The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-03
RENT ROW CLOSES
COX HEADQUARTERS
White and Aids Find New Pad
locks on Grand Central
Palace Doors.

1t is possible that the Merchants and
Manufacturers Exchange. controllers and
operators of the Grand Central Palace.
&c cided that at least the Democratic Ma
tional Committee had better save some
thing out of the wreckage, even II it was
any rate. when George White and his
coworkers arrived at Democratic ma
tional headquarters in the Palace yester
day morning they found themselves
locked out. New padlocks to which they
had no keys were on the doors. FRS
inquiries brought them no information
concerning the lockout, and they went to
S II. McSherry. president Of the ex-
change.
Mr.. McSherry told them they hadn't paid
their rent. He said there was nothing OF
political significance about the lockout
and added that he was Democrat and
had voted the Democratic ticket. Mr..
White and Senator Pat Harrison, not at
all appeased and insisting that they be
admitted to their offices, talked about
taking axes to the doors. Furthermore.
they agreed with Mr.. McSherry that hA
was but the agent of the owners How
ever they said that the owners headed
by T. Coleman du Pont, were prohteers
In that they had increased the rent to
SIS, 900 a month, whereas 1t had been bu-
$1,000 hitherto.
Mr. McSherry came back by saying he
understood the committee owed 100000,
and that. as he saw II, something ffnan-
cial should be done at once. There was
much talk of force. and tho law and
many telephone calls and taxicab rides
were INDUCED ii. The Jesuit was that
The committee won its way back into us
offices. and, at least temporarily, calm
was restored to Grand Central Palace.
However, the committee took time out to
deliver a statement which read:
/. THE Merchants and Manufacturers
Exchange of New York, which operate
the Grand Central Palace, attempted to
stop the ensire machinery of the Demo-
cratic National Committee by closing our
doors this morning The rent was paid
to November l, 1920, as. our lease pro-
vides, and this morning $4,000. the
monthly rent provided for in the lease,
was rendered the Grand Central Palace.
They refused 1t. and on threat of stop
ping the entire operations of the COM
mittee by putting additional locks on
the doors. to which the committee had no
keys exacted, as highwayman would
at his pistols point. check for $4,000
which they attempted TO get the COM
nit.ee to agree was in payment of If
teen days rent. to wit, from November
TO November IS.
This out-profitecring OF the profiteers
was not agreed TO by the committee.
which merely gave it's check in order
that the vitality important business Of
the ray should be finished up"
The statement then went on TO say that
In behalf of the committee, William Har-
man Black wrote Mr.. McSherry saying
he had no legal right to interfere in tho
"ingress or egress" of the committee
into or out OF its headquarters until
there had been some violation of the
lease. Moreover, Mr.. Black threatened
legal suit.
The matter has been adjusted" sighed
Mr.. McSherry later, after the committee
had got back TO work. 1T involved a
matter of rent. They were to have paid
by yesterday at noon. but they didn't. I
actsi with them exactly as l would with
any ather tenant who was tardy I was
taking no chances. understand that
the committee owes about 100000 and
my duty to my company made 1t neces-
sary TO safeguard their interests.
II appreciate the possible psychological
effect OF the action. but it was not
prompted by any political animus what
ever. l myself have voted the Demo-
cratic ticket all my life"