The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-11-08
ARM|ST|CE HAS
NOT BEEN SIGNED
Washington Has No COntirna-
/. ti0n Of RumOr.
OFFICIALS DISCREDIT STORIES
Foch Was to Receive German Dele
oates at Eve P M. and News was
Timed Eleven A. M.

Washington, Nov. S.-The state de-
partment is witoout any information
indicating that Germany had signed
armiStice terms.
Secretary Lansing made public the
following statement:
"The report that the armistice with
Germany had been signed is not true.
When it reached the department OF
state an inquiry was ut once despatch
ed to Paris. At 2.04 o'clock tele-
gram, i'll reply to that of the depart
ment was received from Paris. 1t
stated that the armstice had not yet
been signed, and that the German
representatives would not meet Mar
shal Foch until five F. NJ, Paris time,
or twelve noon Washington time.
In answer to a question as TO wheth-
er the war department had any con-
firmation of the report that the ar
mistice had been signed, Secretary
Baker said:
1--WE have no confirmation. SO far
as the war department is concerned
we are wholly without confirmation
on the subject and the information
that we have is that the commission
ers when we last heard of them were
on their way to Marshal Foch's head
quarters and it would seem hardly
probable that the meeting could have
taken place at the time the announce
menf was first made The minute the
war department has any authoritative
news on this subject I will give it
out at once.
1t Is assumed at the navy depart
ment that the report grew out Of the
fact that naval cenSors reported to
the government that an unofficial
cablegram had come through stating
that the armistice had been conclud-
ed.
The unofficial report which started
celebrations had said the armiStice
had been signed at eleven o'clock,
French time. or six hours before the
time set for the meeting. The an
nouncement was made by the United
Press
An official announcement from the
state department that the Germans /
had not signed the arnistice terms in,.
terrupted wildly. enthusiastic demon
rrntions thar Ind been isf progress :
for two hours as result of an un-
confirmed report that the war was
over.
Secretary Lansing authorized his
first announcement upon receipt of
message from Paris. replying to an
inquiry he had rushed over when the
navy cable censors reported at eleven
A. NJ that an official cablegram had
come through from Paris stating that
the armistice had been signed at
eleven o'clock (French time) to be-
come effective at two o'clock in the
afternoon.
The reply said the report was not
true; that Marshal Foch would not
receive the German ENJOYS seeking
armistice terms until five p. NJ.
(French time).
officials had not accepted the re-
port as true, but II spread over Wash
incton like wildfire Whistles began
to blow and bells to ring and great
There were demonstrations before the
White House and all government
buildings in which many government
employees, released by tlhir chiefs,
Joined with hilarious enthusiasm.
President Wilson was at lunch when
cheering crowds gathered before the
White House. He went out on the
veranda to see what was going on and
set the crowd into an uproar by smil-
ing and waving his napkin.
In the meantime the cables were
busy to establish the truth. No word
had come to any branch of the gov
ernment or to any of the allied en-
bassies or war missions and diplomats
as well as members of the govern
ment declined to believe that their
channels of information had failed so
signally.
Then came Mr. Lansing's announce
ment That was slower to circulate
than the premature report, and demon
strations continued for hours.