New-York tribune., 1918-06-30
They Refuse to Appear in
Line With Enemy
Costume
JJltimatum Sent to
Mayors Committee
Protest Is Backed Up by
-Four Minute
Men"

Between Z0,UUO anu oo,VoV ltoAi"'iN
who are scheduled to take part in the
Fourth of July loyalty parade Will
withdraw from that demonstration and
will parade alone unless the Mayors
Committee on National Defence
changes its present plan to permit the
Hungarian division to march in ma
tional civilian costume.
This and the further announcement
that the Mayors committee has until
noon tomorrow to instruct the Hun
garians they must parade in American
civilian garb was made yesterday by
Nat Olds, q Four-Minute Man execu-
tive in the headquarters of that or
ganization, in the Yale Club. Unless
this is done, said Mr.. Olds, plans for
an independent Italian parade will be
started Immediately. The Italian divi-
sion is being arranged under the ~au-
spices of the Italian section of the
Four Minute Men.
James c. Auchincloss. state chair
man of the Four Minute Men, has made
the stand of his organization plain in
the following letter. sent to George
Macdonald. vice chairman of the May
ors committee. which is arranging the
independence Day parade:
II understand that it has been de-
cided to permit the Austro Hungarians
to wear their national costumes in the
parade to be held in this city on July
and that the Italians, through
Paul Yaselli, chairman of the Italian
section of the Four Minute Men, who
are planning to participate in this
parade, have protested against this
feature. Their protest was lodged on
the grounds that this parade is to be
neld to show the loyalty of the foreign
clement in this city to America and to
American ideals. and that the depict
, ing of the national life of our enemy
would not be in keeping with the spirit
of the occasion.
Adds Personal Protest
81 wish to add my own protest
as chairman of the Four-Minute Men
of New York State to that of the
Italians. The idea of wearing these
native costumes in order to demon
stra.e The national life of q country
is perhaps allowable in normal times
but the present times are not normal
eve are at war with two nations
whose actions and ideals in this con-
tlict have brought upon them the con-
tempt and loathing of the entire civil
llzed world so that any alluson to
their national life or ideals is repug-
nant and repulsive to Americans and
Americas allies. We have just sent a
regiment of our soldiers to aid the
Italians against the Austro- Hungaria
end our soldiers are standing against
their bullets. Is it fair, is it loyal, to
them to permit a demonstration in this
city of the national lite of our COM
mon foe?
"The Italian section of the Four Min
ute Men, which represents between 25,-
900 and 10000 Italians in this city, will
not join in this parade unless this feat
ure is eliminated. The italians wish
to take part in this parade to do honor
TO America on the greatest of American
days and they are quite justified ir
taking the stand that anything which
would dilute their Americansm would
be cause for their withdrawal.
Il sincerely trust that you will re
ply to me that your committee has re
considered it's decision in this matter
so that the many loyal residents O.
this city, foreigners and native born
may join in one accord in cheering ant
blessing thefStars and Stripes and tn,
democratic principles of honor, righ
and justice that it stands for"
Trouble has been brewing betwee,
Italians and Hungarians ever since i
l,,t
planned to march in native costume OF
independence Day. Yaseall and promi
nent Italians protested against this
Finally the situation became s,
strained that Mr.. Macdonald asked
Brigadier General George r. Dyer
grand marshal of the pageant, to Civ,
luncheon TO the parties involved ant
straighten things out. This luncheon
took place in the Bankers Club Friday
Couldn't Fix Differences
There" said Mr.. Olds, "an attemp
was made to patch up the trouble, an<
me two representatives of~the Austro
Hungarian committee, Alexander Konts
and Geza Berko, agreed to withdraw tn,
military costumes and the impersona
tion of national heroes and have tn,
Austro- -Hungarians appear in 'nationa
civilian costume Mr.. Yaselli agreed
10 thls as an INDIVIDUAL, provided thu
Italian -Four Minute Men approved.
Mr.. Yaselli reported this to Mr.
Auchlncloss late yesterday afternoon
but when an attempt was made to dis
cover why it is necessary for the Aus
tro- -Hungarians in New York to wear O,
the Fourth of July the garb of ma
tlon that is at war with us and who's,
soldiers are doing their best to kill ou,
American soldiers on the Italian from
we failed to obtain satisfactory an
swer The Italians feel strongly upor
this point. AS one Of their leaders ex
pressed it, if the Austro- Hungarian,
wanted to costume themselves for thu
Fourth of July the proper garb fol
them to don would be sackcioth ant
ashes, to symbolic their grief at ane
repentance for the crimes and brutal
ties of their Hun allies"