Evening star., 1931-06-23
The Mayors Deny 1t
Back Los angeles Executive in Defense of Charge
He Walked OMt Toast to French President.
Also Say Other Statements We're Untrue.
speeial Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, June % (NAN.A.).-
It's their story and they're sticking to
it.
If John G. Porter, mayor Of Los
Angeles, had understood French better,
he would have known toast was be-
ing drunk to the President of France
that fateful day in Havre, and ne
wouldn't have left the party nat.
That is Mayor Porter's explanation
of an incident which overheated the
news cables, and his brother mayors are
in agreement. In fact, they got to-
gether on shipboard two days from New
York and reached that agreement. So
that's their story.
The group of mayors, who, repre-
senting all the cities in this country
which were visited by the French trans
atlantic flyers, Coste and Bellonte, were
the guests of France in appreciation OF
the courtesies they showed the French
aviatorS, arrived in New York today
on the lie de France.
"It was this way" insisted Mayor
Porter, in his account of the Havre
affair. I'VE had eaten, and then some-
one got up and said something In
French. thought probably he was
suggesting that everybody keep on hav-
wanted to drink.
80 went out.
"SimpIy Matter Of Taste"
"It was simply matter Of taste. /
don't care for wine and liquor. And
the party was over, so far as was
concerned.
II was grieved to see the suggestion
that I had been discourteouS to the
President Of France in not drinking
the toast to him. I was painted in
false colors, and that was unfair to me.
THE whole thing was misunder-
standing. Why, 7 have often offered
toasts on foreign vessels visiting Cali
fornia ports"
Mayor Porter received sturdy back
ing from D. w. Hoan, Mayor Of Mil
wauSee, who Is a wet and doesn't care
who knows 1t.
"The beer over there was fine" ex-
claimed Mayor Hoan, with a. remi-
niscent gleam in his eye. "The wine
is even better. And had plenty of it. :"
Here the mayer grinned.
But" he added, with a thought
for home industries, 'the beer isn't
what we used to have in Milwaukee"
Mr.. Hoan then took up the Porter
affair.
Respect Porter for Stand.
"The papers were all wrong" the
Milwaukee mayor insisted. Il don't
like a hypocrite. But If man doesn't
want his little drink there's no reason
why he should have to take it. We
respect Porter for his stand. Why, as
a matter of fact. he'd really left the
room before the toast was proposed. I
10 nttf hAfnpA -
Another mayor saw Mr.. Porter leave
10 minutes before the toast was pro-
rosed, he declared. And still another
mayor gave q discreet little nod which
men accepted as conflrma-
ton of the stories the cables carried
on the incident. But he didn't put
the nod into words.
A couple Of other mayors had a few
questions to answer, too, when the lie
de France swung into port. Take, for
instance, r. B. Marvin of Syracuse, who,
according to those talkative cables, had
said the streets Of Paris were all clut-
tered up with ladies eager to stop Mr..
Marvin and chat while, even though
they had never been introduced.
That's just story some one sent
over" said Mayor Marvin.
WAS it true?"
got up at 4:JU J1lS morning, OD-
served Mayor Marvin, answering the
question, land saw the most beautiful
sunrise you can imagine. Mrs. Marvin
and I have put. on 10 pounds"
And after that statement Mayor
Marvin may have some explaining to
do to his wife.
Denies Making Remark.
Mayor James L. Key of Atlanta. and
founder Of the Key Sunday School
there, returns to find his home town in
a stew because of remarks attributed to
him. He never made those remarks, he