Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-22
RUMORS 5,
HEARD CITY
AREUNF0UNDED
Stories Purporting to Come
From cover There" are /.
Untrue.
Only Official Reports to Rel
atives and Newspapers
Are Reliable.

During the last few days at least
two Grand Forks soldiers have been
killed in action in France. according
to rumors circulated widely by WORD
OF mouth from house to nous through
out the city. Early this week 1t was
said that information had been re-
ceived to the effect that a popular
member of Company NJ had beer Kill
ed while serving Uncle Cam on the
battlefield, and yesterday and today ;,
rumor had it that another young MAN. .
the son. of a we'll known local busi-
ness man, had gone west"
In each Instance The Herald con-
Quoted an investigation for the pur-
pose OF ~ascertaining the origin and the
apparent object of disseminating this
dangerous kind of gossip, but 1t seems
to he impossible to trace the stories
back to their original author. A mis-
understood word in q cablegram, or
a carelessly mysterious reference In a
letter from somebody about somebody
to somebody else appears to be the.
original source of, the wild .rumors
which are then thoughtlessly repeated
by a number of people who do not
AXE the trouble to find out h facts.
Official Reports arc Given
Ever since the beginning of actual
American warfare, the war depart
III oh sANS
it would report casualties Immediately
to the nearest relative Of the soldier
killed in action. This procedure is also
followed in cases where the soldier is
wounded, either slightly or seriously.
At 0 O as information has been
t~elegraphed to the next of kin. it is;
given to the representatives of the
Associated Press in Washington who
distribute the news to hundreds of
newspapers which get its service
throughout the country.
AS. The Herald receives complete
Associated Press service day and
night, such reports are received in
Grand Forks only a few minutes after
information has been sent to the rela-
received, they are given immediate
publicity, and when Grand Forks SOL
diers are mentioned in the official dis
patches, special attention is attracted
to that fact so that the readers may
at once inform themselves.
All Other Reports Untrue.
AS it is known that the a depart-
'ment has never neglected to report
casualties to relatives and newspapers,
it may be safely assumed that stories
about the death of soldiers in France;
have not been substantiated by official
reports. Official reports are available
twice a day through the columns of
The Herald, and when no name of
Grand Forks men is mentioned, it is
simply because no name has been re-
ported by General Pershing to the
war department.
1t is not thought-at least, there is
no reason to think so-that reports
of casualties are circulated with any
malicious intent. They can as a rule
be characterized as mere gossip, but
1T is gossip which tends to cause un-
necessary sorrow and worry.
Story Tcllcrs Should be Reportcd.
The public may aid materially in
putting a stop to the circulation of
such rumors by merely calling up The
Herald office giving the name Of the
informant. The Herald will then take
steps to find out where, and how the
story originated. But it may be said
IN that reports which have
not come to the relatives of soldiers
or been published in The Herald are
absolutely without any foundation
n should not be believed. -
Inc names Of the two Grand Forks
men mentioned in popular. rumorsuthis
week have not appeared in the Off
clal lists issued by the war depart-
ment: There is no reason Whatsoever
TO think thai the rumors are true.