Evening star., 1931-12-07
MARCHERS TURNED
BACK At CAPITOL
Representatives Twice Are
Refused Entry to Of
fer Petition.
Continued From First Page.)


White House officials in denying their
representatives sdmittsnce.
Isaac Hawkins, representing the Penn
sylvania Mining Workers, declared the
1900 900 starving workers throughout
these United States will not take no
for an answer.
When Mineryich and Poindexter con-
cluded their addresses a signal was
given the marchers by the police and
they proceeded on their way to the
headquarters of the American Fedora
ton of Labor at Ninth street and MasSa-
chusetts avenue, where they planned to
stage another demonstration in protest
to that organizations opposition to un
employment relief insurance and par
ticularly its condemnation of the unem
ployment relief march to Washington.
Get Cool Reception.
When the marchers reached the
American Federation of Labor head
quarters, q committee of six headed by
John Hecker of Chicago, was appointed
to present a petition to President
William Green of the organization, pro-
testing against the federation's opposi
tion to unemployment insurance. The
committee got a cool reception in
Green's office. The labor federation
head told them the demonstrators who
came to Washington were not interested
in unemployment insurance, but had
been modified with the intent of over
throwing the Government He also told
the committee the movement was
dominated by Soviet Russia
The committee of six was closeted
with President Green for nearly half
an hour and during their long absence
he
nervous and three of them, who said
they were members of the labor orgfSi-
zation, left the ranks and went TO the
guards on duty in front of the labor
building and demanded admission. It
was refused. A few minutes later, Ben
iamin elbowed his way through the
crowd and announced in vociferous
terms that unless his committee came
out Of the building within five minutes
he would have his entire delegation of |
1900 on the inside In less than two |
minutes the committee came out of the |
building and disorder was averted.
Hecker, who acted as spokesman for !
the committee, was then raised on the |
shoulders of two men and through
megaphone announced the results to |
the waiting marchers of the barley |
with President Green. He told us |
We were not interested In unenploy- |
ment insurance, but wanted to over
throw the Government Hecker de. |
clared Il told him we wanted unem-
ployment insurance. -
Down with the labor fakers"
When Hecker concluded his speech,
the delegation Of / 500 marchers again
moved forward and proceeded to the
Washington Auditorium, where a mass
meeting is scheduled at 4 o'clock this
afternoon.
Before appearing at the White House
representative of the demonstrators
were denied admittance to the floors of
the Senate and House.
Twice committees representing the
demonstrators were turned back at the
doors Of the Capitol. the first time by
David Barry, sergeant at arms of the
Senate, and the second time by Capt
Stephen j. Gnash. comm ander of the
Capitol police force.
Indignant over the reception, the
marchers paraded away to the White
House.
Police Department Alert
An atmosphere of uneasiness hung
over Washington as the polyglot ag-
gregation started on its mission to the
Capitol singing The Internationsle,
the hymn Of Red Russia and shouting
Soup, not charity" and We demand
The Police Department manned to
fun strength and prepared for any
eventuality watched every move OF
the demonstrators. Secret service men
mingled among them and soldiers, sail
ors and marines remained. in their bar
racks ready on a moments notice to
come to the aid Of the police in event
Of trouble.
The Capitol Building and the White
FypT daV x1sar fyap
Ofhcers in plain clothes augmented
the regular force. A number of
them were armed either with tear
gas bombs or rifles, with positive in
structions not to use them except in
case OF emergency.
Proceed to White House.
Sn accordance with prearranged
program tn, mass or demonstrators /
started for Capitol Hill precisely at |
1b:45 O'Clock, few minutes after t
D committee of so leaders had laid /,
1nal plans for the demonstration.
kfter their rebuff at the Capitol |
hne marchers proceeded to the White
House with a determination to ignore !
earnings against any attempt to see !
President Hoover.
The procession to the Capitol was
peaceful and orderly. Brig. Gen. Pei
ham d. Glassford, major and superin-
tendent of police, in uniform and astride
q motor cycle, rode at the head OF the
army Of marcherS as it passed up Penn
sylvania avenue and wound around the |
northwest roadway Of the Capitol !
Grounds TO the east plaza. Here the /
marchers assembled In ropedof arena |
facing the Capitol and sang, cheered !
and shouted for unemployment insur-
ance A Communist band from New .
York it's members dressed in Russian /
uniforms, played on strange appearing, !
cornet-Dke instruments.
A large crowd Of spectators had lined /
the route of the procession in advance /
of the demonstrators and others Jammed 1
every point of vantage on the Capitol /,
steps and the coping around the Capitol !,
grounds Police officers armed with |
rifles and tear gas bombs stood at at [
tention on the Capitol steps overlooking
the mass OF demonstrators Four
hundred other policemen lined up single /!
file along the curbing facing the |
marchers and a motor cycle squad of
40 stood In front of them beside their |
vehicles forming an advance guard.
The marchers reached the Capitol
about 1l;l5, and after l5-minute con-
ference among the leaders a commit |
tee Of H. headed by Benjamin, left the !
crowd Of demonstrators and proceeded
to the Senate side of the Capitol. AT
the entrance they were blocked and told |
10 await a representative of the Senate, |
who would see them.
About five minutes later Sergeant at
Arms Barry appeared outside the. re-
volving door and courteously told Ben
lsmin and other members of the COM
mittee that they could not enter. Ben
jamin then started to argue with Barry
and policemen on guard at the door
Immediately turned the committee
around and ordered it back to the plaza.
The committee went protestingly and.
after another l5-minute conference,
three OF the members returned and
again sought admission. This time
Capt. Gnash refused TO let them In.
The committee returned TO the group
Of rch and tha Iarncass sinra haa Dad