New-York tribune., 1918-05-29
Head of Public Safety Com
mittee Calls Publica-
ton Seditious
Traction Magnate
Writes to Gregory
Department Of Justice Re.
plies Newspapers Were
Under Observation

nounced here to-day by Colonel Thomas
A. H. Hay that the Committee of Pub
lie Safety for the County of Northamp-
ton will very shortly take action on the
sale of Hearst papers. eve are going
to discourage sedition," added Colonel
Hay.
There has been one serious disturb
ance in Easton over the sale of Ger
man-language newspapers, and as a re-
suit Mayor D. ". Nevin told the police
to prohibit dealers from exposing them
for sale and to deliver them only to
regular customers.
The trouble over the German Ian
guage papers occurred few weeks ago,
when several former soldiers, now citi-
zens Of Easton, bought copies of Ger
man language papers from the Centre
Square newsstand of one-armed
Johnny Hyde. Immediately after buy
ing them the men tore the papers into
small bits and reviled Hyde for selling
them. The argument waxed loud and
before long Centre Square was black
fronted with difficult situation. The
Mayor issued his order the following
day.
Colonel Hay Writes to Mayor
Then Colonel Hay, secretary of the
Easton Board of Trade, director of
three traction companies and mem
ber of an old Colonial family, wrote to
Mayor Nevin about the Hearst papers.
In part, he said:
II have been urgently requested as
chairman of the Committee of Public
Safety of Northampton County by a
number of our citizens, both men and
women, to ascertain officially if some
way could not be found whereby the
sale of The New York American and
stopped in Easton. Their sale has
been forbidden by city ordinances or
by the official action of the mayors
of a number of cities in the states of
New York and New Jersey.
MANY of the people who have talked
to me feel a sense of personal outrage
when a solemn proclamation Of the
President of the United States, the
commander in chief of our army and
navy, is deliberately mutilated, whole
sections cut out and the solemnity and
entirely different meaning.
Calls 1t an Act of Sedition
"They feel, and in my judgment
discourteous, but absolutely insulting
to our Chief Magistrate, and is un-
questionably an act of sedition and dis
loyalty. am very sure public opinion
is very much opposed to the action of
the editor of these papers and opposed
to their further dissemination in our
midst. An examination by you will
lead to that opinion. What can YOU do
to stop their sale here by our dealers 2"
Mayor Nevin hasn't answered this
letter as yet. He said yesterday he
was endeavoring to find out how far
the city could 20 in the matter. Mayor
Nevin added:
What | can't understand is the
failure of the Administration at Wash
ington to deal with Hearst The man
is unquestionably a menace to the
country"
Colonel Hay had puzzled consider
ably over that same matter, and on
April 20 he wrote to the Attorney
General of the United States and in
closed what he considered a par
tlcularly seditious article from the
back page of "The New York Amer
ican."
Department Replies to Letter
The Colonel in his letter to the At
torney General expressed regret that
1t was not possible for private indi-
vidual to prefer charges against Hearst
and his newspapers and have them
brought to justice. He concluded his
letter as follows:
Il am drawing this to your attention
and l am asking you as the Chief Of
n hA H.
the United States to put ston To This
sort of writing"
A week later Colonel Hay received
the following letter: ''''
ssSir:
IN response to your communication
OF April %, 1918. the department heos
10 state that the matter to which vou
refer has been frequently under the
ooservation OF this department.,
Respectfully,
For the Attorney General.
"tSigned) J. O'BRIEN.
Special Assistant to the Attotnev
General"
In some manner word was carr;od
from Easton to Hearst that Colonal
vy vvay was trying to drive "The New
FORK american" and "The New York
journal out of Easton. A uaarst
representative was sent post haste a.
Easton to see If the situation comIdr,.
De smcothed over. ~o1'o"
Hearst Agent Sees Hay
Colonel Hay is man of d;sf1c.
guished appearance. His hair 's,", and
moustaches are snow white. Ha we ss :.
pointed out to the Hearst repressntss
tive while he was on his wav to h;s
once. The man approached the colo.
mel suavely, hat in hand. He was soac. ~.
companied by local newsdealer tn
hearst man asked the colonel whas
ne mad against the Hearst papers
For long moment bvstanders
thought the leading citizen If Eastns,
was gong to explode right there on
the sidewalk. Finally he articulated W
Because, sir, they are seditious Nc
decent American would read either IN =
OF the venomous rags" VAC
Inc Hearst man urged the colone,
to lower his voice and not attrsct !
crowd, but i was too late. Charles NJ
McGee, Wholesale produce merchamt
OF Easton. spoke up, approving The
stand taken by Colonel Hav. and h;s
words were echoed by r. +. Laramv
superintendent Of Public Instrnet;nr
in Easton. The crowd applauded fhs
colonel, and the Hearst man left Easton
on the next train.
Colonel Hay said he was going rirht
ahead with his fight until every citizen
ct Northampton County realized that
Hearst WAe cOilAd In thu Hac