New-York tribune., 1919-05-22

ignominious end for the powers that
countenance the persecution of help
less women, children and aged men.
Mounted traffic police and police re.
serves roped off streets and diverted
the growing crowds from the neigh
borhood of the Garden structure early
in the evening, but no force Of police
was sufficient to prevent the throngs
from breaking through the lines in
several places and swarming about
every entrance to the building.
Auditorium Packed
For half an hour they flowed solidly
through the entrance to the Garden.
Then the auditorium was packed
Every seat was taken, save those in the
centre of the main floor, reserved for
the soldiers, who had been marching.
Hundreds were standing in the aisles
Hundreds more stood behind the rows
of seats The lobby was jammed. The
doorways were solid masses of human
ity, which spread outward into Fourth
Avenue fanwise.
Forty mounted patrolmen and 500
afoot were on duty at that time under
command of Inspectors DAILY and Caha-
lane. DAILY who is chief INSPECTOR
and veteran policeman with long ev-
periencc with New York crowds, said
he never saw the equal of the sight
about the Garden.
The throngs outside were showed
..LL I.
reiterated warnings that not another
person could get inside. The police
lines were formed two blocks awav
from the Garden on every side. Then
1t was necessary to put hundreds out
of the building to lessen the fire
hazard
Audience of All Sorts
The audience was of all sorts. There
were patriarchs with flowing boards
and bent shoulders. Old women in
brown wigs huddled in shawls, despite
the oppressive heat of the place. There
were silks and broadcloths as we'll,
which deemed themselves fortunate to
be seated beside the humber fabrics.
The ghetto was there, but so was the
ghetto of yesterday, which dwells to-
day on Riverside Drive, Central Park
West and Seventh and Lenox avenues.
Polish Government Denounced
1t was meeting of mourning, as
every speaker emphasized, but it also
was a meeting of protest and a cry
Roc 1,,+; i
which charged the Polish government
with connivance in the atrocities Wis
tied upon Jews, and called upon the
peace conference "to take steps that
punishment be meted out to those re-
sponsible for the preparation of these
atrocities. These resolutions are to
be sent to President Wilson at Paris.
There was evidence of an abiding
faith in the power Of the United States
to obtain justice for the oppressed
The Stars and Stripes appeared every
where with the blue and white of the
flag of David. A fanfare of trumpets and
a color guard escorted those with seats
on the platform to their places, and
as each took his seat under escort Of
the American flag the audience burst
into cheers.
The list of those with seats on the
platform. many Of whom delivered ad-
dresses, showed that the committee for
the Defence Of Jews in Poland, under
whose auspices the meeting was held.
had gained the attention of Gentle as
we'll as Jew. Among them were Charles
E. Hughes, Mayor Hylan, Jacob Schiff,
DR.. Stephen S. Wise, Abram l. Elkus,
Abraham Shomer, Jewish playwright,
who presided, and Nathan Straus, who
was honorary chairman.
Crowd Sings the "Hatikvah"
At 1880 the soldiers with the mourn
ing brassards entered with measured
tramplng and took the seats reserved
for them, while the audience stood up
and greeted them with a shout. Then
came THE Star Spangled Banner" AS
the first note sounded every person in
the building rose to his feet and pres
emily all were singing.
The national anthem was followed
by the "Hatikvah." the ancient anthem
of the Children of Israel With tears
on their faces the men and women in
the audience rose and joined in the
weird, minor melody whose very notes
betokened a people whose hymn was a
dirge. 1t was as if first the hope and
then the grief of Israel was voiced in
the two hymns
Nathan Straus was the first speaker.
His address was started with direct
appeals to his hearers which aroused
them to high pitch of feeling. They
thundered their responses to his
queries and the CLEAN of something
that was not grief shone in their ewes
when he foretold evil for the nations
which oppressed the weak
1ndorse Purpose of Meeting
Il understand you are all familiar
with the object Of this meeting" begs n
Mr.. Straus. as that right ?"
e.As one person $4,000 shouted "Yes!"
and the balconies quivered at the
mighty breath
Your numbers prove how you feel.
Is that right?"
1t was as though the queries had
been put to medium in trance. The
audience could not refrain from re-
spending Its yes" to the second in
terrogaton was emphasized by a
stamping of feet that ran around the
house like the rumblng of thunder.
81 am not a pronhetv " Mr. Straus con