The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-10-05
LIES OF THE HUN
IN EVERY CORNER
Imperial Germany Spares No
Community in U. S.
PLANTING SEEDS OF KULTUR
DastardIy Assault Is Under the Direc-
ton of General Staff and Has
Been Prepared With the IT.
most Care.
By HARVEY o'HleelNs.
Associate Chairman, Committee on Pub
lie Information. Washington, D. c.

associate CHAIRMAN, COnlInlttee on Hup-
lie Information, Washington, D. c.
tThis is the first of three articles by
Mr.. O'Higgins dealing with the propa-
ganda of the enemy in our country)
Mr.. Citizen, you are now on the
firing line.
Imperial Germany is not merely at
lacking on the western front. She is
attacking in every community in the
United States.
Her assault is under the direction of
the German general staff. 1t has been
prepared as carefully as the strategy
and tactics Of a military drive. AS In
Russia and in Italy, so here also a
campaign of German propaganda-a
gas attack of poisonous lies and ru-
mors and false reports-has been
launched successfully and is now I'M
der way. ..
The collapse of Russia was not a
victory for German arms. 1t was a
triumph Of German propaganda.
America is now the strongest enemy
that Germany has. A weakening of
our public morale is as necessary to
German success as the weakening of
Russia was. And the attempt to
weaken US has already developed two
main lines of movement. The first
aims to destroy our unity Of action
with our allies by setting us against
the French, the British and the jap
anese. The second proposes to destroy
our domestic unity by encouraging
among us every sort of class dissen-
sion, religious difference, racial preju-
dice and political quarrel.
SIanderng the French.
The officials of the Red Cross report
that many loyal mothers are refusing
to let their daughters volunteer as
nurses in France because Of rumors
Of immoral conditions in the hospitals
there. A detailed story has been cir
culated to the effect that 200 Red
Cross nurses have recently been re-
turned on transport from abroad and
secretly removed to maternity hos
| pitfalls here as patients. There is not
q word of truth in the story. 1t has
been investigated by federal grand
| jury IN New York city ana found tc
be false. German sympathizers caught
circulating it have been informed. The
nurses In service in our hospitals In
France have the same discipline anG
protection that they have here--and
need 1t as little. The story has beer
invented to hamper the work of the
Red Cross and to prejudice US against
our French allies.
A similar aim is evident in the re.
ports of drunkenness and immortality
among our forces at the front. These
charges, most circumstantially made
were even taken up by the national
leaders Of our prohibition societies ant
purity leagues, and an appeal was
sent out to the readers Of the religious
press asking them to protest to Presi'
| dent Wilson. The number of these
protests showed the success Of the
| SANDER.
As matter of fact, no liquor ration
is served TO our troops either here OF
abroad. No army canteen sells alco-
holic liquors. BY General Pershing's
orders, our soldiers in France are for.
hidden "either to buy or to accept as
gifts from the inhabitants" any "alco
holic beverages other than light wine
or beer" As there Is little beer sold
] in France, General pershing reports