The sun., 1918-11-10
CROWDS APATHETIC
IN KAISER'S CRISIS
Report of Abdication Stirs
Scarcely a Ripple in Any
Section Of City.

In sharp contrast to the wild en-
thusiasm in the city Thursday upon
receipt OF the premature report that
the war had ended. there was scarcely
a ripple OF excitement yesterday after
the publication in the afternoon papers
of the German wireless despatch that
the Kaiser had abdlcated and that the
Crown Prince had renowned his success
sion TO the German throne. The quiet
unconcern with which the report was
greeted was amazing.
The streets were thronged with the
usual Saturday afternoon crowds-es-
pecially In the theatre and shopping dis
tr,cts-but there was no paradng, no
cheering, no deluge of paper from the
windows OF Office buildings. Nothing. in
fact, indicated that anything unusual
had happened.
Students OF crowd psychology gave
two causes for the calmness with which
the metropolis received the news. 1t
was pointed out that the withdrawal OF
the house of HohenZollern had largely
been discounted by the many previous
reports OF the same tenor and that hav-
fln.t cut loose In such a riotous manner
onfy two days before, the towns avail
able supply OF enthusiasm was sub
normal-the reservoir had been drained
dry and not enough time had elapsed for
it to replen!sh Itself.
Would Not Risk Being Fooled.
The afternoon papers carrying the
| wireless report were on the downtown
streets soon after 4 o'clock. Big black
headlines blazoned forth the news, but
there was no wild rush to buy and not
| single newshoy was at any time in the
| slightest danger OF being mobbed. Men
and women continued their orderly way
along the sidewalks, intent. apparently,
upon their own concerns without fully
grasping the tremendous significance of
| the historic event across the seas or
realizing its portent to world which
! fon more than four years has been in
torment--provlded the report was true.
They had been fooled Thursday. 1t is
easy to fool the American people once.
| but It takes no chances on a second
| attempt.
The calmness OF downtown New York
was duplicated I'm the shopping district.
| In Herald Square the size OF the crowd
| in front of the newspaper bulletin board
was scarcely larger than Is usual on
| Saturday afternoons. No noise. no toss
| ing Of hats into the air and no hand
| shaking was to be seen. The white
| jacketed fraternity which administers 10
| the needs OF the thirsty in that section of
| the city asserted to a man that even the
buying OF drinks was not noticeably &C.
CELEBRATED. The same apathy existed at
| Broadway and Forty-second street at
Columbus Circle and at all other centres,
Neweies Fail 10 Stir Crowd.
BY o'clock the newsstands were
| flooded with late editions OF the public
prints apparently establishing the au-
| thenticity OF the abdication. But the
rush to buy papers was scarcely greater
| than earlier in the afternoon. The arti-
| hcial frenzy OF the newses deliberately
stimulated for business purposes, simply
couldn't understand II. Nor could any
one else-eNcept persons who had been
fooled on Thursday.
As the evening wore on tho ordinary
rush OF Saturday night patrons flowed
| into hotels. restaurants theatres and
cabarets. Business was brisk, hut nc
more so than usual, There was some
sporadic cheering as the night grew
! older. hut no more than usual. SO far
as any real outburst OF popular emotion
was concerned, there wasn't even q
flicker OF the riotous enthusiasm OF
Thursday, 1t just wasn't there.