Putnam patriot., 1917-09-21
RIOTATHARTFORD
ANTI-WAR MEET
Hartford Police and Federal
Agents Rescue Mrs. Hale
From Mob.
SHE CALLS WAR, C0WARDICE
Red Banner Flsnks Flag at Meeting
Ending In Arrest of Two Leaders.
Declares Right to Admonish
Wilson.


Riotous scenes marked meeting at
SOCIALIST nall here OF the Hartford
branch OF the Peoples Council OF
America for democracy and peace.
eliminating in the arrest OF the speak
er. Mrs. Annie X. Hale. OF New York;
the chairman, Alfred T. Whitehead OF
this city, and the abrupt ending OF the
meeting by the police.
Police action was taken after Mrs.
Hale had criticised the President and
the war. condemned conseription and
declared the United States had no right
10 so abroad to fight Germany because
OF belief that fifty years hence
Germany might make war ON tais
country.
Lcng before Chairman Whitehead
opened the meeting the hall WAS crowd
ed. many apparently being drawn To It
by the agitation of the past week seek
ing to forbid IL Frequent cheers and
some Kisses greeted the speaker dur
ing the part of her speech she was
permitted TO deliver
Police Clear Hall.
When she was ordered to stop there
was an excited rush by the audience
for the platform, chairs being over
turned and benches thrust aside in the
dash toward the speaker One man adj
vaneed down the hall shaking his fist
at the speaker. declaring she had in
suited the President. For few mo.
ments the situation looked serious, but
the police and federal agents at once
cleared the hall.
IS hale and Whitehead were tax.
en- to police headquarters, where they
were charged with breach of the peace
and held for hearing in $500 bonds.
Police action was taken after a con
ference between Federal agents and To-
cal officers at the meeting. Later 1t
was said the matter had been turned
over to the city authorities. and II was
not expected Federal charge would
be made.
The meeting had been announced as
In commemoration of the t30th ami.
versary OF the drawing up of the Con
stitution of the United States.
Declares Right to Admonish Wilson.
In the course of her address Mrs.
Hale said she felt she had right to
"admonish" the President out Of the
Scriptures because she had worked
for his election. Now she did not know
whether to apologize for having done
so or to be proud of him. One of the
best things he had ever said In her
opinion was his remark about being
too proud to fight"
She said she claimed her constitu-
tional right to criticise the President
and that because she was his personal
friend she could say what she pleased
She criticised the President for turn
ing away from the peace vote OF the
Reichst2g," which she said represent
ed the German people, adding that had
this government received this vote as
II should the world would now be very
near peace The President, she said,
had not answered any peace proposals
until one had been made by that
greatest of all religious autoerats in
Christendom-th Pope"
War" she declared, us born OF
cowardice and based on craven inn
aginings. An individual is made to
kill another individual with whom he
has no quarrel in a conflict brought
about by the trader behind the lines.
1t is stupid and shameful, and it is time
for the world to make common cause
to end this travesty. II is about time
for the people to tell their rulers to
stand aside and that they themselves
will make the world safe for democra-
cy Government must have a rebirth. y
Ms. Hale said the Kaiser was
frigh ened OF being attacked when he
went into Belgium, but that does not
justify this country In going over to
fight Germany because OF a belief that
fifty years hence Germany may make
war on this country"
At this point the police interfered.