New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-08
Mayor of Chicago
Fails to Recognize
America Is at War
Adopt, "Agin the War"
Attitude in Deep
Political Game
A.pires to the Senate
Refused to Aid Reeruitins'
Declined to Invite French
Mission to City
A.pires to the Senate

S,stes Is completing its third
- =, warfare against Germany
p-.,Is.n.'s declaration Of hostili-
-, ve. 70 be officially recognized
TiTism Hale Thompson. Mayor OF
n as city.
ago BY the largest plurality ever
candidate for the Office. His
,,ign was one OF fire and thunder;
-. .-rty dinner pail Of other DAYS
,.vampsd. the American flag was
% fare-thee-well and big Bill"
-, audiences entranced telling Of the
"a deeds Of his forefathers. Chicago
.l.,.,r. Naturally. every one
..,ss. him a Class A patriot.
n. MAYOR thinks ne is playing a
-, clever and astute game, with the
p.,obliesn nomination for United
.,,.,, Senator in 1918 as his obiec-
~, This is believed 10 be the chief
ar, he is "agin' the war" and any
4 az, with q martial tinEe. When his
s,,,,oral ambitions first asserted
A.uselves il was thought the Mayor
,,si make his big play on the fact
h -, he closed the saloons in Chicago
q, he sabbath. in order 20 corral the
~ vote downstate. The advent Of
=, var. however, spelled slluring
p,o,rects as far as the pacifst. pro-
German and other disgruntled ele-
r,,,s we're concerned. and "Big Bill"
yhe loves 70 call himself, hoped on
re job with vengeance.
The initial outbreak, though. was
u,cunding. Just a few days after
!. journeyed 20 the tomb Of Lincoln
and offered $4,000 70 endow a chair
FOR the teaching OF American patriot
isn" in the Lincoln Memorial Univer-
sly in Kentucky, he issued a Solemn"
waning against any "hysterical de-
-snd' which would involve the United
States in war. This. in itself. was
deemed lsudable, but more followed
Eksn war came.
Refused TO Aid Recruiting
First OF all. Thompson sidestepped
4 rseruiting by refusing 20 establish Paul
Revere Day By PROCLAMATION; then he
SIDED with the slackers who were
croviing the Marriage License Bureau
a; the time he denounced CONSUMPTION.
] Hs refused 70 issue Z formal invitation
70 MARSHA Joffre and the French en-
yoys; he delayed the sale Of Liberty
bonds 20 city employees; he publicly
urged az embargo Of foodstuffs 20 our
allies, and row he has reached the
stage where his pacifstic tendencies
are 90 superdeveioped that he can take
81 Insult with a smile.
When called 2 traitor By one Of the
members o. the City Council, he re-
phsd by saying the alderman was "a
BAD little boy The full significance
o. this is lost unless one recalls some
q as stirring expressions Of the past
. wit:
n Ny grandfather was a pioneer; my
'shsr fought with Farragut; remem-
~ Big BIZ was once a cowboy, and
res quick on the trigger"
here is in Chicago, however, a man
gagged In the manufacture Of auto
sstic doors. His name IS Fred Lundin
re wears a black, crushed felt nat and
brown tortoise shell goggles; his hair
yellowisn and sleek and he swings
y ne street with a goOse-step stride
y ASIDE from his regular business M
4 IDS tine % maintain two-room suite
I sotel one block distant from the
4 y hall LunCln is the real power
,saind the throne and the politica
.e,s.or Of the fortunes Of william
/ sss Thompson.
4 Nearly every day and sometimes late
10 the night the Mayor and Lundin
i'rognded by lesser satellites, sit TO-
rs'ssr N their hotel suite. talking anC
snrirg for more wards 20 conquer
.'npsor was .lectet by majority oil
d 1880 votes, and most persons have
s-e 70 the conclusion that he be
.s'ss every one Of the 149 900 wa:
j l'fSonally delivered by Lundin. The
a'ier was formerly a Congressman anC
--n2tely Identified with the old Lori
H'' machine. and, Of course, is slsc
il,rst the war.
Il iie general public was given an in
II .s'i !ato the.g ways when the Mayor
1s.ee with the president or tnt
& s1ool board, who had kept a diary Of
Il generations iu the "littie city nall,
Il ne hotel suite is termed. One pas
+ @s' o. the diary quoted Lundin as fol
n Tvs:
b TIE mar who is opposed 20 this
& f hes taking 20 the Mayor -
q Be elected United States Senator
4 = nat issue alone"
I LSQdin His Right Hand Man
I Ls't.n Us o. Swedish descent. HI
4 ~ himself the poor Swede." anc
I'm not in politics" statement hat
= ~ mono-onOus through reiterstion
=, ylenes are "a The Mayors cabinet
.. os relatives on the payroll, never
irM ne maintains an attitude Of
Hs! ignorance on all matters politi
N Hhe tries % change the subject b,
--.a'ng garden seed and his farm
ne Mayor, though. he remains Z
lFrc 1gcr."
AZ m.s, however, Is but an illumi
~hy s.delgot on The chronological
o. the "fsil u Big Bill" Aftei
mayors endowment % the chair o.
.@.Sism and biz Solemn warning
.Nspsa into the iimeight by uphold
- marriage license slackers.. ]
hs trst out-and-out statement OF
1870 come % the conclusion from
tanber o. non-cnllstments." b.
.atse one morning, chat the PEG
tas Jnited States do not favo
sig ar army % Europe. And
- Naai % say that am not in favo,
sh.hg yellow ribbons on the ner
<r In line 70 Kst marrlag,
.ss Just about this tim. that Tn
.,w papers published In German
III - % print reams Of The Mayor
y their front pages. A. FAR a
i, sa~n as does not speak German
y HSff then On hs adorfed 80 a.v5,