Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1942)
2 Heppner Gazette Times, December 10, 1942 Have You Heard? A column devoted to the analysis, the source, the motive, the effect and the answers to the many rumors now being passed, innocent and otherwise, by word of mouth to the detriment of our war effort. Our common enemy, er Fuehrer the one who claims great intui tion, will, without a doubt go down in history, but not for the reason he had hoped. He will be known as having made the most colossal blunders. His first mistake was not taking advantage of the pathetic condition of the British army after Dunkirk and ordering an all-out invasion of the island. A few thou sand soldiers then could have done what it would now take millions to do. The second big error was underestimating the fighting qual ities of the Russian army. Another big error, but of the estimation of the intelligence and non-military type,, was his under reasonin g powers of that well known American, John Public. In the chapter on War Propaganda in Mein Kampf he said, "The great masses' receptive ability is very limited, their understanding is very small, but their forgetfulness is great. As a consequence of these facts, al effective propaganda has and to use them like slogans until to limit itself to a very few points every last man is able to imagine what is intended by such a word." That's what he thinks of our av erage citizen. I'll grant that he sold the German people a bill of goods, but like the high pressure sales man he is, he'll find he can't make deliveries. The average . German citizen probably likes to be regimented and be told what to and when to do, but various peoples are different in many ways and when he assumes that the American people and Ger mans have like characeristics and reactions he was away off base. Poor fellow, how was he to know? He was only a painter a few years ago and had never been very far away from home. Granted there are still a few unthinking Americans who- will re peat rumors to the detriment of our war effort. They are in the minority and the number can be made smalller if we all help. The Office of War Information after an investigation of about 4500 rumors during the past 11 months has found that they fall generally into the following five classifications: 1. Hat Rumors 2. Anxiety Rumors 3. Escape Rumors 4.. Supernaiturai Rumors 5. Curiosity Rumors and here are some suggesions to stop the circulation of such: 1. Never repeat a rumor. 2. Do not even repeat one to deny it that's passing it on to someone else. 3. If you know the facts to spike a rumor cite them promptly. I you don't know the facts, ask the teller where he got his. Get their names and telephone numbers and report same to the Rumor and Propaganda division of the Oregon State Defense council, 101 Oregon building, Portland, Ore. 5. Don't give any rumor the ben efit of the doubt Rumors have their origin from three general sources: Short wave Axis broadcasts, Fifth Columnists, and German sympathizers within our country, and from unimportant bits of information that magnify through constant repetition. Here are some rumors that are of par ticular interest to Oregonians: RUMOR: Persons who are co operating with the government by taking persons into their homjbs to relieve the housing problems may be stuck with undesirables, drunken parties and persons who do not observe the rights of others. PURPOSE: To frighten house holders into refusing to take in defense working men and women. Facts: Landlords and tenants sign an agreement which contains a safeguard against feared abuses. If the tenant violated any of these "DON'T" provisions they would be evicted. RUMOR: That the ground of Japanese farms out toward Ore gon City has been poisoned by the evacuees before they left so that anything planted on it would be just too bad for the person eating it. PURPOSE: To frighten people, thus lowering morale. FACTS: Professor George R Hyslop head of Division of Plant Industry, Oregon State college, Corvallis, Ore., states: "Scientifical ly it is absurd. Any poison of the character described would probab ly destroy all plant life." RUMOR: Much property was de stroyed at Warrenton, Ore., when shells were dropped on the coast area some months ago. PURPOSE AND EFFECT: , To cause Americans to become pan icky and to doubt the efficiency of our defense forces and cause weak-kneed Americans to believe the Japs as supermen fighters. FACTS: There was no damage done at Warrenton, Ore. Full infor mation was released by the army and published in the papers at that time. There were no addition al facts withheld from the public. Remember don' talk and help stop other peope from talking. PINE CITY NEWS By BKRNICS WATTRNRUROR Lloyd Balridge who has been working at he Otis McCarty ranch left Thursday for Portland for a visit. He may go on to California to spend the winter. Mr. and Mrs. O. F. Bartholomew and daughter Nora Ann arrived Saturday from Utah for a visit with Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Bartholo mew. They are on their way to California to make their home. The Pine City club met Thurs day afternoon and one quilt was tied out for Helen Currin. The Moitow county Red Cross sent out a bolt of material to be made into ladies nightgowns. Mrs. E. B. Wattenburger received a letter last week from Lowell R. Young at Pearl Harbor saying he had got his Christmas package from the ladies club at Pine City. He asked to be remembered to all and tell everybody hello. He is in the marine corps. 'Mr. and Mrs. Charley Morehead and sons spent Sunday afternoon at the A. E. Wattenburger home. SEVEN 4-H'ERS EARN NATIONAL AWARDS Seven of Oregon's 4-H club boys and girls have again won high awards in (regional and nafonal competition, with the best entries from all parts of the United States according to notification received by H. C. Seymour, state club lead er, from national headquarters in Chicago. Highest rank nationaly in the group was won by Lorraine Fil liger, Astoria, who placed second among girls in the entre United States for the coveted Moses tro phy. Hazel Buckingham, Monroe, also placed second in the national 4-H leadership contest, for which the president of the United States donates the first-place trophy. Both girls are now freshmen at O. S. 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