The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-09-05
ALL FOOLS
SLEEP WELL

At bedtime OF one evening II
March OF this year. when the great
German offensive was on in full
force. my telephone rang. | an
swered the call; it was = friend o.
mine who had rung. II under
stand" said he, that the German
crown prince and 100000, men have
just been captured by the British"
All fools sleep we'll. l slept well
that night, | can tell you that. But
on the very next day | learned that
the welcome tidings or the evening
before were merely a phase OF the
everlasting German propaganda,
and | was sorely disappointed. The
rumor was universal. in this section
at least, and many others too were
disappointed sorely. This, OF
course, was the object OF that rumor
and thousands OF others made in
Germany--to disappoint; it is but
one drop of the water that wears
upon 4 stone, but it is drop. II /
had not been fool enough to believe
it without its being authenticated, |
would not have been disappointed.
But | think | am cured now. When
at last news comes that Germany is
beaten, it will be hard 10 persuade
me to believe it.
In the great many instances, un-
confirmed newspaper reports are
nothing more than very clever Ger
man paganda-rumors, which
are not necessarily any fault OF the
newspapers, mind you. Take all
such with about ten grains OF salt.
1t may not be clear to the average
man, and sometimes not even to
the shrewdest OF diplomatic agents.
just what gain Germany is TO derive
from these little reports; but there
is an advantage somewhere, of that
you may be sure. Usually, | dare
say, they are boosters for other ru-
mors. Germany fights in many ways
other than making murderously
mad drives in dense formation, and
bombing hospitals and churches
and graveyardS.
Last summer, when the house
wives of the country-bless 'em, ev-
cry one!-were doing their utmost
at saving fruits and vegetables By
canning and drying, there came
along rumor that the government
meant to seize all this; We tried
to trace this heinous thing to its
source, and failed; it was probably
given out a thousand or two miles
from here, and there is no doubt
that it was born in Berlin. Also,
last summer there was widely
spread rumor that the government
meant to seize all money in banks,
and few of the people were so
foolish as to believe it and hide their
money under the floor.
You are going to hear all kinds
OF things in the f,Iure. Among
them will be rumors that transports
loaded with soldiers have been sunk
and that Washington is not giving
it to the papers. You will hear that
American casualty lists are being
published hundred times smaller
than they really are. You will hear
that all manner OF disaster has be-
fallen our Army and Navy. Then,
too, you will hear almost anything
that will delight you-for when you
learn the truth concerning this lat
ter, you will be disappointed. A
great deal of rumor is now due con-
cerning Russia and Mexico especi-
ally.
Believe nothing OF all this German
propaganda Believe nothing that
is not duly authenticated, and wink
at yourself when YOU read uncon-
formed reports in the newspapers
which, remember, are no newspa
per's fault. Play safe. 1t is going
to be long war. and that chiefly
because of coming difficulty owing
to the hand OF Germany in Russia
and very probably in Mexico; but
the Entente Allies are going to win
in the end-and you can paste tina.
in your hat.