When the storm clouds of war arrived in Queens
In conjunction with the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society, TimesLedger
Newspapers presents
noteworthy events in
the borough’s history.
The drumbeat to war
rings ominously through
the pages of March 1917.
Senator Swanson of
Virginia announces to the
public that the Zimmerman
Note, proposing an alliance
of Mexico, Japan, and
Germans for war on the
United States, is authentic.
The U.S. Secret Service is
ready to act on ringleaders
of German plot, who are
now under surveillance
More than 100,000 Germans
are said to be assembled in
Mexico waiting for the plot
to ‘mature.’
Xenophobia now grips
the country. A Women’s
Citizen’s League of Jamaica
meeting is startled when
a former nurse at Queens
Contagious Diseases
Hospital claims, “upon
excellent authority,” that
Superintendent Sharp, a
Canadian citizen, referred
to the American Flag as a
“Dirty Rag.” “It’s a lie,”
retorts Dr. Sharp, denying
the f lag tale.
Fire Commissioner
Adamson quietly canvasses
Veteran Fireman’s
organizations in Queens on
the possibility they could
return to their old posts if
incendiary fires by plotters
COLUMN
make it necessary to draw
paid forces into one section
of the city. More than 2,000
volunteers are found. Only
Bayside, Douglaston, and
Little Neck had active
volunteer fire fighters in
1917.
On March 16, Bohemians,
eager to show loyalty
to United States, hold a
meeting at Bohemian Hall,
where they hail President
Wilson as ‘a defender of the
rights of small nations.’
All who attend the
meeting take a Loyalty
Pledge to the United
States.
On March 23, George
Kirkpatrick, socialist and
pacifist, in a meeting at
the Queens Labor Lyceum
in Ridgewood, says
“war is means to reduce
unemployment and force
militarism on the public.”
He predicts that “within
a year there would be a
standing army of 1,000,000
and a reserve of 5,000,000”
poised to invade Mexico!
Kirkpatrick warns the
public about signing
Loyalty Oaths, of which
over 20,000 are already
distributed in Queens.
An Armed Neutrality
Bill passes in Congress and
armed American vessels
carry munitions into war
zones. Colonel Henecker
of Whitestone, head of the
United States Boy Scouts,
goes to Heinmans’ Hall in
Woodside and organizes
an infantry regiment of
volunteers. Scores sign up.
Finally the word goes
out: President Wilson
is calling a special
session of Congress
April 2 to consider ‘grave
international’ questions.
The sergeant-at-arms of
the Senate and the Clerk of
the House of Representatives
at once sent telegrams
members of Congress
officially summoning them
to Washington.
On March 31, at the
request of John Purroy
Mitchel, Mayor of the City
of New York, the public is
invited to attend a meeting
in the auditorium of Bryant
High School for noon, on
Monday, April 2.
At that hour, the
Congress of the United
States is to assemble in
Washington for what is
described as “the most
important and historic
session in the life of
the Republic.”
The public is asked to
take part in this historic
event by meeting at that
moment and solemnly
pledging allegiance to the
Untied States of America.
Everyone knows
that Congress is to vote
on declaring war. The
American entry to World
War I is only hours away.
That’s the way it was in
March 1917!
For more information,
contact the Greater Astoria
Historical Society at (718)
278-0700 or visit www.
astorialic.org.
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