The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1918-11-08
|UN|TEDPRESS
HOAX NEWS
Disseminator in it's Eagerness
to Beat its Competitors
Fools the Country.
ARMISTICE NOT SIGNED

New York, Nov. S.-FalSe reports
that Germany had accepted the
terms of the armistice and that
fighting had ended, threw the coun-
try into deirum yesterday and
turned out to me the greatest hoax
OF recent years.
Offlcial assurances that the report
was false failed to check the almost
riotous demonstrations which swep,
over many American cities and mil
lions of Americans will not know
haw they were fooled until they
read the morning papers.
A dispatch cabled from France to
the United Press and Picked up and
circulated through the country by
another news agency declared the
|armistice signed at II O'Clock yes
Iterday morning and fighting ended
lat O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
Official dispatches from France to
|the State Department at Washington
testify that the German commission
(ers were not even to meet Marshal
Foch until five O'Clock yesterday at
ternoon and dispatches received last
might from the American army on
the Sedan front show that at $50
Up. M, the troops still were advanc-
ing.
After cabling 10 France and re-
Iceiving an official reply, Secretary
Lansing from the State Department
| in Washington issued this state
ment
The report that the armistice with
Germany had been signed is not
true. When 1t reached the Depart
ment of State an inquiry was at once
'dispatched to Paris. AT 2:04 O'Clock
a telegram in reply to that of the
Department was received from Par
is. 1t stated that the armistice had
had not yet ben signed and that the
German representative would not
meet Marshal Foch until D. m,
Paris time, or 12 noon Washington
time.
None OF these unfounded reports,
of course, was received or dstrib-
uted by The Associated Press. which
on the contrary, was able by inves-
tigation conducted through oHcia.
channels to establish that the story
was hoax. The false reports, how
ever, was not easily ovetaken by the
truth, and as it spread through the
country it gathered momentum un-
til demonstrations approaching hys-
terra ruled in many cities. Bust
ness was suspended, schools were
closed, bells were rung, whistles
Ishrieked, prayers wer offered in
churches, parading citizens jammed
lythe streets and scenes usually at
tendant on New Years eve and elec-
ton night were intensified.
The New York Stock Exchange. as
well as the curb market, we're clos
ed at 2:30 p. m, after hurried
meeting of the Governors. The mar
ket, which at first appeared to be
unresponsive, suddenly developed
activity, which shot up some of the
so-called peace stocks from 2 to 12
points. Exchanges in other cities
were similarly affected.
Here follows a copy of the cable
gram received by the United Press
at its New York office:
'Unipress, New York:
Paris; Armistice allies signed
eleven morning; hostilities ceased
two afternoon. Sedan taken morn
ing by Americans.
'Slgned) HOWARD.
SIMMS."
(unipress is cable code address
for United Press; Howard is Aoy w
Howard, president of the pnited
Press and Simms is VIM, Philip
Simms, Paris correspondent of the
United Press
TO grasp the situation it should
De borne in mind that Paris, being
10 the east of the United States is
about six hours ahead of New York
time. Although it had been an.
nounced that the armistice was sign.
ed at II o'clock and that fighting
had ceased at o'lock 1t was a fact
that the German commissioners
were not to be received by Marshal
Foch until o'clock, three hours at
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