New-York tribune., 1918-12-12
Hylan Deluged
With Protests
Against Hearst
Mayor Avoids Comment OH
Many Refusals to Serve
on Welcome Committee


Protests against the selection Of
William Randolph Hearst to act as
head of the committee to greet home
coming soldiers yesterday were aimed
at Mayor Hylan from every point Of
the compass. But as far as could be
learned none resulted in action on the
part Of the city executive.
The Mayor avoided the necessity Of
discussing the situation by refusing to
see newspaper men during the day, and
he even avoided meeting them in the
hallway of the City Hall by making use
of some hitherto unknown exit from
his Office last evening.
The protests took the form of reso-
lutions, designations from the commit
tee of which Hearst is the official head,
letters of denunciation and telephone
calls. But none of the critics of Hearst
succeeded in making verbal complaint
to the Mayor, because Mr.. Hylan kept
himself behind closed doors through
out the day. Even his secretary could
not be reached by those seeking infor-
nation about the plans for welcoming
home New York's war heroes.
Produce Exchange Protests
The most important of the resolu-
tions, in which the selection of Hearst
was denounced as inappropriate and
can insult to our soldiers" was that
of members of the New York Produce
Exchange. c. w. Mott, of the ex-
change, said that there was rush OF
members to affiX their signatures when
this resolution was placed before them
yesterday morning:
eve, the undersigned members of the
New York Produce Exchange, do hereby
most earnestly protest against the ap-
pointment of Mr.. William Randolph
Hearst on the committee to receive
our returning troops. Such an appoint
ment, in our opinion, is most inappro-
pirate in view of Mr.. Hearst's atti-
tude as expressed in the public press
of the country regarding the war,
which has Just been won by the Allies
and ourselves. Men who have gone
through the conflict and made such
sacrifices are entitled to better con-
sideration in their welcome home"
The resolutions were signed by E.
( #. Burrows, William Kemp. Edward G.
Burgess, Alfred Roemer. all former
vice presidents of the exchange, and
more than 200 Of the members of that
body. 1t was said that other members
would be given an opportunity to sign
the resolutions this morningA The
former vice-presidents who signed the
document said tatat they were certain
that the resolutions represented the
unanimous sentiment of the exchange.
"Our attitude against Hearst is not
new one," said Mr.. Mott. THE New
York American was excluded from our
reading files more than three years
ago"
hint of the attitude of. the return.
ing soldiers themselves, was obtained
during the day, when the United
States transport Kroonland sailed up
the harbor with its cargo of homecom-
ing fighters. Two great bundles of
Hearst papers that were sent aboard
the ship were hurled into the water.
and the search for representatives Of
Hearst among the newspapermen in
dicated that they would not have Jared
we'll had they been found.
Every reporter who boarded the ship
to interview the soldiers was asked to
show credentials to prove he was not a
representative of Hearst. The Hearst
men who were seen going toward the
ship were not seen on board A medi-
cal officer on the Kroonland who was
talking to q reporter noticed that the
interviewer carried a newspaper in his
pocket.
"Is that a Hearst paper?" the officer
demanded
"No," was the prompt response.
"Hearst papers are barred from this
ship" was the slightly less brusque ex-
planation
Among those who refused to serve on
the mayors reception committee to
homecoming soldiers because of the
naming of Hearst as its head We're Ma
Tor George Haven Putnam, president of
the American Rights League; Mrs. Will
liam Jay, who was active in the cam
paign to prevent German aliens from
continuing business IN New York dur
ing the war; and Mrs. Arthur 1selin.
Whether others had refused to sit at
the committee table with Hearst could
not be learned because OF the refusal
of the mayor to discuss anything relat-
ing to the affair during the day.
In his letter to Mayor Hylan Major
Putnam said:
"I am appreciative of the compliment
of my appointment as member of the
committee that you are organizing to
greet our returning boys; but regret
that | am not prepared to accept the
appointment. | am unwilling to be as
sociated in any committee with MI.
William r. Hearst, whom | hold to be
an undesirable citizen. A man who did
what he could to prevent America do
ing its part in the worlds war and who
objected to sending our boys across the
Atlantic, ought not to be permitted to
have part in extending welcome to
those boys on their return after the