Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-29
DEFENDER Of HEARST
ALMOST CAUSES RIOT
Attempts to Reply to Mayor Gay
nor'S Attack and He Is
HoWIed Down

NEW YORK, April 2S.-The regu-
Press and the Newspaper Publishers
association was thrown into riotous
and prolonged disorder tonight when
Thomas Il. Williams. business man
ager for William r. Hearst, was re-
fused permission to speak as he rose
to reply to biting criticisms Mayor
Gaynor had just made of Mr.. Hearst's
part in journalism.
For twenty-five minutes the uproar
continued while men stood in their
chairs and women craned from the
balconies of the banquet hall.
"Mr Hearst is not here. I am his
friend and have a right to be heard"
Mr. williams shouted, climbing on the
speakers table and shaking his fist in
the face of the mayor.
Put him out!" Shut up" Free
speech!" came from all parts of the
hall.
Toastmaster n. C. Wright of the
Cleveland Leader hammered in vain
for order. while Mr.. Williams stood i'm
massive, but obstinate and waited with
folded arms to be heard.
"This is a disgrace to the press of
the United States. 1t must end,
shouted Adolph S. Ochs, proprietor of
the New York Times, as he stood on
his chair behind the toastmaster and
begged for a word.
"Mr. Williams, I promise you, has
less than forty words to speak; let me
say them for him."
mo, no." yelled the diners.
"Mr. Williams" began Mr.. Ochs.
mo. mol" broke in the thoroughly
angered diners, with added insistence
HILLS BRINGS PEACE
Mr.. Ochs sat down while the orches-
ira thundered "DiXie," but Mr.. VIII
liams still kept the floor, and sem
blance of calm was not restored until
the Rev. Newell Dwight Hills of
Brooklyn, with a felicitious speech
brought laughter that drove out anger.
The directors and members of the
| Associated Press and of the American
| Newspaper Publishers association had
met at their annual joint banquet at
the Waldorf-Astoria to sink for the
moment their wholesome riValries as
councillors in their fellowship in one
profession, and a realization OF thelr
| co-operatiVe endeavor to inform SO,OOO,-
600 of a reading people. their sub
scribers and critics.
Seven hundred sat down to tables,
and after the coffee and cigars the
hosts began to hear things about them
selves from their guests.
Mayor Gaynor, the guest of honor
and first speaker, took for his subject,
"The Press in It's Relations to Public
Officials" He spoke as his wont and
as he had been invited to do, without
mincing words.
In an attack of almost uneXampled
bitterness on William r. Hearst, who
ran against him for mayor and who has
since criticised his administration
sharply, he applied epithets seldom
heard in public speaking. Then fol-
lowed the scene described.
woodrow Wilson, president of Prince
ton university, spoke of the celerity
with which worldwide news and the at
tendant comment thereon is now trans
mitted by telegraph, emphasizing the
decline of the editorial in power in the
growing Importance of the prompt, ac-
curate and unbiased news gatherer.
George Ade kept his hearers laughing
with an address on Helping the
Editor"
Throughout the dinner cable mes
-sages of greeting to the American press
were read as they flashed in at brief
intervals from American representa-
tives abroad.
Cheers broke out from every table as
Col RooseVelts was read, and as they
subsided a male quartet sang a bur-
lesque on Anybody Here Seen Kelly?
Has Anybody Here Seen Teddy?"
The rest of the dinner passed off
without incident and the best of good
fellowship, as if a scene unprecedented
at q public banquet had not marred the
evening.
Mr.. Williams left the hall early,
escorted by his friends.
@$S