Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1918-07-03
PARIS PUTS BAN :
ON WAR RUMORS
Police MerciIessly Hunt for Cos
sip Mongers Who Tell Wild
Stories of Conflict.
SOCIALIST EDITOR SEIZED
Defeated SchooIteacher Now Faces
Court-martiaI for Her Writings
Wealth or Influence Cannot
Shield the Guilty.

Paris.-It was a famous French psy-
biologist who said recently that rumor
was one Of the evils, among others,
of all wars, and especially Of this one.
He pointed out that rumOrs were as
bad and sometimes did as much harm
as the worst Of enemy pfOpagandists.
The truth of his ideas has apparently
impressed the project of police, who
has begun merciless hunting down of
all gossip mOngers and rumOr dis
pensers.
The project has decided to take dras-
tic measures to stop unthinking chat
ter in public places and the spreading
Of alarming reports and defeatist Opin-
ions. A warning issued the other day
points out that henceforth any person,
no matter how respectable he may be,
will be arrested and taken to the near
est police station If he forgets himself
to the extent of talking not wisely but
too well.
The warning had hardly been posted
when the roundup began to show re-
suits. BOulevardiers Of all sorts were
brought before the local cOmmiSSaires
to explain their individual acts of in
discretion. There were some whose
sole Offense, according to their expla-
nations, was that they had merely said
they knew friend whose con-
cierge had been told by the post carrier
that on the day after tomorrow the Go
thas would surely carry out a terrible
raid on Paris.
Wild Theory About Big Guns.
Others were certain, and let 1t be
known quite loudly on the terraces OF
the cafes, that the cannon which re-
Gently bombarded Paris was really not
at all as far away as the authorities
announced it to be. They were sure
that somewhere not far from Paris,
hidden in forest, were a number Of
ordinary small-caliber cannon which
had been conserved In dugouts since
the battle of the Marine and were sud,
denly put into action by battery OF
German prisoners who had escaped
from the camps in France.
These and other gossipy bits Of mis-
information dropped indiscreetly by
some well-meaning persons have been
found to prove source Of extreme an
noyance to the government authorities
and have resulted in immense harm.
Perhaps the most sensational arrest
under this new edict, although virtu-
ally made as the result Of law passed
on August g. 1914, was that Of Charles
Leon Rappoport, one Of the editors OF
La Verite and LIE Journal du Peupla
and a member Of the administrative
committee Of the unified socialist par
ty. Rappoport was taking refuge in
cellar during an air raid. With him
were a number Of women and men,
dwellers in the same house. Accord.
ing to schoolteacher who heard him,
Rappoport was directing many deroga.
tory remarks against the government
and the army. The teacher reported
what he had heard to the project of
police, who ordered the arrest Of the
socialist.
Woman Teacher Faces Trial.
After numerous interrogations by
the military and police authorities,
Rappoport was locked up in the Sante
prison, where Bolo was detained and
Caillaux and Senator Humbert are i'm
prisoned, as well as the latest arrival,
Mile. Helen Brion, the defeatist
schOOlteacher who faces court-martial
for her writings. Rappoport's arrest
created much comment in all the news
papers, particularly in the radical and
socialist press.
The press of this week, to say moth
ing of the wholesale detentions, convic-
lions and arrests of the last few
months, is bringing home to the
people more clearly the determination
Of the government to rid the country
of it's opponents and enemies.
One thing has certainly become very
clear and that is that the prominence
of a man OR his wealth and political
influence in no way cause him to be
invulnerable against charges Of inter.
fering with the successful prosecution
of the war. Premier Clemenceau's de-
cision is that no one shall be spared
who schemes to undo the work done by
the soldiers Of France in the field.