Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-23
TUESDAY. APRIL %, 1918.
Don't Worry Over Rumors.

make up their minds not to get excited
over the many war rumors that arc con-
tinuallv on the wing in this country.
War is a great provokcr Of r'unors OF all
kinds. and too many persons give heed
la them by accepting them ms facts with
ont investigation, and passing them
along. And in the passing along IT may
he depended upon that they lose nothing
IN luridity OF statements. Like the roll
ing ball Of snow. they gain accumula-
tlons as they progress
MANY Of these rumors arc absurd,
hut that makes no difference. People
accept them at face value and worry
themselves accordingly They believe
IN them implicitly and pass them along
IN good faith. 50 far as they arc concerned,
because they do not believe they arc cir
clIlating news stories that have no foun-
dation in fact. At a public meeting in
New York City, last week, an cxcitahle
speaker made the astounding declara-
ION that the Sixty-ninth Regiment Of
hat citv. now in service in France, had
,con annihilated in battle. with only two
# It's members left OF course there is
no truth in this statement, but no doubt
the man who made il believed t.
50 pcrnicious has been the effect Of
these many rumors and most Of them,
it is believed, are started on their way by
German sympathizers, for the purpose
of undulv exciting the minds OF our
people that Attorney-General Gregory
deemed it necessary to call attention 70
the matter, yesterday, in public state
mcnt. designed to nail the many baselcss
rumors that have been kept going the
rounds. The work OF the Department
OF Justice is hard enough, Mr.. Gregory
saws. but il is rendered douhly hard by
fruitleSs Investigations which have To
be made in order to ascertain the truth.
Il will mention few Of these bascless
rumors which have been widely circulated
and largely accepted as true. says the
Attorncv-t General II has been repeat
edly charged that German spies had been
caught rcd-handcd and released without
being prosecuted; that men detected a
German spies had been parolcd or merely
interned: that ammunition had been ship
ped from this country 10 Germany after
We entered the war: that ii had been es-
tablished that spies had DESTROYED more
than fifty million dollars worth Of prop
cTtv during the last year; that spies we're
sending to Germany the exact sailing
time and routes Of army transports: that
fourteen spies had been shot by the gov
ernment: that German officers disguised
in uniforms of our army had visited and
inspected many Of our camps and forts
hat German spies sent to the United
states pcnitentiaries had frequently Is
capped No only were All Of these charges
untrue, but most Of them were without
he slightest foundation or excuse. The
last Inisstatement quoted furnishes fair
sample OF the fabrication INDUCED in,
for during the last year not single Ger
man or prisoner Of any nationality has
escaped.
The ATTORNEY General also alluded to
the hvsterical demands OF those who allow
themselves to be excited and worried over
these untruthful rumors Tor the en-
ploy1nent Of the services OF firing squads
to be kept busy standing traitors up
against wall and sumnarily shooting
them. day after day. OF course, this
would be Just fate for many of them. but
it is q thing that IL more easily sand than
done. The duties of the department.
saws Attorney-General Gregory, are too
engrossing to permit il TO deny or explain
the many misstatements and groundless |
charges made, but in some instances it |
has summoned the authors before grand |
juries, where under oath they have ad- |
mitted their inability 10 sustain the writ |
ten or spoken charges ] recall no in !
stance in which the author OF vicious /
Of the character referred TO /
has added a single material fact to our
store OF information. Those who pub |
ish baseless accusations and nonsensical /
contentious should take a lesson from the |
vast body of patriotic men who are seek
ing 10 help the government and maintain
Is efficiency Since the declaration of
war, last April, Congress has passed many
excellent laws Strengthening the arm of
The department, but the work has not yet
been fully completed Not all unpatri-
,tic utterances subject the author to
criminal prosecution, but with the able
assistance of the Postoffice Department,
,edition is being vigorously dealt with
The Attorney-General does not feel al
liberty to state the number Of prosecu-
ions now pending for violations Of the
-arious laws referred To- As an illus
ration Of the effectiveness Of these prose
.utions it may be said that during the
vast year 9Sl persons charged with NO