Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-06-13

hicted heavy losses on the AmeTl-
cans by a trench mortar oomoara,,
B there was a German trench NOR
tar bombordment that day, which
wounded two men. South of A there
were on that day absolutely no Amer
lean troops in the line. Both these
things happened. The only thing thae
is altered is the names OF the places
The German communicate on the Apfe-
mont forest and Seicheprey fight are
further examples OF the same idea.
Couldn't Possibly Have Known.
The trench mortar bombardment
claims are especially typical because
of one more fact. 1t would be practi-
cally impossible for the Germans to
know what losses they had caused by
they sent over a raiding party to find
out The only sure way to know Is
to count the bodies. That could be
done only from very low-fying air
plane or possibly from particularly
good front line observation post. If
barded had quietly withdrawn to the
support system as soon as the bonn
bardment started. the Germans might
keep on shooting all day and accom-
plish nothing except to make some
pick and shovel work necessary that
night. And IL the withdrawal were
properly ordered and executed 1t
would be unknown to the Germans.
So, apparently, the Germans are
claiming to have inflicted these
heavy losses" upon the Americans
when they do not know what losses
they have inflicted. and in some cases
they do not even know where the
Americans are. The second fact Is.
by the way, an argument IN support
Of the censor's favorite contention
L. L. ~ -SA L. ~
as We think they know.
Now. why are they doing It? Those
who have been watching them have
no doubt that the idea is to scare the
American people. They choose their
eommuniaue, for TIL: purpose be-
niques are published in full in every
American newspaper-which they are
not, in every allied newspaper by any
means. Therefore they know that
what they say in a communicate
f Fes he praetica ally every An
lean newspaper habit
Also. they know that as yet we
are new to the war. or. at least, that
the experience Of having mon in the
trenches and SO exposed to danger
every day is new to US. They count
upon our tendency to hysteria. our
national impulsiveness and fondness
for exaggeration, to work upon our
imaginations until after reading some
statement about heavy losses" we
Peodg heap. Of dead naas sg
dreds, or perhaps thousands. That.
they think, will cause a revulsion Of
feeling and a desire to end the war.
Rumor Mongers in America.
There is curiosity here. too, to
know what Is the connection between
this propaganda and the crop of
rumors that fly about the United
s s5nts' er.a and to of
troops. There was. for. instance. the
tale that the old Goth had been wiped
out, along with all the rest Of the
Rainbow Division. We heard some
time since over here that it was cir
psrs recently received show that it
was. OF course, there was not the
slightest truth In 1t. The famous
regiment had had some slight cas-
ualties-that was all. The Depart
an sn tho poliee You'd DO sG real servie es
II they arrested few of the rumor
mongers and perhaps they would
make some Interesting discoveries. It
is worth trying anyway.
There seems very little doubt that
the new tack Of the German propa-
ganda for American consumption Is
to try to scare us out by serving up
tales Of heavy American losses by
every direct and indirect means pos
sible. That is a change from the
fact, implies 9 realization that we
really Ore hghting. even If on a small
scale.
The first idea. Of course. was to
ignore US entirely in the hope that
iyzed by Germany's Indifference. That
failed. Then when American troops
first appeared on the front and when
the Germans took their first prison.
ers the idea was that these prison.
general opinion OF the Army. didn't
really want to fight the Germans and
didn't know what they were fighting
for. It will be remembered how gen.
orally pacifsts and pro-GermansI
preached that doctrine q while back.
couple Of dispatches along that line
and all the American newspapers
printed them. which was just what
the German propaganda wanted.
Lied About New Englanders.
They wrote some more about New
Englanders who were gobbled up in
q raid on the chemin des Danes in
touch about their being "only labor
troops" They were infantrymen. out
stringing wire, and the men behind
them were infantrymen, combat
troops. The Germans knew that, but
SEQ the sophistry Of their propa-
ganda-that dispatch was to be read
In neutral countries also, and it would
not do to admit that American COM
blatant troops were in the trenches
any moro than could be helped. The
German submarines had been sinkinS
al the ships. you see. 80 there couldn't
BE many American troops here except
these labor troops"
During our three years Of neutral
ity the French and the British and
the Italians used to make the charge
frequently that the German commu-
niques and semi-ofhcial and unoffi-
cial dispatches consistently misrep-
resented the facts and often simply
lied. Perhaps we sometimes thought
they protested too much and wonder
cd II the Germans were quite as black |
as they were painted. They are lying |
about US now, and we know it. It be-
hooves every American to take every
thing tho Germans say with many |
grains Of salt. He will get the truth |
1rcm his own people; he had better |
wait for II before he begins to worry |
Dr. IMAGINE disaster becauUo OF what