New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-30
Germans Seeking Zone Per-
mits Fight Way to
Marshals Rooms
u. S. Officers Helpless
Sight Of BIuecoats Awes Mob
Office Kept Open Until
1880 This Morning

Several hundred Germans, struggling
with one another to get 70 Marshal
McCarthy's office in the Federal Build
ing to get applications to enter the
barred zones, commenced TO riot last
night, and it took police from four
stations to quiet them.
The trouble began at o'clock. when
three Of the four elevators in the Post
Office Building stopped running and
the Germans, at the close of their days
work, began to arrive It the building
in hordes. For an hour they struggled
with one another TO get into the single
elevator or to get d footing on one of
the two stsircases that led TO the third
floor.
AT 1880 the crowd Of Germans be-
came so great that the few Federal
employees on the ground floor could not
handle them and sent for assistance
to the marshal's office. Several deputy
marshals who answered the call-all
that could be spared because of the
hundreds waiting in line on the third
floor outside the various courtroom
proved to be OF no assistance.
Police Call Sent Out
BY this time the ground floor was
packed with noisy mob. and Marshal
Mccarthy sent in call to Police Head
quarters for aid The reserves from
the Greenwich Street. Elizabeth Street,
Oak Street and Macdougsl Street pre-
cincts were rushed to the Postoi!ice in
patrol wagons.
The Germans, on seeing the first
handful of police enter the building
Immediately became calmer. The po-
lice, without having to raise a club,
soon restored order Within fifteen
minutes after the arrival Of the officers
the Germans were formed into regular
lines and were quietly waiting their
turn to 60 upstairs.
At midnight there were still 5000
men waiting in the corridors of the
Fedcrs Building, and the marshal an
uounced his intention of keeping his
olice open until they had all been at
tended to. But by $50 this morning il
became apparent that he faced hope
less task. II was impossible for the
wearied clerks to attend to all the APP
Ehcants, and the Office was closed. II
will II, open at midnight tonight II
is estimated that there were upward OF
I
Marshal Mccarthy yesterday issued
the following statement:
Thousands of unnaturalized Ger
mans are being told by propagandists
that terrible things are in store for
them. | want to explain that no Ger
man who has filed an application for a
barred zone permit need have any fear
Of the treatment he will receive. IL
will, of course, take some time to 20
through the huge list of applicants, but
the permits will b. sent out as soon as
the work is completed.
Reassures Peaceful Aliens
amy German who comes to the Of
flee of the marshal on the third floor
of the Federal Building before mid
night, May 81, and obtains an applica-
ton blank will be cared for if he ap-
pears any time before midnight Of June
p. That allows him two days in which
to get his pictures and take the oath
If any German seeks an application
blank after midnight, May 81, he will
have to show mighty good cause for
his failure to appear sooner. In the
meantime, want to impress on those
Germans who are law-abiding and
peaceful that they are perfectly safe
if they have filed their applications
for permits and taken the oath"