New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-08
Gag on Lusitania Memoir
ialLaSt Step in Wilson
ian Decentralization.
FIGHTS SOCIETY
SMARTS UNDER ORDER
chairman of Proposed Meeting
lands Boston Band Which
Urges Instant Break.


c,,rscie Hall, did not make the ami
.,r,srv Of the disaster pass entirely
ritbout public notice in New York yes
..,5sv. When the Rev. Frank NJ. Good
ina. Of the Central Baptist Church
,;,,,rlv denounced Germany and the
wilson policy in his night sermon OIL
.p.u.rber the Lusitania.' and alluded
:. ,ne suppression of the memorial
-.stine as indicating the deterioration
:, the moral tone OF the country
h,ourht about by the Presidents atti-
tide. his congregation, forgetting the
,olsmnitv Of the occasion, burst into
fervid applause.
"A year ago. when the Lusitania was
-srderously sunk" he said, "the Presi-
dents secretary announced that the
President was considering the matter
very seriously. hut very calmly His
.,lmness was proved by the fact that It
,oo. him six days 70 put his pen TO
,,ner and express a judgment that an
average man could reach in six min
utes.
Year Gone, Case Still Here"
eTbst he has been very CAIN about
q Is demonstrated by the passing Of a
whole year without being any nearer a
settlement Of the Lusitania shame than
VIC were the day after the ship was tor,
ne6oed Had the President sat and
twirled his thumbs for q year we
should have been as near settlement
a. we are TODAY.
Indeed. the case is in a worse state
to-day than ever. for 10 has reached rs
climax In our receiving from the muir
Serer Of our citizens the most insulting
note ever sent by one nation 10 an
other. But there Is every prospect that
The President will again allow his cOun-
nv 10 be subjected TO this new indlg-
nifty. Such abject supineness, such
utter nervelessness. such lack of moral
vieor We never had IN so high a place
in our country before.
"And this wretched spirit is conta'
rious. The moral tone OF the whole
country has perceptibly deteriorated
during the most shameful year or
Americas history. We can now see
women dishonored. children massacred,
houses pinaged. temples ruthlessiy
burned and have not the slehtes,
stirring Of moral indignation.
Mourning Now Forbidden"
Things have come to such a pass
that when a meeting is called that We
may remember our dead on the ami
yersary of the day on which they were
struck down we are asked by the Mayor
Of our city rot 10 hold the meeting
lest disturbance be made by some who
sympathize with the murderers and
lest the meeting Of those who mourn
might embarrass the President in bis
calm deliberations.
1T must be remembered, and 10 can
not be announced too often nor Toe
plainly. that the President for more
than a year has embarrassed all who
love the good name Of America anC
who wish American citizenship Il
stand for something. IF Americans
following the Presidents lead, can see
nothing worth fighting for and Away
consult only their own comfort II
doing things. and would rather sell ou
the whole cause Of right than sufei
annoyance, then American citizenship
is no longer worth having
An expression OF rancor came from
The American Rights Committee, which
planned the Carnegie Hall meeting
,hen Everett V. Abbot, chairman. sent
his telegram TO the chairman Of the
memorial meeting IN Boston:
Boston De asrds Break.
"Tbe American Ri4hts Committee OF
few York has abandoned its memorial
beetnc because 10 was under mora
litigation 20 comply with most un-
fortunate official request. II now sends
rs hearty generalization TO the Cltl-
yens' League for America and the Al
lies and rcioices that, just as the Bel
gans still own a small corner Of their
own country, so in our country there
Is at least one corner in which Amerl-
cans can still be Americans and talk
American thoughts out loud"
Mr. Abbot said the memorial meet
ing here had not been given up, but
would be held later. A meeting OF the
executive committee viii be held to-
day at 4 o'clock I'm George Haven Put
rams Office 10 complete arrangements
and FIX the date.
Dispatches from Boston brought
news that $500 people in the meeting
there demanded an immediate break
with Germany Asked whether the
Mayors request was inspired By Pres
dent Wilson, Mr. Abbot replied: 81
VIII not say anything about that"
Hudson Maxim. one Of the most mill
,ant of the advocates of preparedness.
and Miss Lillian D. Wald, one Of the chief
speakers az the recent anti-prepared-
ness meeting IN Carnegie Hall, both
said yesterday that calling off the
meeting was proper.
"Lle Low" Warns Maxim.
u look at IL this way" Mr.. Maxim
SAID "This country hasn't any busi-
ness 70 have any honor or even 70
islse its flag unless we are better pre-
pared than we are now. We have been
Tying twenty-five years TO carry on our
diplomacy without guns. The best
'hing We can do is 10 lie low until we
get the guns 10 back up our demands
and meanwhile 70 do what we can TO
seep our skin whole"
Miss Wald said: ~ think Il was not
only very wise 20 call of the meeting
,ai very loyal on Mayor Mitchel's part.
mink he showed poise and considera-
ION in times like these. This is a time
,or great control. and nothing should
" done 70 disturb the balance of the
country.
Those IN charge OF the meeting
moved the same judgment and patriot
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