Evening star., 1920-09-17
Crime Beyond Understanding.


An explosion In Wall street natural.
~ suggests crime. The theory of an
accident following quickly after the
first announcement OF yesterdays dis.
aster had certain superficial indica'
tons to support it. But the place
aud the hour Of the detonation are
elements to weaken the assumption
that It was due to nischance. Al
no other place, perhaps, would power
full explosion do a. much damage az
at the corner Of Broad and Wall
streets In New York at the hour OF
noon. It Is one Of the most crowded
points in the world at that time. and
near II are csntefed the greatest OF
values In bullion and securities.
Subsequent examination Of the
scene and the debris and analysis Of
thu stories Of eye witnesses tend to
ths belief that the sxpiosion vas ths
result a . cFimiasi plot. Yst tu what
purpose? There Il no esidance Of IN
oe1anEed attasnpt at robbery IN ths
cnnkne1on following the baast: 8seusS
tSss hsve been lost. but only through
tAa tsrrinc conclusion and the Dc.
n~aiiRtiou quickly following the ex'
pAnskcn: Thee was No iadiea*ion o4
hxnsaa violence. II this was . crinsc
it vae evidently seieiy designed a& do
slxueeacn Of lie and property. pcs.
dhay IN act Of vengeance, perhape
uarsay q mad demonstration of fanat.
issl hostility to the money power''
caaherod IN Wall street:
AhA there been q purpose 70 d.
slxeV any particular building or In.
setiutian, or any group Of individuals,
tAA act was badly executed: For the
discretion was general. and. as It
uvvea was by no means as great as
might have been caused: The lives
that ware destroyed were those Of
pa1pss wholly innocent Of any respon.
sihae connection with the great finaa-
eiAl ,fnstitutions near at hand. Most
a thsm were persons passing In the
street and caught within the zone Of
1svestAtions
yh1dmauon d . plot to wreck "ths
soRune.' appears to have bean given in
N snGnymous letter received by, the
Fi~acA high commission. the. day. be.
NaeA The. writer warned the chief
a tAe mission and his assistants that
= e4tastrophe would occur in Wall
serask .bstwasn 2 and 4 o'clock. Day
ugAE time" but without date. The
camuSusion's ofsces are on Broadway
q anlaeient distance from the scene
a ~ sxpIasion to be comparatively
otnuas Of. this character-if crime
haa been, cemmitted In this oase-are
= mYutery. What prompts them, to
vAak 4 Is expected they viii lead, can
nat - understood. The mind that
canoeives them is undoubtedly un-
balanced. It 10 easy to say DOL
sAsvik" or '.aparchist" In attributing
the motive, but usually . crime Of
raAteojism 10 aimed at q particular
cbjsct or person. as in the attempt at
asnssd4ation o. the planting of q
hopsb N q public building o. private
inatitution. But here was q great
loaA a explosives set OF In the open
strsa In the heart Of the financial
distsae&. where it could not fail to
hin many wholly innocent people.
None bat = crazy mind could cenceive
that such q. crime would have the
least influence upon the political or
financial system Of the country or
produce any other effect upon the pub
lie mind than IN intsnsifed determi-
nassen to tisht bolshevism and an
archism and all other forms Of ex-
trsme radicalism to Z finish.