New-York tribune., 1918-01-30
Announces That Rumor
Mongers Are To Be Dealt
With Promptly
Jury Hears Thompson
Defence Society Organizer to
Return To-day for Further
Questioning

John c. Knox, Assistant United
States Attorney here, announced yes
tcrday that WAR gossip had reached a
point where the Department of Justice
deemed it its duty to deal promptly
with all bascless rumors and those who
spread them.
He made the announcement after a
Federal grand jury for three hours had
questioned c. S. Thompson, organizer
OF. the American Defence Society, who
recently made statements that four
teen spies had been shot in this country
and that two ships, carrying small arms
ammunition for the Germans, had
cleared from the port Of New York.
Both Of these assertions the govern
mcnt denied.
Mr.. Thompson left the Federal Build
ins with instructions to return to-day.
lie frankly told the jurors that his
authority for the statement about the
arms-carrying ships came from rumor
and from an article printed in "Thc
Chicago Tribune The name of his in
for1nant about the spies he steadfastlv
refused to dlvulgc, though he suggested
3 channel, pursuing which he believed
tho Federal authorities could confirm
that the story had been told to him as
he subsequently related it.
Will Not Prosecute
Aftc- further questioning Of Mr.
Thompson to-day Mr. Knox will ask the
grand jury to hand up prcsentment in
the case. and while it is understood
that the Department Of Justice will not
press for prosecution. it hopes to cstab-
lish and to give wide publicity to
precedent that in war time it is a bad
policy to gossip.
III citizen thinks he has important
information bearing on the war; said
Mr.. Knox. "the place to report it is
to the government, not in restaurants
or saloons or railway cars. The De
partmcnt Of Justice and the admins
tration have had enough Of these ru-
mors. They weaken the governments
hand. they undermine public confidence
and they spread fear and misgiving in
the hearts of thousands of parents
whose sons are with the colors. 1t will
be difficult, OF course, to determine
just where honest, constructive criti-
cism ends and malicious gossip begins,
but in the case of Mr. Thompson the
issues seem we'll defined. and the grand
jury will be asked to report its find
ings."
MIR. Thompson Resigns
On account of his statements. one
made at a luncheon Of the American
Defence Society, the other embodied
IN letter written to Senator Chamber
lam. Of Oregon. On the stationery Of the
society. Mr. Thompson has retired
from the society. He rendered his
resignation Monday on the ground
that his continued connection with the
organization would hamper It's work,
in view Of his clash with the Federal
authorities
1t was said yesterday at the society's
headquarters that the resignation had
not yet been acted upon. r. NJ. Hurd,
Charles Stewart Davidson and others
prominent III the society said they
knew nothing of the case except what
they had read in the newspapers. Col
onel Roosevelt is the organizations
honorary president. Mr.. Thompson is
former newspaper man and publicity
agent and is forty-one years old. He
received no salary from the society,
having organized it entirely through
desire to further the country's war
aims