New-York tribune., 1921-02-27
Mayor Asked
ToStopRhine
Protest Here
American Legion Urges
Hylan to Prevent Won
Mach Meeting; Charge
Propaganda Is Aim

open letters requesting Mayor Hylan
and Tex Rickard, manager of Madison
Square Garden, to take steps to stop
the mass meeting of the Horror on
the Rhine Committee" tomorrow
night were sent out last night by
Charles G. Blakeslee, state commander
of the American Legion.
The letters, besides labelling the
meeting a propaganda movement to
disrupt accord between the United
States and her allies. strongly init
mates that the American Legion cx-
poets serious disorder in the event of
the meeting being held, and calls at
tention to the Legion's disinclination
to accept any responsibility for acts
of violence that may be committed by
outsiders or individuals.
The letters were framed yesterday
by Commander Blakeslee and other
state executives of the Legion during q
conference with G. F. Aitken, adjutant
of the Military Order of the World
War. Letters similar to those sent
out by the American Legion were sent
to Mayor Hylan, Mr.. Rickard, Police
Commissioner Enright and to the
United States Department of Justice
by Adjutant Aitken in the name of the
Military Order of the World War.
Won Mach Completes Plans
Every indication that DR.. Otto Won
Mach, founder of the Horror on the
Rhine Committee" and leader of the
mass meeting, intends to go through
with the meeting was forthcoming yes
terday, when he called at Madison
Square Garden and paid the balance Of
the sum called for in the contract
The contract, which was made out in
the name of "The Committee of One
Hundred" was not altered, although
Frank E. Coultry, secretary to Mr. Rick
ard, to change the name of the lessees
90 "The New York Campaign Commit
tee Against the Horror on the Rhine"
James Blackwell, county commander
of the American Legion, who has been
in conference with state and national
executives concerning steps to be taken
by the Legion to stop the mass meeting,
said yesterday:
"The more we investigate this meet
ing, and the people who are backing it,
the more serious it becomes. This
meeting. is the most monumental piece
of imposition attempted since the war.
The Legion will countenance no dis
order or breach of the peace, but as a
unit the Legion cannot speak for any
action that may be taken by outsiders
or individuals. 1t would be wise thing
to stop this meeting, for we are still
at war with Germany and great many
men are going to resent the holding of
meeting that is called for the pur-
pose of this one.
practically all state and national
executives of the Legion will be at
the meeting, and we are going to make
an attempt to scatter as many Ameri-
cans in the Garden as possible. I hope
that no disorders occur, but it will be
wise to have plenty of police on hand
to curb any uprising that may start"
Elon Hooker Protests
Elon H. Hooker, as chairman of the
board of directors of the American
Descent Society, made formal and
vehement protest yesterday against
the mass meeting scheduled to be held
in the Madison Square Garden to-mor-
row night, as a protest against what is
termed by German sympathizers "the
horror Of the Rhine"
Il want TO register the protest OF
the American Descent Society,"" he
said, against this mass meeting,
which is to be held in the City of New
York for the avowed purpose of criti-
cizing the policy of a former ally.
Nothing can be more despicable than
such meeting of enemy aliens and
the citizens of country with whom
we are still officially at war.
Speaking as member Of the
American Descent Society, l also wish
to take this opportunity to praise the
position of the American Legion and
its able commander, who have refused
to have the least thing to do with this
meeting, which it is reported is being
managed by a former officer Of the
imperial Germany army"
Mayor Hylan received two letters
from other military organizations yes
terday protesting against the holding
of the meeting.
A letter signed by che adjutant of
the Veterans Corps of Artillery of the
State of New York carried resolution
adopted recently by that organization,
declaring that the meeting was not
justified by the facts of the case and
that it would appear to have been
called for the purpose of spreading
anti-American propaganda"
The second letter of protest came
from the Americanization committee of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States,
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