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. C. and they will receive $100 A G-T want ad will do wonders
r2holarhips as second-place a- , you have anything to sell, trade
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Other Sea Foods
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Follow the Crowd
to
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