The New York herald., 1921-04-24
Censor Decides That Clergy
mans Americanism Is
Open to Question.
DIR. MELISH PROTESTS
Brooklyn Minister to Take
Place of Speaker Placed
Under Ban.
FREE SPEECH THE ISSUE
Community Church Pastor
Says He Is in Fight to
the Finish.
FREE SPEECH THE ISSUE

The Rev. John Haynes Holmes. pas
tor of the Community Church, has
been barred by the Board Of Education
from speaking tonight at a meeting
of the Brooklyn Civic Forum in Public
School 81, Glenmore and Stone ave
nues, Brooklyn.
The Rev. John Howard Melish of
the Church of the Holy Trinity, Brook
lyn, who has been substituted for Dr..
Holmes on the programme, resents so
strongly the exclusion of DR.. Holmes
that he intends to make free speech
the topic of his talk and to speak his
mind about what he calls the remark
able censorship" exercised by the
Board Of Education.
The man who invited DR.. Holmes
to talk at the school is Nathan H.
Seidman, president of the Brooklyn
Civic Forum. The subject was to be
THE Collapse OF Civilization: Can II
Be Saved?" Under a rule of the Board
of Education its director of community
centres, DR.. Eugene G. Gibney. passes
upon the desirability of all speakers
In the public forums held in the
schools. DR. Gibney notified Mr.. Seid-
man that DR.. Holmes was taboo. MT.
Seidman says he was informed that
rhe Board of Education regarded Dr.
Holmes as mot sufficiently American
Ban on DR.. Holmes stands.
After taking this action DR.. Gibney
went to Washington. where he Is now.
Mr.. seidman telephoned William Mean
drew. associate superintendent OF
schools. 20 see what could be done lie
learned that nothing could be; the
Holmes prohibition stood. Mr.. Seidman
then persuaded Dr. Melish to take the
other clergyrnan's place.
THE fact is" Mr.. McAndrew said yes
terday to THE NEW York HERALD, that
we do not feel sure that Or. Holmes IS
working for the same thing we are,
namely. the upholdng Of the American
form OF government and the teaching OF
true American patriotism"
Here is he view OF William +. Grady
OF Brooklyn. member OF the Board OF
Education:
Il should not be surprised If the ac-
ton Of the board is based on DR..
Holiness general attitude and the fact
that the Community Forum. for which
he was responsible. had to be ousted
from the High School Of Commerce be-
cause OF the type OF speakers who APP
peared there"
The Community Forum was exiled
from the High School of Commerce in
February last by the Board OF Educa-
ton Superintendent Ettinger charged
two OF the speakers. DR.. Richmond and
Lincoln Steffens, both of whom extolled
Boshevism. with un-AmericaniSm, and
intimated that the forum and DR..
Holiness Community Church were def
nitely linked, although the schools can
not be used for sectarian purposes. DR..
Holmes Is an avowed Socialist.
Last night DR.. Melish characterized
the barring Of DR.. Holmes from Public
School 81 as extraordinary" and said.
.srhis is a new kind Of censorship. In
my talk to-morrox v night ! shall have TO
enter protest and pay my respects to
the Board Of Education. / shall try 10
Indicate what free speech means TO
America, the country where every man
has the right to speak his mind within
the law"
or. Melishs church is on Brooklyn
Heights and his parishioners include
many OF the best known families OF
Brooklyn.
Fight 20 Finish, Says Clergyman.
Dr. Holmes said last night that the
action OF the board was the action Of