Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-08
RUMOR Of END
OF WAR P R0VES
GREATEST HOAX
Reported That .ArmiStice Had
Been Signed at Time When
German ENJOYS Had Not
Arrived in France,


that Germany had accepted the terms
of the armistice and that fighting had
end ended threw the country into a
delirum today and turned out to be
the greatest hoax of recent years,
Official assurances that the report
was false failed to check the almost
riotous demonstrations which swept
over many American cities and mil
lions OF Americans will not know how
they were fooled until they read the
morning papers.
A dispatch catled from France to
the United Press and picked up and
circulated through the country by an
other news agency, declared the ar
mistice signed at II o'clock this morn
ing and. fighting ended at o'clock
this afternoon.
After cabling to France and reCeiv-
ing an official reply, Secretary Lam
sing of the state department in Wash
ington issued this statement:
1.-The report that the armistice with
Germany had been signed is not true.
When it reached the department of
state this morning, an inquiry was at
once dispatched to Paris. At 2:04
o'clock this afternoon a telegram in
reply to that of the department was
received from Paris. 1t stated that
the Hmistice had not yet been signed
and that the German representatives
would not meet Marshal Foch until ;
p. M, Paris time, or II noon, Wash
ington time
Exchanges Close.
The New York stock exchange as
well as the curb market, were closed
at 2:3O,p. m. after hurried meeting
of the governors. A market which at
first appeared to be unresponsive,
suddenly developed activity which
shot up some of the so-called peace
stocks from to II points, Exchanges
in other cities were similarly affected.
Here follows copy of the cable
gram received by the United Press at
its New York office:
"Unipress, New York:
paris: Armistice signed eleven
morning; hostilities ceased two after
noon. Sedan taken morning by Amer
leans.
(Signed) HOWARD.
"SIMMS"
(Unipress is cable code address for
United Press; Howard is Row w
Howard, president of the United
Press, and Simms is William Philip
Simms, Paris correspondent of the
United Press.)
To grasp the situation it should he
borne in mind that Paris, being to the
east of the United States, is about siS
hours ahead of New York time Al
though it had been announced that
the armistce was signed at ii O'Clock
and that fighting had ceased at
O'Clock, it was a fact that the Ger
man commissioners were not TO be re-
ceived ty Marshal Foch until O'Clock
three hours after the hour reported
as the end of the fighting.
The state departments cable tc
France was not dispatched until aftel
the report had been called to the de-
partment's attention and when reply
came, saying the armistice had no.
been signed and the fighting had no
ceased, more time had elapsed.
At $50 O'Clock in Paris it was Off
ciallv announced that four German
officers bearing a white flag, woulc
probably arrive at Marshal Foch
headauarters some time tonight. Tina
announcement was one hour and thir'
ty-fiye minutes after the hour report
cd as the end of the fighting, and AS
ISOLATED Press dispatches filed will
the American army on the SEDAN IRON
Mt $50 o'clock tonight showed tina
an hour and half after the German
commissioners had been expected, tn
troops were still fighting their wa!
forward. This dispatch said clear!
that the American army was consoh
| dating its positions and preparing fol
a further advance.
Still Fighting in France.
When it was $3.50 o'clock tonight lf
| London the foreign office pronounced
unfounded the rumor that the armls'
| tlce had been signed and at that noun
no word had been received IN the
British Capital that the German dele
cation had crossed the French lines
! II should be borne in mind that II
! was then four and half hours attei
| the hour reported as set for the ces-
sation of hostilities and more thar
| seven hours after the hour reported
as the signing of the arm;stlce. GOV
eminent telegraph lines connect Lon
dom and the British headquarters, not
! far from the place fixed for the meet
! mo Of German commissioners with
| Marshal Foch and London, therefore
| is certain to receive prompt reports
when a truce is arranged.
| Tonight as the clocks In France
ware turning toward midnight there
| stiIl was no word that the German
| commissioners had appeared at Mar
! shoI Foch's headquarters and mucf
! less affixed their signatures to ar
armistice.
The hoax recalled to the public
| mind others which had fooled thu
country if not the world. One was
| tho alleged discovery of human being:
| on the moon and the other was DR.
! Cooks claim of discovery of thu
| North Pole.
A news hoax. however. more close
w narallcling today's was the one
nerpetrated on the country at the
! death of Pope Plus X, 1t was an
| nounced by the United Press some
! hours before it occurred. but as the
| disnatch did not specify the hour anC
minute a great achievement in giving
the news to the world was claimed
In the present instance. however
there will he abundant official evi,
dence to guide the public. The arms
J t,ce heing a historic document will
! hear the hour and minute at which
! the signatures are set upon it, ano
! tbe hour at which hostilities are te
end likewise will be officially record.
cd and announced to the world.
May Be Several Meetings.
! NJ one, of course. can say witt
certainty when the armistice will BIZ
stoned sor when the fighting will stop
| official proof. however. and the hours
| rolling steadily onward are ample evi.
dence that it was not signed at II
| o'clock this morning and that the
fiehting did not stop at 2 o'clock this
4
afternoon.
/ :, Moreover. it never has been ex.
4 pected that the terms OF armistice or
1 the western front might be accepted