The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-04-21
FORUM LEADERS
CANCEL SPEECH
At City's Request, Address
by Rev. l. M. Underwood
Is Postponed.
NO MEETING TODAY
Mayor Asks Directors for
Action to Avoid Riot
by Outsiders.
NO MEETING TODAY

At the request of Mayor II. r. WIKI,
inson and City Attorney John l.. Camp
bell, who said they feared that a riot
might be precipitated by persons not
porary executives of the Missoula
Public Forum yesterday cancelled ar
rangements for the meeting that they
had expected to hold today. Rev. /. NJ
Underwood, a veteran Baptist minis
ter and chairman of the Missoula coun-
ty prohibition forces, was to have ad
dressed the meeting this afternoon on
THE Church and the War"
Follows Defense Society Demand.
The request OF the city authorities
followed the Forum executives an
nouncement that they would pay nc
heed to a demand from the Missoula
County American Defense society, an
organization Of citizens. that the For
UNI be suspended during the war. This
demand was made Friday
I'VE do not ask you to yield to this
society's demand" said Mayor Wilkin-
s0n. I'VE ask you, on behalf of the
city administration, to cancel your next
meeting because we fear trouble from
persons outside the Forum organiza-
ton"
Mr.. Wilkinson said that the Forum
might hold meetings in the future, sub
ject to whatever regulations may be
adopted for all public meetings by the
city council, and that the council had
no criticism to make Of the loyalty OF
poaf,rlpaSc nf tho E,nr,,r,
State Forums Position.
The request was made to Payne
Templeton, director of the Forum, and
j. Fl. Underwood, George S. Coffman
and George =. Stone, members of a
committee temporarily in charge of the
Forums affairs. The committee com
piled with the mayors request after
formally stating the Forums position
as follows:
"A committee calling itself repre-
sentatives of the defense society, and
constituted by j. o. Newcomb, A. D.
Simerson. Harry Small, Hugh Camp
bell, James Walsh. Charles Hall and
D. G. Bachelor, Sentinel reporter
notified Mr.. Templeton that the Pub
lie Forum will not be permitted to hold
further meetings This committee was
met by three representatives of the
Forum. sclf-appointed since no time
was allowed for conference.
Did Not Understand Purpose.
"The men who met us had evidently
not attended meetings of the Forum
and were entirely unaware of its in
tention and program. Those who pro-
NOTED 1t had solely in mind the hope
that the badly divided classes, sects
and interests of Missoula might be
drawn into better acquaintance if rep
resentatives of all of them would, ir
n sort of unofficial town meeting, dis
cuss matters of general interest.
Speakers Of Season.
1.-The addresses so far have beer
made by President Sisson, Professor II
A. Trexler. IL. II. Parsons, Rev. A. l.
Wilson, moderator Of the Western
Montana Congregational church; A. /.
Stone, president of the Missoula Cham
Der of Commerce: the candidates fol
the city mayoralty and commissioner.
ship. candidates for the school board
Rev. w. 7. Lockwood. pastor OF tn.
Baptist church. II was hoped to fin.
ish the seasons program with an ad.
uAVSS ny II. -hdItll OF nj Is.
Jeanette Rankin, and one from the
deferred engagements OF DIR. +. Il
Craighead, Senator J. NJ. Dixon, o.
Chancellor +. c. Elliott, probably III,
last named"
Governor Orders Inquiry.
In response to a telegram from III,
Forum directors, asking protection fol
the meeting scheduled for today, Gov
ernor S. V. Stewart yesterday tele
graphed to the Missouia County Coun
Gil of Defense as follows:
THE president of the Missoula Pub
lie Forum has made complaint that tn,
defense society has reported disagree
ment between forum and local defens,
society. VIII your county council o
defense please investigate matters anc
report"
No response had been received las
night. It was said, from a similar tele
gram dispatched to Attorney Genera
Gregory.