Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 263, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1918 — THE WAR NOT OVER [ARTICLE]

THE WAR NOT OVER

Thursday’s Report Greatest Hoax of Years

The United Press Responsible for Report that Sets Country on Fire— People Go Mad With Joy Orly to Be Disappointed Later—Envoys Had Not Reached Marshal Foch’s Headquarters Yet This Morning.

fighting had not ceased more time had elapsed. At 3:35 in Paris it was officially announced that four German officers, bearing a white flag, probably would arrive at Marshal Foch’s headquarters some time tonight. That announcement was one hour and thirtyfive minutes after the hour reported as the end of the fighting, and Associated Press dispatches filed with the American army on the Sedan front at 6:30 o’clock tonight, showed that an hour and a half after the German, commissioners had been expected, the troops still were fighting their way forward. This dispatch said clearly that the American arrty was consolidating its positions and preparing for a further advance. When it was 6:30 o’clock tonight in London, the foreign office pronounced unfounded the rumor that the armistice had been signed and at that hour no word had - been received in the British capital that the German dele--gation had crossed the French lines. It should be borne in mind, that it

As suspected by the Republican yesterday'the report that the war was over, and that the armistice had been signed by Germany, proved to be a hoax—in fact, the' greatest ever perpetrated in the country. The United Press was responsible for the. report. Thursday afternoon’s celebration here was followed in the evening by a larger one, in which a parade by the Liberty Guards, headed by a band, bon fire and the firing of anvils, tooting of horns, etc., was the feature. Country, people were here in large numbers and the event reminded one of the days long ago when ratification's were held over elections. Denials of the fake report had no effect on the people and their joy could not be restrained. A dispatch from New York gives the following account of the false report! » New York, Nov. 7.—False reports that Germany had accepted the terms of the armistice and that fighting had ended threw the country into a delirium 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 millions of Americans will not know how they were fooled until - they read the morning papers. A dispatch cabled from France to the United Press and picked up and circulated throughout the country by another news agency declared the armistice signed at 11 o’clock this morning and fighting ended (at 2F o’clock this afternoon. Official dispatches to the. state department at Washington testify that the German commissioners were not even to meet Marshal Foch until 5 o’clock this afternoon, and dispatches received tonight from the American army on the Sedan front show that at 6:30 p. m. the troops were still advancing. After cabling to France and receiving an official reply, Secretary Lansing from the state department in Washington issued this statement: ,

was then four hours ahd a half after the hour reported as set for the cessation of hostilities and more than seven hours after the hour reported as the signing of the armistice. Government telegraph lines connect London and the British headquarters, not far from the place fixed for the meeting of the 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 iwere turning toward midnight there still was no word that the German commissioners had appeared at Marshal Foch’s headquarters and much less affixed their signatures to an armistice, No one, of course, can say with certainty when the armistice will be signed or when the fighting will stop. Official proof, however, and the hours rolling steadily onward are simple ■evidence that it was not signed at 11 •o’clock this morning and that fighting t did not stop at 2 o’clock this afternoon.

Moreover, it has never been expected that the terms of armistice on the western front might be accepted at one brief meeting. Many questions are involved now which were not involved when armistices were granted to Austria. Bulgaria and Turkey. One of the principal points concerns the disposition of the German fleet, so vital to England. Now that the fleet is in the hands of the revolutionaries, it is not improbable that the German plenipotentiaries may not at once be enabled to give the assurances the allies will demand./ It should be recalled in connection- with this point that Great Britain insisted on having one of her admirals present with Marshal Foch at the meeting with the commissioners and that Germany sent Admiral VonHintze. So far as is known tonight, the erroneous report was published in only two cities in Europe—in London and in Brest, France. The London newspaper later withdrew its edition and printed a retraction. The publication in Brest was by a newspaper which received the report from the United States. / A question bejpg asked tortight by many is why the naval censors passed the dispatch for publication if it was not true. The answer is that censors do not pass upon the truth or falsity of dispatches; they are only concerned with whether they contain information likely to be of value to an ehemy, or damaging to the entente military forces.

“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. It stated that the armistice had not yet been signed and that the German representatives would not meet Marshal Foch until 5 p. m., Paris time, or 12 noon, Washington time.” None of these unfounded reports "Was received or distributed by the Associated Press which, on the contrary, was able by investigation conducted through official channels to establish the story as a hoax. The false report, however, was not easily overtaken by the truth, and as it spread through the country it gath’ered momentum until demonstrations approaching hysteria ruled in many cities. Business was suspended, schools were closed, bells were rung, whistles shrieked, prayers were offered in churches, parading citizens jamffied tfie streets and the. scenes usually attendant on New Year’s eve and election night were intensified. The New York Stock Exchange, as well as the curb market, were closed at 2:30 p. m. after a hurried meeting of the governors.. A market which at first appeared to be unresponsive suddenly developed activity which shot some of the so-called peaee stocks up from 2to 12 points. Exchanges in other cities were similarly affected. Here follows a copy of the cablegram received by the United Press at its New York office: .“Paris: Armistice allies signed eleven morning; hostilities ceased two afternoon. Sedan taken morning by Americans. HOWARD.” “Simuhs.” (Unipress is cable code address for United Press ;<* Howard is Roy W. Howard, president of the United Press, and Simms is William Philip Simms, Paris correspondent of the United Press., To grasp the situation is should be borne in mind that Paris, being to the east of the United States, is about six hours ahead of New-York time. Although. it had been announced that the armistice was signed at 11 o’clock and that fighting had ceased ‘at 2 o’clock, it was a fict that the German commissioners were not to be received by Marshal Foch until 5 o’clock, three hours after the hour reported as the end of the fighting. The State Department’s cable of inquiry to France was not dispatched until after the report had been called (to the department’s attention, and when a reply came saying the armistice had not been' signed and the