The Irish standard., 1919-12-13
Barred BIZ b1lbsh l1,flhahc1l mon Rullffll
in4. IN Enfaokfn0i,h lh 'lhlf CITY h
Returns There Few Days later
andls Accorded Ma9nif-
icent Reception
icent Reception

held November IL. 1919.
I am directed to communicate with
you and request that the reservation
made for the evening Of November
10. 1919, be Cancelled and that We be
permitted to return to you the amount
advanced In payment thereof, viz.
$3.50, thus relieving us of any further
obligation under our agreement to
grant the use Of the auditorium on
the date indicated.
when the reservation was made
and payment therefor accepted, 1t was
with the understanding that the hall
was to be used for 4 meeting to be
conducted under the auspices Of the
American League for Irish Freedom.
but we were In ignorance OF the real
purpose Of the meeting, which We are
now advised is for the appearance Of
canon de Valera to exploit certain
doctrine which the association believes
is not consistent with the principles
of Americanism.
Believing such and In performance
of duty which they feel they owe to
the association which they represent,
the directors have instructed me to
communicate with you and request
that the agreement entered into for
the rental of the auditorium be nulfi.
fed.
II am further directed to say to you
that the directors, many Of whom are
we'll known to you, do not wish this
action to disturb in any way the pleas
ant personal relations which have ex-
listed heretofore. Yours very truly,
"Al Malafkah Auditorium Assn.
Per George A. Fitch, Sec."
!. No check accompanied this letter.
The directors had merely asked for
permission to return the check.
Mr.. 0'Brien, as secretary, acted only
in = ministerial capacity and therefore
did not give any such permission.
Shortly after this, however. word
came in that the custodian Of the
Auditorium had been telling persons
who had come early to avoid the rush
that the Auditorium would be dark"
About this time Mr.. O'Brien received
the second and final communication
from Secretary Fitch. It read:
my Dear MI. O'Brien: Since yes.
terday afternoon, all last evening and
this morning, every director of AL
Malaikah Auditorium Association has
been overwhelmed with telegraphic,
telephone and personal protests
against i the use of the Shrine Audi
torium for the de Valera meeting this
evening.
These protests are most emphatic
and represent an expression from the
majority Of the members of AL Ma.
laikah Temple. Consequently, as we
are simply holding Office as represen-
tatives of the membership of AL Ma
laikah Temple, it leaves us with no
other alternative but to cancel the
reservation for this evening.
"In our letter of November IA we
called your attention to our disap-
proval of the purpose for which you
desired to use our Auditorium, and
then requested that we be released
from the engagement.
while we appreciate the very
serious inconvenience to which it puts
your organization, we are compelled
to respect the wishes of the member
ship of Al Malaikah Temple, and,
therefore, enclose herewith check in
amount of two hundred fifty dollars
($250), being amount you had hereto
fore paid for rental of the Shrine Au-
ditorium for this evening.
"By order of the board of directors.
Respectfully,
(signed) GEO. A. FITCH,
Secretary"
Along with the letter Mr.. Fitch
handed Mr.. O'Brien q check for $3.50
This action confirmed the reports
that had been buzzing around the
hotel for more than an hour. Mem
bers Of the directorate Of the Friends
OF Irish Freedom held an impromptu
meeting and decided upon something
bigger than had been reckoned on
The plan to have monster outdoor
assembly at Washington Park on Sun.
day afternoon was the conclusion.
The president Of the Republic OF
Ireland received splendid greeting
in Los Angeles yesterday.
What he said at the luncheon at the
Alexandria Hotel was dramatic and