The Washington herald., 1913-02-15
WRITER'S RESENT
'HOLD-UP' STORY
Washington Correspondents
Up in Arms Over Inuendos
Of Inaugural Committee.
NOT AFTER CHEAP SEATS
Men in Charge Of Celebration Failed
to Keep Pledge to News
paper Men.

Washington correspondents are up In
arms over a report which reached them
yesterday that they are being pillioried
about the city as participants In a polite
hold-up or blackmail scheme to force the
inaugural committee to give up a large
batch of seats at low prices. .
According to the report, at a recent
meeting of the committee, they were
represented as demanding without cause
and with the implied threat of unfav-
orable stories about the Inauguration,
that seats in the stands be reserved for
them and their families at about one-half
the price paid by other spectators. They
declare this implication misrepresents
their attitude entirely.
They say their side of the story never
has appeared in the public prints. When
the legislative subcommittee of the in
augural committee appeared before the
Senate Committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds, according to representa-
tives OF the standing committee of the
correspondents. the latter had prepared
TO be offered an amendment to the
resolution authorizing the use of public
spaces for stands to view the parade.
This amendment mas to reserve sufficient
space to permit theerection OF a stand
for the correspondents at their own ex-
pense and Independent of the inaugural
committee. The newspaper men declare
that It is essential to their work on
that day that they be in a position TO
watch the Presidential reviewing stand.
Plan Stand for 300.
When this amendment was about to be
offered, according to members of the
standing committee OF correspondents,
the representative of the inaugural COM
mittee urged that it be withheld. prom
ising that the newspaper men would be
taken care of, and stating that the COM
mittee preferred to erect all the stands,
in order that they might be uniformly
handsome arChitecturalIy. The repre-
sentatives of the newspaper men were
asked how much they believed their
stands would cost. They replied that
they figured upon a stand seating 800
people, the seats TO be distributed among
the newspaper men for about 81 seat.
Upon this, IT is said, the representa- tive
OF the inaugural committee replied that
seats would be arranged for the news-
isaper men and could be had for s. each,
3 less than the regular price and 81
more than the newspaper men expected
I" pay The newspaper men agreed TO
this and withdrew their amendment. the
adoption OF which by both committees
had been assured.
Later they learned no accommoda tion
as being made for them. Immediately
the standing committee OF correspondents
passed a resolution reciting the promise
made before the Senate Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds, and charg-
Ing bad faith on the part of the inau-
EUral committee. A copy OF this resolu-
Ton was sent to the inaugural committee.
and occastoned at a recent meeting a
number OF insiruations to- the general
effect that the newspaper men were at
tempting a ''hold-up' game. One MEM
Der of the committee is reported to have
sarcastically remarked that he himself
lad two tickets. and that he would give
them up TO the newspaper correspondents.
Tried to Help Committee.
The correspondents declare that they
a first had no intention of having any
thing whatever to do with the inaugural
committee, and only consented to a
change of plan with the incident in
crease of expense to them because of the
representations made to the Senate COM
mittee and in order to aid the committee.
In the face of the charges which have
come 10 them from the inaugural COM
mittee they are not disposed 1T this
time to accept any seats at any price,
and to-day probably will witness the in
deduction in both Houses of Congress Of
resolutions authorizing the erection of
stands for the correspondents at such
remaining places as will permit them to
witness the review and cover the event
for their papers.
The resolution CT the standing commit
tee of correspondents, and to which the
inaugural committee took offense, was
sent to the Senate committee, which i'm
,nediately instructed the chairman, SEN
ator Sutherland. to write the chairman
Of the inaugural committee. expressing
q hope on the part of the Senate COM
Inittee that the desires of the correspond
ents be complied with
In the meantime the more prominent
correspondents of out-of-town papers are
working with their colleagues TO prevent
the dispatching of unfriendly stories to
their many newspapers.