The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1921-03-25
$4,000 PATRIOTS
HISS RHINE RALLY
$4,000 in Madison Square Gar
den, 10000 at Overflow Cheer
Preaching of Americanism.
"WAR ENTHUSIASM" PREVAILS
LittIeton Declares II Is No Time for
SteriIized NeutraIity-Wishes for
Peace Made at Proclamation
Mach's Speech Treason"

New York City.-The all-Americar
mass meeting in and around Madison
Square Garden was a tremendous
demonstration of that brand of pa.
triotism which is pure, undiluted and
unauthorized. It's success was un-
qualified and unhyphenated. In all
the lavish spread of color only one
flag was displayed-the Stars and
! Stripes. For once not even the en-
signs of the Allies shared in the deco
rative honors.
The American Legion gave its an
swer TO the "Rhine horror" propagan-
da in tremendous all-American DEM
onstration in which $4,000 persons,
most of them war veterans, partici-
pated.
A bugler standing on the flag
swathed speakers stand at Madison
Square Garden sounded Taps" while
1900 men and women stood reverent-
ly at attention.
In the center of the main floor 600
gold-star mothers stood with their
heads high in the beginning but
bowed in their hands and bathed in
tears as the poignant notes come to
a close. The silence ended in a sob
that filed the auditorium.
A moment later came the call:
"On this solemn night, filed with
the inspiration born of the memories
of gallant men, we have come. 10
pledge ourselves that this nation shall
yet become land of the one tongue,
one ideal, one flag.
The answer was a passionate out
burst of cheering and frantic way
ing of flags, and the all-American
meeting of the American Legion and
coalition of patriotic societies was
under way Not again during the eve
ming could it be called 'all-American ;"
ii was anti-German and nothing else.
The Garden was filled to the ca
pacity allowed by the authorities
three-quarters of an hour before the
meeting was called to order at S:15.
Twentythousand who sought but were
denied admission thronged Madison
Square, remaining for open air meet
ings that were held at three stands
along Madison and Fifth avenues. No
period of the war saw such emotion
as marked the meetings inside and
out.
Long before the meeting had be-
gun the temper of the crowds had
itself. Bands played In
every corner of the Garden. Post
after post of the Legion had marched
in; veterans of the Civil War from
North and South alike, veterans of
the Spanish War and veterans of still
other military adventures of the Unit
ed States had been cheered as they
arrived; the Gold-Star mothers and
their escort of ID. $. c. men had been
given an especial greeting; nurses and
women Cd had been hailed.
The enthusiasm started hours be- /
fore the meeting. In response to the /
Plea of the committee OF patriotic so /
,ieties that organized the all-American !
shopkeepers and house I
holders in all parts of the city had
down the American flag Hundreds I
If thousands of citizens pinned Ameri- |
'an flags upon their lapels.
She great audience greeted with "A
leafening chorus of Kisses a mention
If DIR. Edmond Won Mach, the promoter
IF the Horrors meeting. II con- /
lemned hyphenism, linked German
with "pulinf pacitists,"
,ewildered Bolshevists' and Sim Fein
lgitators.
The meeting broke into prolong-
d outburst of patriotic feryOr when
Martin w. Iittleton, pointing to Cen
raj John J. Pershing seated nearby
IN the speakers platform, declared
hat the only mistake the allies had
made was that they had not marched
o Berlin TO perfect a Potsdam peace
instead Of a Versailles armistice.
Two hundred patriotic and civic or
Joined with the American
.egion to give a fitting rebuke to the
German meeting held i'm the Garden
m February 2S and TO condemn the
folding Of any further ''pOlyglot propa-
-anda."
General Pershing was the last a
peaker and none of those who had
preceded him awoke greater enthusi-
ism. lie said this meeting seemed To
lin especially timely. Certain infiu-
.nces,- he said, "again have arisen TO 4
POISON the public mind and efforts are
icing made to weaken the ties that
ind u.s.