Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-04
Urging Madmen to Murder

THAT half-crazed German sympathizer
should have tried TO assassinate j. Pier
pont Morgan is not particularly remarkable,
when one comes to think Of it. For weeks
and months cracked brains such as his have
been fed statements that the American
traffic in arms. and that alone, has prevented
the complete triumph of the German cause,
and Mr.. Morgan and his firm have been held
up to Teutonic execration. as the arch devils
OF this conspiracy against kultur Within
twenty-four hours we have an attempt to
wreck the Capitol at Washington and this
later attempt to take Mr. Morgan's life.
j. p. Morgan G. CO. have been the agents
in this country of the British and French gov
ernments on whose behalf large contracts for
the furnishing of munitions of war have
been made Morgan & Co.. moreover. have
been the allies American bankers. and have
raised n great proportion OF the funds with
which contract payments are being met. It
was to have been expected that some fanatic
who knew these facts and believed. he was
constantly being told, that the trade in arms
was violation of neutrality, which kept VIC
tory from his country's standards should
have endeavored to strike down this traffic's
most conspicuous figure.
There is warming here, assuredly for
those who have been committing these gross
perversons OF the truth They have said
over and over again that American shells, in
enormous quantities. were being fired on
income
proficient in belief. we'll as in expression as
to be able to give credence to a solemn esti-
mate that half the shells fired by the French
In the recent offensive near Arras were of
American manufacture It now has been
shown that no artillery ammunition made in
this country has reached the French lines
and that if any has been used by the British,
1t was in quantities trifing as to he
negligible.
We do not believe nor does this nation be-
lieve. in the suppression Of free speech even
when IT is dangerous, but some of the Ger
man-American utterances approach the I'M
endurable. The fanatic who starts out to
murder j. Pierpont Morgan would not stop
there OF his own free will. In Madison
Square Garden few nights ago bitter at
tacks were launched aganst the President of
the United States, and-to his shame be it
said!--went unrebuked by the former Pre-
mier of the Presidents Cabinet. Judging
from the behavior OF that meeting, it con-
tanned at least some persons nearly mad
as yesterdays would be assassin.
Those who are responsible for this propa-
ganda would do we'll to call a halt They
are doing what they can to plunge the coun-
try TO which they have sworn allegiance into
conflict with that other country of their birth
and affections. They are rohbing themselves
OF influence and their counsels of respect
The German government does not deny
the American right 10 sell arms, and leading
opponents Of opinion in the empire have ven
tured of late to defend the legality and pro-
prlety OF the practice In America however
we have body Of sentiment more pro-Ger-
man than Berlin ofiicialdom itself. Its con-
slant and bitter expression will not prevent
| the sale Of arms, but it will stir up latent
resentments and move madmen to murder.