New-York tribune., 1919-02-07
Score Resign
From Brooklyn
Welcome Body
Six Members of Executive
Committee Among Those
Joining Jonas in Fight
Father Belford In, Too
Writes Letter Declaring
Hearst Papers "Mendaci-
ous'' and ''Sickly Yellow

Developments yesterday in the fight
of Brooklyn citizens to free their well
come to Homecoming soldiers from
Hearst domination included:
!. The resignation of more than a
score additional members of the Brook
lyn Victory Celebration Committee, in
Guiding six more of the executive COM
mittee. Six members of the sub-com-
mittcc of finance were also among
those who resigned, and the executive
committee was reduced to ten of the
twenty-five members which composed
it when Borough President Riegelmann
accepted Mr.. Jonas's resignation.
?. The receipt by Nathan S. Jonas,
former chairman of the Brooklyn Vic
tory Celebration Committee, of a let
ter from the Rev. Father John l.. Bel
ford, rector of the Roman Catholic
Church of tho Nativity, condemning the
and "The New York Evening. Journal"
to inject Il racial issue into Brooklyn's S
civic life
8. The complete wiping out of the
Committee on Permanent Welcome by
the resignation of former Public Ser
vice Commissioner Edward NJ. Bassctt,
its eleventh and last member.
1. The writing of q letter by Victor
A. Lersner to Borough President
Riegelmann, asking him whether the
$40 900 fund, which Mr.. Lersner says
was raised largely through the per-
sonal efforts of the former committee
sc ho tr11.p tp
ticians" for spending, without consul
tation of the men who raised the
money.
Work at Standstiil
Meanwhile, as far as could be learn
ed, the work of the general commit
Zee ana all its subcommittee was at
y Standstill.
Borough President Riegelmann and
Representative John j. Delaney, the
new chairman of the dwindling COM
mittee, declined during the day to say
whether the committee on permanent
memorial would be reappointed and
promised free hano, as a result of
limitations that the eleven men might
serve ii they were guaranteed i'm
munity from political interference.
All other questions, such as the one
raised by Mr.. Lersner's letter, brought
a similar refusal to comment
Father Belfords letter to Mr.. Jonas
was as follows:
GLOW me to say that l am with you
in this shameful persecution. 1t is un-
Just and ancalled for. 1t is, more
over, q piece of colossal arrogance and
impertinence for any man to try to
dictate who shall speak at a public
meeting or how that meeting shall be
conducted.
wears. and | know that you are in
capable Of calling the police to kick
those Irish out
"Of course the American and the
journal are so mendacious and so sick
l. yellow that their abuse is compli-
ment. They are doing their best to
stir up strife and to fan into flame the
Bolshevist spirit which exists in our
city, as it does in Pctrograd and Ber-
lin.
Will Be Glad to Help
Because the Hearst candidates won
in the last election he thinks ne can
dictate to every official. and he uses
his papers as a club ON those who will
not do as he directs. | hope you will
light him and all his works and pomps.
IN that fight | vii be glad to do any
thing | can to help you"
The designations which Borough
President Riegelmann received included
some of Brooklyn's most prominent
citizens. The six new members of the
executive committee to ask release
were James Sherlock Davis, president
OF the Brooklyn Chamber of Com
merce' G. Foster Smith, of the Nassau
National Bank, chairman of the finance
committee; Edwin p Maynard, presi-
dent of the Brooklyn Trust Company
and chairman of the Brooklyn Liberty
Loan Committee; Mrs. Walter Shaw
Brewster and Mrs. H. Edward Dreier
joint chairmen Of the women's com
nttee, and Brigadicr General John G.
Eddy.
Few of the designations, either from
the executive or the general commit
tee, were unaccompanied by letters ex-
prssing disapproval Of what is gener-
ally termed Mr.. Riegelmann's surren-
der to Hearst. President Davis. oil
the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
wrote, in part:
II feel it incumbent on me, under
sne circumstances, to tender my resig
nation as a member of the executiv,
committee, to take effect at once
1t Is with sincere regret that | hav,
been placed in such a position | hav,
to resign. should have liked yer,
much to have served on the committee
Hanging eHads With Shame
Dr. George w. Brush, in a letter re
signing as an honorary vice -presiden
OF the committee, wrote:
Thousands of Brooklyn citizens ar,
hanging their heads in shame that tn,
movement to honor our brave heroe.
has degenerated into political squab
BILE because its chairman would no
obey the bchest of set of disturber
of it's work. A body OF citizens shoult
be organized at once to take over thi
work. Mr.. Jonas position was abso
lutely correct aid he should have bcel
sustained by the borough president
Please remove my name from the lis
OF honorary members"
Il also had the pleasure" wrote K
c. Bates. chairman OF Local Draf
Board No. %, "of attending the com
fnttee mass meeting recently. and. al
though Of Irish descent, my father hav
han, bow, IN I ,.,:.