The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-11-20
News of Signing Of Armistice
-Four Days Before, as Told
by Vice Admiral
Wilson.
EVERYBODY BELIEVED IT
Statement Was Not Rumor or Report
But Signed Note from High
American OFF,
cial.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
NEW YORK, Nov. 20.-"Neither /,
myself, nor the United Press has any
apology to offer for giving to the
American people as news statement
of the signing of the armistice an
nounced as Official, and furnished in
writing for publication by the vice
admiral of the United States, In
supreme command Of all the Ameri-
can naval forces In France. We're
sented tomorrow, we would act exact
man could, or would, do otherwise"
Roy w. Howard. president of the
United Press, made the foregoing
statement upon his return to New
York today, after having spent yes.
terday in Washington, where he con-
ferred with Secretary Of the Navy
Daniels and other government off,
cials.
"The bulletin which Admiral VIII
son gave out and which the United
Press carried was not 'rum0r or q
report It was a bulletin furnished
to the admiral as official and SO given
to u.s." continued Howard.
ut was given to us for publication
by the ranking active United States
naval officer in France. There was
no more ground for doubling Admiral
Wilson's source of news than there
would have been for doubling the
statement had it come from Marshal
Foch.
1T was about ten o'clock in the
morning (French time) when l first
learned of a rumor that the armistice
had been signed. The report was
current in both French and American
army circles in Brest when / arrived
that morning to embark for the
United States.
81 put in the entire day endeavor-
ing to confirm the report. But it was
not until four o'clock in the after
noon that Admiral Wilson was noti-
fed on what he was stated was off,
cial authority and on what l know
he had every reason to believe was
official authority, that the armistice
had been signed.
"The announcement had been made
by the local Brest newspaper and the
civilians, soldiers and sailors had
their celebration under full headway
before / was able to get from Ad-
miral Wilson personally copy of his
written announcement and his per-
sonal assurance that the bulletin was
official.
"The admiral then sent his peh-
sonal aide with me to assist me In
filing the dispatch as / do not speak
French fiuently.
'It was the fact that all Brest, in
cIuding operators and cenSors ac-
cepted the news as official and was
celebrating at the time, that caused
nv wire to pass the French censor
ship at Brest unchallenged.
Upon my return to the United
States. learned that no news had
been published here Of the fact that
celebrations OF the signing of the
armistice took place on November Z
at practically all the army and naval
bases on the French coast.
81 was also surprised to learn that
nothing had reached here by cable
concerning the fact that all Paris had
the report of the armistice being
signed. At the American Luncheon
club meeting in Paris on that day
the toastmaster arose, and with Ad-
miral Benson seated on one side of
him and American Consul General
4 -
what he said was the authority of
the American embassy that the ar1nis-
tice had been signed.
"All the celebration on that day
was by no means on this side OF
the Atlantic.
"Nothing much has yet been said
as to the source of Admiral Wilson's
/ information. This is not for me to
discuss. Nothing has been said as
| to the reason for the report current
on that day throughout France. No
explanation has yet been offered OF
how the report reached the American
ar,b.esv in Paris as official. Neither
has any explanation been offered yet
las to what became of the first Ger
man armistice delegation, headed by
Won Hintze, which was reported TO
have reached the French lines on NO
vember 6. and which then disappear