New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-02
Twenty one Guns Call
for National Guard
Recruits.
MANY BELIEVE CITY
HALL Is ATTACKED
Great Rush for Park Follows the
Booming of CHARACTERIZATION
Hale Alone Unperturbed.

The only person within n mile OF
City Hall who did not jump and then
run for the nearest exit az noon yes
terday was Nathan Hale. He alone re-
NAMED unmoved upon his pedestal rs
twenty-one explosions shook the usual
ly terra frma.
At the first report the thousands OF
lunch seekers who infest lower New
York around the middle OF the day be-
leved that war had come. City Hall
Park was filled with smoke and imme-
diately rumors Of everything from Ger
man bombs TO an American edition OF
the Dublin revolution spread upon the
spring air.
Two field guns Of Battery D, First
Field Artillery, manned by thirty ma
tional guard artillerymen. were blaz-
ing merrly away with blanks at every
thing in sight from the Federal Build
ing south. The national salute Of TWEEN
ty-one guns marked the opening OF the
national guards recruiting campaign
10 swell its ranks TO war strength. The
slogan is 5000 men III thirty days.
Courtroom Is Emptied.
In the Federal Building at the trial
OF the alleged bomb plotters sticks OF
dynamite lay among the exhibits, and
at the sound of the first gun several
spectators left the courtroom rather
hUrriedly. The trial was thereupon
suspended until the tiring had ceased
The rumor was current that an eXplo-
sion in the subway had caused n por-
tion Of the Federal Building 20 col
lapse.
A number Of persons in the lobby OF
the Woolworth Building rushed 10 the
street at the sound. believing that a
bomb had been set of, and Office WIN
dCws were Immediately crowded IN ala
Of the skyscrapers in the vicinity o.
Park Row. Telephone inquiries poured
in upon Police Headquarters and City
Hall.
The Germans were Immediately sus-
pccted of blowing up City Hall, j. !.
Morgan's Offices, the Standard OIL tanks
al Bayonne, the city's water supply,
the National Security League and the
Hudson River tubes. The arrival OF q
delegation OF Staten Islanders at CITY
Hall TO protest 10 the Mayor regarding
the proposed garbage disposal plant Oh
that island saved the Germans from
further blame. Il was then rumOrcd
that Staten Island had seeded and
chosen 10 lombard Manhattan TO make
their independence more emphatic.
Six Thousand Men Needed.
The object of the recruiting cam
paien is 10 bring the national guard
up to war strength by the time the
pending legislation in Congress be-
comes a law. About 5000 men arc
needed throughout the state. half OF
them TO be used to fill the Organlza-
tons in this city.
I'VE are planning said Major Cen
eral John T. Organ after the shoot
ing, "to bring organizations through
out the state up 10 war strength cay
airy, infantry, field artillery, aviation
squadron, armored motor battery and
sanitary units. We need 5000 picked
men right here in the City Of New
York and an equal number upstate.
When the pending Federal legislation
becomes law the national guard will
become Federal troops. Every man
will be required to take a new oath OF
enlistment in accordance with the ne"
law and then will reach the status of
a Federal soldier