Evening star., 1940-09-07
Draft Protesters
Picket CeI|er
And Bankhead
50 at MoyfIower
Garry Signs Which
Denounce Leaders


in front of the Mayflower Hotel to-
day carrying signs denouncing
Speaker Bankhead and Representa-
tive Celler, Democrat, of New York,
both of whom reside at the hotel,
for their support of the conscription
legislation.
Ten police officers and detectives
headed by Inspector Edward j.
Kelly stood nearby as the protesters,
members of the American Peace
Mobilization, marched in circles at
the front and side doors of the
hotel.
A paper bag loaded with water
fell from one of the windows of the
hotel, missed hitting the picketers
after it burst on flag pole, but
much of its contents showered In
spector Kelly.
Among the members of Congress,
residents of the Mayf1ower, who
passed through the line this morn
ing, were Representatives Kennedy
and Merritt, both of New York. Mr..
Kennedy said that the group has "a
right to picket If they want"
A news boy, who did not wish to
give his name, brought applause
from onlookers when he donned a
placard reading "Americans-vote
for conscription."
Meanwhile, Joseph Gelders. a rep
resentative of the Southern Confer
ence for Human Welfare, charged
today that telephone wires leading
to the headquarters of various Or
ganizations fighting the draft were
undoubtedly" being tapped by Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation agents
and Metropolitan police.
Picketing Is Quiet.
I'VE naturally assume that this
Is the sort of thing that the police,
who treated us so badly Thursday
night, would do" Esr. Gelders said.
This room in which I am sitting
now may have dictaphone in it"
He was at the Offices of the National
Federation for Constitutional Lib
critics at 1410 H street NV.
Aside from the jeers of occasional
passersby, the demonstration at the
Mayfower was quiet and without
incident. Inspector Kelly told the
pickets they could stay there as
long as they kept moving and did
not obstruct the sidewalk.
Speaker Bankhead and Represen-
tative Celler said, before they left
their rooms this morning, that the
picketing didn't interest them.
Plan Other Picketing.
1t was learned from Peace Mobili-
cation headquarters that the houses
of other pro-draft Senators and
Representatives possibly will be
picketed during the day.
According to anti-draft leaders,
more than 100 new supporters ar
rived in town today, the majority
from New York. Some of them
came from the United Automobile
Workers of America. the Meat Cut
ters' Union of New York, the Ware
housemen's Union of New York and
others from religious and student
groups, it was reported.
The picketers at the Mayhower
they were indignant at
Senator Bankhead because they had
been unable to see him at the Capt.
tol and because they twice had been
denied permission for a demonstra-
tion on the Capitol grounds.
Grounds Closely Guarded.
Against the possibility of such
demonstration police guarded the
grounds so closely last night that
Bernard w. Thompson
chief of detectives, was forced to
identify himself three times while
an inspection visit
The anti-conscription lobbyists last
night held a cheering, stomping,
and whistling demonstration that
left nearly 1000 of them almost limp
after four hours of speechmaking in
Turner's Arena.
The trend of the oratory was that
the Burke -Wadsworth selective serv-
ice bill can and will be licked"
that there are a "lot of phony
Congressman who are going to find
out how they stand with the people"
and that clubs can't silence the
voice of America on this issue"
If police held the upper hand at
the Capitol rally, the score now
stands at one-all-for at this ses-
sion the officers of the law were
given verbal shellacking for "vio-
lating civil liberties" and a handful
Of policemen present were embar-
rassed by being called upon to make
cash contributions for peace"
Their only output was stoney glares.
Others in the crowd that half
packed the arena were more gen.
erous and pool of nearly $400 was
raised to help the fight against the
draft" and to make sure we defeat
at home before trying to
destroy Hitlerism throughout the
world"
Sees Speech Suppressed.
Abraham Isserman, New York at
torney who came here to attend
the legal ills of those apprehended
at the Capitol fracas, said there
would have been no trouble had the
demonstration been one for-rather
than against-conscription. He in
timated that the intervention OF
police was the work of higher
ups" and he charged it was a clear
case of suppression of freedom of
speech.
A number of kilograms from SYM
pathizers throughout the country
were read, including one from Rep
resentative Marcantonio of New
York, who urged that the anti-con-
carry on"
The Rev. Owen A. Knox of De-
troit, who presided, was detained
temporarily by Capitol police Thurs
day night. Prior to the second
he issued a statement say
ing: "The police violence against
peaceful citizens exercising their
rights for freedom of worship, speech
and assembly is a sample of what
will happen to our liberties If the
hill noSsaSn