Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-02
POLICE EXPLAIN ]
BAN ON PACIFETS
Director Wilson Says Meet
ing Was Suppressed to
Prevent Disorder
WARNED OF DISTURBANCE
I Wilson Says He's for Free
Speech, but Situation War
fanted His Action

Director Wilson, of the Department Of
Public Safety, announced today that the
peace meeting scheduled to take place at
the Broad Street Theatre was prevented
by the police last night as a precaution
against disorder. :"
He said he thought II inadvisabe to
permit the meeting in view of the present
crisis. The Director added that while the
sponsors for the meeting and those in
charge were thoroughly responsible persons
they could not be responsible for those who
would have attended.
Asked IL this was not curtailing the
right of free speech, he replied:
II thoroughly favor free speech, but the
incident at Baltimore is the answer to any
question concerning the departments action
last night"
A peace meeting in Baltimore ended in
Q riot.
Other meetings in the future will be gov
erned by the results of Investigations OF
the applications. The meeting last night
is closed incident.
WARNED OF TROUBLE
1t was learned that a report received by
the police that there would be trouble at
the peace meeting yesterday was the real
cause of their action. Word to this erect
was received by Superintendent OF Police
Robinson on Saturday afternoon. 1t Is not
known from what sources this threat came,
but the department thought it better to take
no chances.
Steps will be taken Immediately by the
Emergency Peace Federation to hold
public meeting in this city. John b.
Leeds, chairman of the executive commit
tee Of the organization, said today that the
n1ta nd thnir tIfh
ing a meeting of the federation last night
and demands for the right Of assembly will
be made at meeting to be held tomorrow
night at the Friends Meeting House. Six
teenth and Race streets.
Mr. Leeds, who is professor Of economics
ut Temple University, asserted that the
proper steps 20 test the legality of the police
action would be taken without delay.
Heretofore" he said, "the police have
been in the habit of preventing various
meetings of Socialists and other organiza-
tions which made no protest. In this case
It was to have been a meeting conducted
by prominent and influential residents of
the city, and there appears to have been
no warrant for such a step as the police
took. No reason was given by the police
for preventing the meeting. 1t was simply
stated that the meeting could not take
place
I'VE would take the matter up today but
for the fact that hundreds of our members
have gone to Washington to attend the
peace demonstration there"
Seven policemen were stationed at the
doors of the Broad Street Theatre last night,
and when hundreds of peace advocates ar
rived they were informed that the meeting
was off. Many Of them expressed their in
dignation at such action by the pblice and
declared that it was a violation Of the Con-
stitution.
One thousand intending attendants Of the
meeting then walked by twos and threes UP
to the Forrest Theatre. where the Rev.
James B. Ely was conducting a meeting of
the Lemon Hill Association. Assembling in
the lobby. they awaited the arrival of Ardo
Herring, who, leading them into the audi
torium, had an usher take a note up to
Doctor Ely. The latter stopped his service
and called Herring to the platform.
RoBINsoN's LETTER
The letter from Superintendent Robinson
to Thomas NJ. Love. manager of the South
Broad Street Theatre which was read. said
inspart:
\. Referring TO the proposed peace meet
ing, took the matter up with the Di-
rector of the Department of Public
Safety, and he cannot see his way clear
at this time to permit such a meeting to
take place.
I therefore desire to notify you that we
will not permit the proposed meeting to
take place. and have also notified the
lieutenant of the Fifth Police District to
see that this order Is carried out.
Early Saturday morning the management
Of the theatre received Superintendent Rob-
inson's letter refusing to allow the meeting
to be held The theatre management asked
Weston for a conference with his attorney,
and 1t was suggested that counsel for tho
theatre and the Emergency Peace Fedora
tion agree upon some form Of action to
take up the matter with the police au-
thorities AS every department In City
Hall was closed at noon and no courts were
available for writ compelling the police
to permit the meeting or enjoining them
from interfering with the gathering. it was
decided there was nothing left to be done
save abide by the order of Superintendent
Robinson.
Last night Director Wilson confirmed this
statement of Director Weston. II know
nothing of the refusal to permit the peace
meeting" he said. ''I suppose Supern-
tendent Robinson merely followed police
routine in refusing the application. Earlier
IN the week several applications were made
for meetings which recall had some OBJ
1ectionable features, and these were re-
fused, and I suppose the Superintendent
followed the ruling on those applications"
When the members OF the executive