNEASINESS
Canards of German Origin Hi
Country With Wild and
Scnsclcss Rumors.
CREDuLous HELP TO SPREAD
Harmful Tales rs TO Treason and
American Rev verses Positively
without FOuiitlnt ion-instnnccs of
EalschOou Cited.
ISrccialto The Times.Dispatch.

~ =
is a season of war liars and lying
tho ono. and certainly tho air is vibrant
I with the ether.
And curious as it may be. there are
multitudcs Of people who arc ready
and eager 10 swallow these fabrica
tions. and even 10 whisper them to IA
friend or neighbor just as though they
were matters OF fact.
For weeks the national capital has
rcSoundcd with these nctions Some
/ times they are poured apprchens!vciy
I into tho car Of the hcarcr Sometimes
| thy arc merely mUrmured beneath the
breath. But always there is somebody
I 20 believe them. and 10 give them ad
ditional circulation.
! Mos: Of these stories proceed un-
doubleday from enemy sources parlic-
ular!y those rejecting upon the char
octcr. Integrity or patriotism OF high
PUBLIC officials. Others originate I'm the
fears OF those people who are con-
'tAntlE expecting dreaded news frcm
abroad. and whose general attitude IS
the same AS that OF q woman who
closes her ears at the sight of a pistol
shot.
Inc canard to tho effect that joseph
/. iumulty. secretary TO the President
was being confined iii gone lnnrund
i'lson for revealin. government 80.
,rcts I" tho enemy is IA fair .a;np:e
81 tho Kind OF rot ,hpt is being ;sIKcd
ana believed throughout the country.
Tho truth H.. Of course. tina. Mr. tn
nui.y has been on his lob d,v ,r,
night every since the war VA. dr.
: c'arcd. except for brlc: vacation In
August and that hc Is nov, IN W,sb
ineton occupying tho mos. continental
roSSiblc relationship 10 tho President
NILI.iINOIS STORY
ABOUT RED CROSS NURSES
Nor "as III" viilniuuu~ story uhout
ia" Rod Cross nurscs an isolnic,j I'M
stance az this lying campnicn Moth
MS c"ni9 have hcrn moro unSnoakntIc
'""h 'ha' yarn but there have been
''"'rs winch nave caused more .f,prc-
'c"Sioi IN many quarters. Those. for
example. detailing thc losac. which the
.fm"Ticans have sustained in Franco ,r
on Tue way there are to the point
'nout six weeks ago a large mar. or
""ShinGion WIS horrifcd over a ro
port which spread over tho cltv tina,
transport had been sunk with - loo. -,
'i.cr"IiE thousands OF American ,roops
inc White House aud War D.n,r,
'i'"'S were accused IN the same breath
~ 'ElnS !" conceal this murdnro,u
submarine attack, because Of som.
mystical innucnc" the truth" uich,
nave upon Corsrrss
W course there Was no, "A shred NJ
ruin IN the story. Both tho Secro,,ry
81 war and tho Secretary Of tho 49,,
"hEc their personal word to novs,,.o,
correspondents that no such Ij....
''ad occurred. adding that If AM .b,rId
Occur they would release tho inforu,.
i'"n 40 ihc ruilIc Just as soon e.. {,
could lac officially verified
Nnothcr Wild story along tho u,ro
VA" gained currency within tho mas,
tch days The substance O, ibIs ,y..
'nN, several hundreds Of thousands OF
American troops In France n,,,i
f''' III an assault upon German
trenches and that some OF the COM
""nuS participating had been literally
ahhihiiHicd. Again the administration
N'' charged with withholding the
hewH. certain mysterious reasons being
given why i; should be held back.
Sti!l another. but far less hcrr,-
rtndimS, story was that which tho food
administration was compelled to pub
!ic!N deny.
h"St I'D STORY RELIEVED
ny MANY CEEDUI.OIS pt.opIr
This Was TO the effect ;hat homo
canning on the part Of housnwIvn,
should lie abandoned. rs the govern.
"on' WAS secretly plotting TO conga.
cate every jar OF preserves or annie
h"'iHr In the country for the uso ~
INC Amos. Tho absurdity OF this iniah,
haNo been secn on it's face, yet there
"'rc lot OF crcdulous pcoplc who
wrote TO MIR. Hoover. demanding TO
know what I" expect Mr.. Hoover
! issued blanket denial OF the whole
thing.
Somewhat along the same line WAS
story brought to Washington that
any effort AT food conservation on the
part OF INC people would result in tho
. secure OF amy surplus products by tho
government. ana the couscrver would
gam n" advantage from his economy.
Ever since tho home registration has
neon under way the food administra-
ton has been receiving echoes Of this
foolish yarn.
OF course there are the usual alarms
over the health OF the President They
are rhth"r perennial. however. just aH
cabinet shakcups are promised by some
atorN-tcllc:s at every change Of the
moon. IL so Happens THAI the President
Is III excellent health. that he continues
10 play golf every day. 20 to tho
thcatcr as often as he likes, even
though lie l. compelled to work like a
t.hiieY slave between times.
such 'n:nG" arc to be expected. per-
I maps In time OF Nnr. hut the sensa.
tional rumorS Of disaster to American
troops are particularly cruel. because
OF the absolutely unnecessary suffer
ing they entail nnru those who have
7 Inn, .,,,l. C.,,l
seas o. upon tho battle Zinc. The coun-
try should take at their word the as
snrances given 10y Secretaries Baker
and Daniels that no loss OF lifo Will
he concealed any longer than ncccs.
snry to confirm the fact through Off
C.al channels.