FAMOUS WAR HOAXES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 45, 16 November 1917, Page 6

FAMOUS WAR HOAXES

HOW PUBLIC IMAGINATION WAS TICKLED

A MYSTERIOUS ARMY

Probably the greatest hoax of the war —one which millions believed, tor a time at least—was the story that from 100,000 (o 200,000 Russian trgijps had arrived in England from Archangel. These troops, as the early stories ran, were moved by night across the United Kingdom in cars with the shades drawn down, and at any moment were likely to appear on tho Western front with the troops of Great Britain, France, and Belgium. ( The story, says tho "Now York Sun,' was first printed in New York. It spread throughout America, and was cabled abroad, and doubtless sent by wireless to Berlin. The English censorship offered no official denial or affirmation of the , story, but for a, time every steamship from England reaching New York I brought 6ome individual who iniaginod • he had seen the trains. Kitchener let | the hoax run without doing anything to . stop it. Whether it had any effect on tho Germans it is hard to tell, but amateur strategists conducting tho war from office chairs saw great possibilities in it I to stop the great German drive on Paris. It was the romantic Clarenco Reginald Hodson, who as "Ernest Schiller/' pirate, seized the Matoppo, a British freighter, off Randv Hook, single-handed, n.nd scared fifty-six men into submission, that secured the greatest laugh for Ins advenlnre. The 23-year-old son of an English father and a German mother, he stole aboard the Matoppo, and with tho aid of a revolver held up the captain. Hodson, after capturing tho ship, was more interested in gytting something to rat than in anything else, for he had gone without food for three days. As a result a cake intended to ho eaten in celebration of British victories was cut up at once for his consumption. Sleep frnallv led to Hodson's capture, but tho episode amused America, and doubtless Germany. What amounted to a practical joko was played on the Germans by the Belgians in Brussels. The Germans announced a grand concert of German music at tho Opera House. A syndicate of Belgian bankers and brokers bought all the seats except one and the royal box. General Baron von Bissing was delighted at this evidence that tho Belgians were not averse in times of foreign occupation to listen to a German concert. But on the night of the concert not a single Belgian used his ticket. When von Bissing arrived at the Opera House it was empty, save one solitary soldier auditor, a German Landsturm 6oldier. Some American youths of Jlorristown, NTT., had fun early in the war with the Canadians. A~t the time nil sorts of rumours were being circulated of Gorman invasions of Canada. Morristown is on tho American side of the_ international line opposite Brockville. When three firo balloons went up one evening the mayor of Brockville reported to Premier Borden that "three airplanes" had crossed the border from tho United States, that "the fire from them illuminated tho streets of Brockville," and that "after a searchlight, had been played upon the city the airplanes proceeded, in the direction of Ottawa. The Premier imnicdiatoly notified the militarv authorities, tho tower light and the lights around the Parliament build-, iug were extinguished, and with windows darkened the Canadian Parliament met. Berlin, particularly the west end, bonxed itself over a Tumour that Serbia had surrendered, and that its entire army had laid down its arms. The rumour was started by the ringing of church bells for tho meeting of the General Synod. Some individuals not knowing ■the reason concluded that what they had. been hoping had come to pass, and that 1 the bells were rung to announce a Teuton victory. Everywhere appeared German, Austrian, Bulgar, and Turkish flags. The 1 rumour lasted until tho afternoon newspapers came out with a statement that ''tho situation of our troops in Serbia ' is splendid, but tho enemy has not ' reached the end of his resistance. ' ' A profitable hoax was played upon a ; German submarine off the coast of Ire--1 land by the captain of tho steamship 1 Director. Suspecting that at any moment : the Director might be in tho danger zone, ho instructed the ship's carpenter to saw a big spare spar into three pieces, which the crew painted black. These pieces of wood were then mounted as it they were guns. When a submarine approached tho skipper of the Director pointed the Quaker guns at the UI boat, which promptly decided to down again without waiting to fire a torpedo The Director, with its false guns, fled at top speed and got away safely. On March i kM in the dying hours or Congress, a hoax was played on/tho House by * personator of Miss Jeanotte Bankln, ot Montana, tho first woman member ot Congress. Miss Ban tin was expected, and that added to tho success of the hoax. Mrs. George W. Edmonds, wife o Bepresontative Edmonds of Pennsylvania, played the part of Miss Rankm. The hoax was arrangedby Representative Britten of Illinois. Word was passed oßepresentative Gallivali, of Jtnssachu6ette, that Miss Eankm was in the ebam. ber, and from the top of a table Mr.faallivanmade tho announcement and asked Representative Britten to escort her to tho front. Tremendous applauso greeted "the first woman Congressman. Mrs. Edmonds, in acknowledging tho greeting, ' said, "My friends, I prefer to make my I first speech in the next House. bhe I bowed and sat dov»n. Then followed * great reception. Everybody wanted to ereet the "first woman Congressman and wish her luck. Soon there were so many representatives and their wives crowded -about that a line had to be formed in front of the Speakers stand so that every one might have an opportunity to shake hands with "Miss BanBroadwav, the mad, glad, glorious Broadwav, which likes to be buncoed, discovered an Alaskan Queen last winter, and in a uigbt Miss Louise Sao.hen, late of Kansas City, became famous She would be a celebrity even now if fa hadn't spilt the beans." She had, ma brief week on Broadway, invitations to lecture to learned folks on Alaska, to attend teas and theatrical performances, to meet famous men and women. Life was one continuous round of pleasure for her, with bell-hops carrying letters to ber by the hundred, till Kansas City told New York some very plain facts. about the "Alaskan Queen," the "unspoiled child of nature and the midnight snow.s." Miss Sac'hen had been in Alaska, and when she ,;ot home the Kansas City papers had printed pieces about her. When she arrived in New York the single word "Alaska" after her name on the hotel register eave the hotel Press agent his opportunity, and for days New York read amusing epigrams from the yonns "wondrous ovpd. unspoiled queen of the Alaskan wilds." and was told about "tho daii"hter.of the far frozen north gasnin» in awe at her first sight of man in a 'highly civilised state." It was fine while the goin? was good: "the lovely child of nature" hoaxed the wise men of Broadway, and when the exposure came | New York laughed the more heartily.