The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-01-04
Chairman Of Defense COnnciI Proposes
TO Put QuietuS on Pro-
German SlaBder
MAYOR AND COUNCIL
TO TAKE UP MATTER
Meatless and Wheatless Days and Light
less Nights May be Made
Mandatory

Believing that Chickasha should
follow the example of other cities in
passing ordinances making it an of
tense against the city for failure OF
anyone to strictly observe the wheat
less and meatless days and lightless
nights Alger Melton, chairman OF
the Grady County Council of Defense
stated in an interview today that he
believed the city council should not
only pass a law regulating these mat
ters but should go step further and
make it an offense for the repetition
Of any seditieus utterance against
any officer or enlisted man Of the
army and navy.
The statement of Mr.. Melton fol
lows:
IN the Daily Express attention is
called to a rumor with reference to
a former resident OF chickasha now
Fort sill This incident serves to
illustrate the campaign of slander
and flase statements concerning the
national army, its organization, train
ing and equipment work of the Red
Cross, and other organizations that
are working to help win the war.
These rumors are the result of pro
German influence appearing through
out the country and doubtless paid for
by German gold. Their purpose is to
detract attention, cause disruption
and prejudice the people against the
present war, They spring from a
pre-arranged plan adopted by Ameri-
can traitors to injure the nation in
which they live. Americans should
not permit those lies to go unchal-
lenged When you hear a person
repeat such rumors as facts, you are
probably listening either to a Ger
man spy, or a traitor to this country.
You should get the correct name and
address of the person making such
statements in your presence or hear
ing and report the same to the Ora
dy County Council of Defense or the
captain of any member of the Grady
county Home Guards, and such per-
sons will be given an opportunity to
tell just what they know. Every pa
triot should make it a point to do
this. It is important and you will
render valuable service to your
country.
Some cities in Oklahoma have
adopted ordinances prohibiting sedi-
tious utterances and making it an Of
fense to violate the rules of the Ma
tional Food and Fuel Administra-
tions for the conservation of fuel and
food. | would be glad to see the au-
thorities in Chickasha adopt siml-
lar ordinance and also go a step far
ther, making it an offense to clrcu'
late, publish or repeat any de-
famatory statements concerning any
branch of the military or naval ser
vice, the Red Cross or any other sim
liar organization. An ordinance OF
this kind would in large measure
put a stop to the pro-German cam
paign of falsehoods and criticism"
In speaking of the legality OF such
an ordinance Mr.. Melton said, 'If il
is possible to regulate the observ
ance of the wheatless and meatless
days and make the non-observance
of such an offense against the city
there is no reason why they can moi
60 one step further and make the
repetition of these slanderous state
ments an offense."
When Mayor Coffman was asked
whether the city dads" were con
templating taking any action on th'
matter he said that the question wai
threshed out at the meeting of th'