New Britain herald., 1918-03-01
CANADIANS HOOT BRYAN INTO SILENCE
Returned Soldiers Refuse to Al- low Him to Speak at Toronto
Toronto. Ont, March 1.-~Get out VOL dirty pro-German!'
 ''S1np l''

you dirty pro-German!
 ''Sauerkraut!'
 "What about the Lusitania?'
 GO homo and stay thcrc!
 Theso were a few of the remarks that greeted Wil1am Jennings Bryan last night in Massey Music Hall, where he was billed to speak for the Dominion Alliance. the premier Canadian prohibition organization. The cries came chiefly from a crowd of not moro than 100 veterans of the war who occupied seats in the top gallery of the hall, which was crowd cd to it's capacity of $500.
 Many of tho veterans wore their gas masks, which they had smuggled in with them; others carried cow bells and whistles. Throughout the 20 minutes that MT. Bryan tried to speak the veterans sang patriotic songs at intervals and occasionally leaned over the seats and shook their fists in the direction of the speaker. The rest of tho audience added to the din by calling to the veterans. MT Bryan was about thc.only one in the { house to keep his temper.
 R .J. Fleming, manager of the street railway and chairman of the meeting, after the din had lasted for some minutes, called upon the police to clear the gallery. The military pickets present took no action because the disturbers were not in uniform 1 and having been honOrably discharged from active service, were no longer under military discipline.
 When the chairman gave his ulti- matum MT. Bryan told him that If force were used to restore order he
 fn + 11 ! enough people wore being. killed and | injured in the war without any one being hurt for him. The newspa per men present gathered around him and be dictated a statement, which was also heard by few other persons on the platform.
 Other speeches were delivered after ! MT. Bryan's futile attempt and with out interruption.
 The din in the gallery increased while MT. Bryan was making his statement to the press. Canadian flags were waved. while the ex-sol- diers sang "The Maple Leaf" God Save the King" and other songs. Represents 25,OOO,0OO Americans.
 Tn his statement to tho reporters Mir. Bryan said:
 "I don't know if I can make my self heard to this large number, but | I can make myself heard to the rep | resentatives of the press, and I beg | leave to state my position to the peo- | pie who will read your newspapers.
 'T am here hy invitation. l como as a representative of 25,000,o00 ot the American people who arc handed together in various organizations fol the prohibition of the liquor traffic I have spoken at one hall tonight (the Metropolitan Methodist Church> tC an audience that gave not only re spectfuI but enthusiastic attention
 I am here to speak to this audience
 I find that less than per cent prob
 ably more nearly loss than pe1
 cent. of this audience refused to al
 low the rest of the audience to hca1 the speech.
 "Ordinarily those who interrupt z meeting are put out on the theory that no few people haTc q right tf deprive an overwhelming majority O \ their right to hear: but in thi@ case I am not willing that force Shou'd n' used 10 eject the men from 'ho h'il I would rather that the mce'iN} v should break up than that 1orc' | should be used. I am porfectiE Will