New-York tribune., 1918-12-21
One of Thirty Questioned
on Hylan Offer Agrees to
Serve, Three Undecided
Mayor Answers Protest
Asks Jersey Women if Plan
ming Welcome Would Not
Be Better Than Meddline

Mayor Hylan's committee of welcome
10 returning troops, Of which William
Randolph Hearst is an active sub
chairman, were asked yesterday if they
had accepted the invitation. Here is
the summary Of their replies as given
over the telephone by themselves or
their secretaries:
10 have refused to serve
l will resign, having accepted "in-
advertently."
have accepted, believing Hearst
would not be active.
have not made up their minds.
has accepted without quaitica-
ton.
serious alteration to-day when the six
who accepted. believing Hearst would
not be active ON the committee, learn
that scrubwomen and carpenters are
busy in the Hall of Records preparing
rooms for the occupancy of Hearst and
his subcommittee on military.
Five Are in Europe
Five others who were invited to
serve have been in Europe for months,
according to their secretaries.
These are the men who have told the
Mayor they would not serve, with the
| reasons they gave:
Cleveland II. Dodge: "Ill health pre-
vents"
A. C. Bedford: circumstances that
have arisen in the last few days will
! keep me from serving"
William Fellowes Morgan: "My ac-
ceptancc went through while l was ILL.,.
| am cancelling it, Hearst's connec-
tion makes it utterly impossible for
me to serve"
George r. Dyer: "I would not serve
on committee with Hearst for ST.
000,O0O."
Charles L. Lanier: all health"
Frederick L. Collins: "Under the
! circumstances | am unable to serve"
Charles B. Alexander: Gave no rea-
Coleman du Pont: Unable to serve
because he "will be out Of town."
Albert Eugene Gallatin: 81 shall be
unable to serve. Hearst's presence on
the committee makes it impossible"
Ogden Reid: Has declined.
George II. Benjamin: Il have de-
, clined."
DR.. Samuel McCune Lindsay: Has
declined.
Walter w. Price: II have declined"
Richard Henry Calling: "The un-
speakable Hearst makes it impossible
for me to serve"
w. A. Marble: "I will not serve"
Frank Crowninshield: Declined to
serve.
Appleton L. Clark: 81 should like
! to be on the committee very much, but
can't cooperate with the Hon. Mr.
Hearst"
Others Dislike Hearst
Two others requested that their
names be withheld for the present
Both said they would not serve for the
sole reason that Hearst was a member
of the committee.
The man who accepted "inadvertent
ly" will resign, and requested, "fol
political reasons" that his name be
will held.
These are the six who accepted, with
qualifications, with their comments
given over the telephone:
serve rve"'f because aus 'vss was told Rodma1 Al
Wanamaker was to run the affair"
Robert Grier Cooke: 81 am willing
to serve under Rodman Wanamaker
but if Hearst is to play an importan
part l shall reconsider my early decl
sion"
James H. Post: "The letter inviting
me to join specifically stated that Mr.
Wanamaker was to be chairman. There
was no mention of Hearst. Hearst
participation should be opposed
Henry Seligman: 81 am on Georg'
Lofts committee on pageants and nom
otha" (This is sub committee o
the committee on welcome.)
Judge Norman S. Dixie: "I am OF
Mr. Wanamaker's committee"
1>of< {1I
bership under Mr.. Wanamaker."
Three Still Uncertain
These three have not made up thei
minds: w. c. Durant, Henry Hoyt ant
Harry J. Luce.
And here is the man who accepted
without strings or qualifications
John J. O'Keeffe, of go Broadway.
These five who were offered place
on the committee are in Europe: Nor
timer L. Schiff, Irving T. Bush, L. N
Boomer, James M. Beck and Sidney Z
Mezes. Richard Henry Gatling's let
to George w. Loft, who was appointed
by Mayor Hylan to be chairman O
the Committee on National Defenc,
shortly before it.was dissolved. Mr.
Loft sent out the first notice tina
Mayor Hylan would invite the mem
}. bers of the dissolved committee tt
serve on the Committee on Welcome
The Gatling letter follows:
81 beg to acknowledge receipt of you
kind letter Of the 18th inst, inviting
me to become member of the pagean
committee which will have jurisdiction
of all arrangements covering the lant
parades, etc, Of our returning troops.
"The Unspeakable Hearst"
~ thank you sincerely for thinking
OF nv name in this connection, an,
this honor, under ordinary circum
stances, could not decline, but IN viey
of the fact that his Honor the Mayo
has made the shameful mistake of ap
pointing the unspeaAable Hearst as
member of the committee of weicom
to home coming troops, it will be I'm
, possible for me to accede to your re
quest.
: "My son and thousands OF othe
American boys have splendidly per
formed their task of fighting for ou
beloved country as we'll rs civiliza
ton, but on returning they do no
wish any welcome from men of tn
} stripe of Hearst. In view of you
splendid personal work as chairman
of the Mayors committee on Nationa
Defense, it is pity that you shoul'
!, be humiliated by being asked t.
serve with Hearst in planning a wei
come to our returning soldiers anC
sailors"
Refusals to serve are not the only
form of protest being made agains
| HearSt's presence on the cOmmitte, g,