The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1915.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4009, 16 August 1915, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1915.

There is an important matter which, we think, should at once-he brought under the notice of the authorities as well as of the general public. It relates to an unfounded report that is in circulation in this district in regard to one of the contingents which has been sent abroad from this Dominion. On Friday, it would seem, a rumor was abroad to the effect dint this particular contingent—to be exact the Fifth Reinforcements —had been in a serious engagement. By Saturday the report had been greatly magnicd in that it began to bo alleged that, as a- sequel to the action, the contingent had fieen very badly cut up. As in regard to most other reports the rumor continued to grow the' further it travelled with the result that yesterday we had numerous further enquiries on the subject, some people even going to the length of asking whether it was truo that the “Fifths” had'been completely wiped out. From what wo were able to gather the rumor has not only circulated very widely in the town and suburbs, hut has also reached many outlying places. We may say that we made every effort to got to the bottom of the question as to how .the report had originated, but, as is usually the position in such matters, enquirers appeared to have heard the alleged very bad hews in a round about wav. In most c;ises we were told that the rumor bad been overheard in tbo street or in a business place ; whilst some people led us to understand that they had accidentally

A Scandalous State cf Affairs.

come into possession of the report in. consequence of a contact between their telephone wife and that of some other, telephone subscriber. Naturally very many people were very concerned over the matter, seeing that the force that it was alleged had been “very badly cut up” or “completely wiped out” is a New Zealand contingent and that, as in regard to all the other contingents, it contains a fair proportion of troops from this district. A further very unsatisfactory aspect of this disgraceful business, was, it may he mentioned, the fact that, as it now stands, the rumor is said to have been confirmed by a cablegram alleged to have been received from the Dardanelles by a. local business-man. Upon iujquiry we found that the gontleuuyr in question had already been

sub/Hed to much annoyance in eonscffuenco of his name having been associated with the rumor. .In strict nael the only communication he- had ever had from abroad was a request! i...at he should forward a sum of mon-

ey to a friend who is a trooper. It may further he stated that other telephonic enquiries to this office also suggested that it was actually believed) by many people that, one citizen was supposed to have had the rumor confirmed aii one newspaper office arid that another had had similar confirmation of the alleged “news” at the other newspaper office. '1 he real position as regards the “Filths'* is, o‘l course, that only a day or two ago, the minister for Defence gave it out that

In 1 had no news that they had as yet reached their destination so that it is highly improbable that they have so far even been landed. We draw the attention ol the authorities to this matter because we lee] that if anybody can he proved to have had a hand in disseminating the report to which we are drawing attention—even though lie or she may have been unaware that they were contravening the law—a prosecution should lie instituted. As it, so happens the casualties among the New Zealand troops unhappily run into huge figures for the whole ol the campaign to date and authentic news which brings tidings of further mishaps is quite had enough to bear without any unaiilh.eiitic and incorrect ad■j ditions hv imaginative pehple who would seem to lack a sense of right thinking as well as of proper consideration for those who have relatives at the Front. It is, indeed, surprising that an nnauihentic report of the kind should have received any cred-

ence at all. for any such message even if il had been well-founded—-which it is not—would have been censored. or at any rate, delayed until the news had first of all gone forward to the authorities.and its publication in the press sanctioned. f Jhe authorities would, therefore, only be studying the feelings of the many residents in this district who have relatives at the Front if they were to take up this vorv important- matter and. in the event oi a conviction being obtained, they should press for a penalty winch would ad- as a deterrent to others who •may have formed the habit ol circulating alarming and unfounded rumors concerning the wain