| Show DREYFUS MASS MEETING PROMINENT MEN SAID IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE new york sept 15 There will be no mass meeting in this city to protect the condemnation of dreyfus efforts were made to arrange such a gathering anit the men who were asked to take a leading part to do so and expressed the opinion that the movement was a mistake consequently the promoters of the affair decided to abandon the idea former mayor strong who was asked to preside former secretary of the interior bliss president guggenheim CT ot the municipal council and other of standing told the advocates ol 01 the mass meeting plan that they would do Drey tua causo more harm than good by holding it and that they could not consent to participate in it it became evident that there la very little basis tor the talk 0 boycotting the paris exposition because 0 the second verdict against dreyfus rep men expressed the view thai the entaro french nation should not be condemned because ot the action of a military and that the feeling aroused by the dreyfus verdict should not be allowed to interfere with the exposition upon this point however there was some difference 01 opinion 1 I think that agitation tending to arouse bitterness between this country and franco because of tho dreyfus trial places us in rather a ridiculous position said cornelius N bliss my opinion like that of most other americans Is that a great injustice has been done but talk of boycotting the paris exposition of it Is foolish A man came to me last night and again this morning to get me to take part in a dreyfus aiosa meeting but I 1 told him I 1 disapproved of the plan I 1 do not think that the exposition will buffer we should pay no attention whatever to the dreyfus case said former mayor wm strong that Is a matter of their own over ebore and what the judges have decided should not interfere with the exposition in any way I 1 intend 10 send some gooda to the ex lon just aa it there had never been any case and I 1 have not heard a single man talk of bis exhibits wm P king president of the merchants association Is strongly etron gly opposed to any boycott of the exposition in france as in america there are rood and bad elements said be but they chave a solid foundation there I 1 as wo have the action ano party should not condemn france in regard to the suggested boycott ot the exposition I 1 regard it aa a very dan bergua precedent to establish for one government to boycott a sister govern i ment no boycott ever was 1 and none ever will be as civilization ibaan advanced too rapidly I 1 think the exposition will probably bo more than ever before owing to the increased prosperity 1 president gugg hotmer of the council field 1 I t not approve of the agitation or the oab meeting plan because I 1 dont think they will do any good at this time we all recognize the fact that a great wrong baa been i aiom but I 1 bellevo that agitation trall not help matters any I 1 believe that exhibitors should decline to anything to the paris exposition and that americans should no longer spend their money there they can withdraw them in a quiet and orderly manner ibo wever and without offensive disturbance my first thought when I 1 heard of the verdict was that we ought to retaliate on tee exposition said frank S garddner secretary ot tho board ot trade and transportation but after all the exposition is a business matter and our merchants are to show goods there aitor their own benefit rather than that of france therefore it would be foolish to hold bach joseph larocque thinks that the success of the exposition will depend largely on whether dreyfus Is set free everyone feels that justice has been outraged he said but that feeling will not seriously influence action in regard to the exposition A good deal will depend upon tho action of the french government and the higher courts on the dreyfus case |
