New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-25
BRYAN TN ROLE
OF GERMAN HERO
WINS A TRIUMPH
Crowd at Garden Halls
Him as Great Interpret
er" and Next President.
HE HOPES WILSON'S
PLAN WILL SUCCEED
German, Austrian and Turkish
Diplomats Have Places of
Honor at Demonstration.


If NUMBERS alone measured the true
weight Of public sentiment, without e.
gard to a decidedly pro-German ma
jority. the great demonstration in
Madison Square Garden asst night
might stand for peace -any-price'
as the slogan of large portion of the
people of this city. The greatest ad-
vocate of that policy, William lea
nings Bryan. erstwhile diplomat and
Secretary Of State, was the drawing
card. 1t was said, with feeble contra
diction, that Mr.. Bryan had experienced
no such public reception since he spoke
in the Garden during his campaign
in 1900.
The police estimated that the crowd
striving to get to the doors before
they were opened would reach 10000.
More than $1,000 people taxed the ca
pacity of the Garden when all were in
that the Fire Department would allow.
More conservative estimates placed the
crowd inside and out at $4,000, while
the enthusiastic chairman of the meet
ing, Henry Weismann, OF the German
American Alliance, declared that 1o0,-
900 had come to hear Mr.. Bryan speak.
Several overflow meetings we're held
in the streets.
Despite Mr.. Welsmann's assertions
to the contrary, pro-German sentiment
ran high. and the meeting was essen
TALLY representative of the cause OF
the Fatherland The Friends of Peace,
under whose auspices the mass meet
ing was held, is composed OF sixteen
societies, eleven of which are German.
one Austrian, three Irish and one
American. Among the German diplo-
mats and officials present were Captain
Boy-Ed. naval attache Of the German
Embassy; Captain Won Papen, general
military attache; DR.. Konstantln
Dumba, the Austro- Hungarian Ambas-
sador; DR.. Louis Haupt and Captain
Freist, of the German Red Cross, and
Dielal Bey, the Turkish Ambassador.
"we Forbid War"
Resolutions were read at the end Of
the meeting by the Rev. DR.. Henry
Schoenfeld and Chairman Weismann
put them to a standing vote amid
great enthusiasm. Mr.. Weismann said
that they would be printed with Mr.
Brvan's speech and sent to the Pres
ident. all the members Of the houses
of Congress and to all governors OF
states. After the meeting Mr. Weis-
mann said:
=. ..,n, -.
question as to where the German
Americans stand. A war with Ger
many is an impossibility. There VIII
be no war with Germany. We Ger
will not permit it,
Mr.. Bryan wore a black alpaca coat.
His voice and oratOry were at their
best. As he entered the Garden, es-
corted by a German-American commit
tee. the band played "The Star Span
gled Banner" and he was cheered by
the vast audience for fully a minute.
When he arose to speak the cheering
lasted longer. While using his usual
forceful argument for world peace, he
took occasion to launch into most
belligerent attack upon the newspapers
of this city. He never was so vlndlc-
tive before in his attitude toward the
New York press. II seemed as II ne
welcomed the chance as a free citizen,
after years Of political activity, TO let
loose all the pent-up venom he had
harbored for those who had criticised
and ridiculed him.
81 probably do not feel as indignant
as some of you in regard TO the attl-
tude Of the New York press" said the
ex-Secretary. 81 am more used 10 It.
| have been in pblic life for twenty
five wears and during all that time
have never known the New YORK pa
pers 10 take the side Of the American
people on any issue. For the last TWO
years and three months ! have had TO
sit quietly and listen to their coward!y
attacks while they were trying 10 as
sassinate me. But they cannot assas-
sinate me now. ! am ready TO meet
them. After two years of crying that
! was not fit to fill the position OF
Secretary of State. they have suddenly
found out that will endanger my
country BY leaving"
"Our Next President"
II there was any one thing more
than another which showed the strong
pro-German sentiment of the meeting
il was the general attack made by all
the speakers on the "subsidlzed' and
"Anglicized" press of the city. Chair
man Weismann was even stronger IN
his denunciation of his home papers
than Mr.. Bryan. He declared, in a
long Introductory speech, that Presl-
dent Wilson was not so constituted,
nor in an atmosphere at present,
that he could understand the Amerl-
can people. He loudly asserted that
Mr. Bryan did; that he was born to
understand what the people wanted
and what they feared He is the mis-
sionary and the great interpreter, he
said. and incidentally suggested that
the peace apostle was likely 10 be our
next President"
-Representative Henry Nollmer
told Of the attitude of the German
Americans of the Middle West regard
ing President Wilson's German policy.
II was Mr.. Vollmer who introduced a
bin at the last session of Congress to
the expectation OF arms ana
ammunition TO the Allies. He said, IN
part:
81 do not know how you Eastern peo-
ple feel about II, but out IN the hlddle
West. where | live, they will not stand
for our country going TO war IN order
10 establish the principles OF interna-
tional law that Americans may fide on
belligerent ammunition ships into war
zone with the sanction of our govern
ment. and with the guarantee by that
of absolute immunity toI
their reckless temerity or interested
conduct. ...oo IN
There are from 2O.OOOO0O TO 3d.
600 900 Of us Germans IN this country
perhaps more who feel as ] do. TOO
many to be put into concentrate"
camns as suggested by that pictu-
l.. 80 80