The Moving picture world (May 1922)

32 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 6, 1922 including W. A. True, Edward M. Fay, Harry Stevenson, R. F. WoodhuU, J. T. Collins and John I. Manheimer. In this telegram Mr. Smith was asked to give the mentioned persons power of attorney and permission to use his name in connection with statements issued in this "and other movements defending the interests of the organization." Similar telegrams were received by heads of other organizations. Following is the text of telegrams sent generally from "national headquarters" and signed by True, Fay, Collins, Pramer, Lick, Smith, Brylawski and Stevenson, to exhibitor officials : "Senator Walker announces in newspapers his candidacy for President Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America. Demands seventy-five thousand dollars a year. Move of producer element to break up our organization. Walker action during organization great injury and has been dismissed as national counsel. Will you give us power of attorney to use your name in this and other moves defending interests of organization. Kindly wire collect immediately. National Headquarters, fourteen eighty-two Broadway, New York City." The fact is that Senator Walker did not announce to the newspapers that he was a candidate. Neither did he ever announce any candidacy for any job to any representative of the trade press. He was mentioned for the position by friends and newspaper editors who did not consult him. The Senator was not even talked to. The first he heard of his candidacy was when he read it in the daily newspapers and Harrison Reports, which serving as the mouthpiece for the Walker admirers, published the initial boom. Senator Walker never asked for $75,000 a year for the presidency. Neither was any figure mentioned by any of those who tried to get him to run. That amount was mentioned by Joe Jordan, a writer on The New York Evening World, who according to Senator Walker in his statement before the Chamber of Commerce, fixed that sum "to help me get a big retainer." Senator Walker further explained that it was an innocent effort on the part of an admiring scribe to help him along, believing that "I wanted the job and that so long as I wanted it he was going to do what he could to get me big money." In other telegrams sent out of New York to various State officials, it was stated that "producers were back of the movement," although no effort whatsoever was made in any of communications to prove the accuracy of any of the charges. One of the telegrams even charged that the "trade papers had been subsidized." That these telegrams in many cases did not in any way help those who sent them was indicated by the many statements made to the writer by no few of those who came in receipt of them. One official, ver}' prominent, said : "It seems to me that the world is getting all wrong. Just because a person does not happen to think as some of those whose names are attached to these telegrams he is a crook. Since when, I ask, has it been a crime in this country for a man to think for himself ? I'm for Walker because I believe in him. I'm not for a man who will work behind a screen." A feature of the situation that is attracting nation-wide interest is the fact that those who were the best friends of Sydney S. Cohen are today his most persistent opponents. They are Charles L. O'Reilly, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America; Sam I. Herman, E. T. Peters of Texas, and many others. Even trade paper editors who were the most persistent champions of Cohen have turned against him. All have agreed that Arthur James, editor-in-chief of Moving Picture World, was "the only man in the business who had right dope." The turn of the best friends of Cohen against him and subsequent developments constitute a complete vindication of the stand maintained by Moving Picture World. Exhibitor after exhibitor, visited by this writer in Chicago, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit and other cities this past week, voiced their commendation of "the stand taken by your editor, Mr. James, and Moving Picture World." After Senator Walker replied to the charges made against him, the speculative exhibitors were oflfering 3 to 2 that Cohen would withdraw his nomination for re-election. That the exhibitors throughout the country are gradually turning against the present head of the exhibitor organization was evidenced during the past week. Among the States that this week came out against Cohen are the following: Ohio, Indiana, the solid South, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Texas, Louisiana, Maine, New York, Virginia, West Virginia and several others. As the truth of the situation becomes known State after State seems to be changing over to the Cohen opposition, in spite of the fact that hundreds of dollars are being spent daily flooding the State officials' offices with telegrams. There are in this country few exhibitors who are liked more than Sam I. Herman. The latter contributed in no small way to "putting over" Sydney S. Cohen. In fact, it was Sam Herman who made possible the affiliation of many State organizations to the national body. He and O'Reilly were largely responsible for the re-election of Cohen last year. They were the staunchest friends the national president had and they are today his bitterest opponents. The telegrams sent from New York broadcast throughout the country have brought about a situation that will result in either of two things : (1) The repudiation of Sydney S. Cohen and his defeat at the big Washington convention, or (2) The disruption of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America. It is a fact that is well known in exhibitor circles that in the event Cohen and his lieutenants succeed in bringing about his re-election, those who are opposed to him will withdraw from the organization. There are no less than 19 States prepared to withdraw from the national organization in the event that Cohen is reelected. That the Washington convention will be the most important ever held goes without saying in view of the many problems with which it will contend. Whether Cohen will go through with his announced intentions of running for re-election remains to be seen, for some of his friends in New York were intimating that he "would probably change his mind when he learns of the stiff opposition to his candidacy." Those who pretend to be close to Cohen, however, differ and state that he will continue fighting. He has enlisted the services of Edward M. Fay of Providence, R. I., head of the Rhode Island exhibitors, who some time ago took out a lease on the former McKinley Square Theatre in New York, which is owned or controlled by Cohen ; William A. True, president of the Connecticut Motion Picture Theatre Owners; W. A. Steffes of Minneapolis, Jim Ritter of Detroit, and several others. Wliile Fay's name has been attached to most all of the telegrams sent out from New York, he will in all probability not be able to deliver his own State for Cohen. In statements made to the writer by seven Rhode Island exhibitors, the latter made it known that when they cast their votes in Washington they will not be for Cohen or any one representing him. It has been rumored persistently in exhibitor circles here and in Chicago that W. A. Steffes, president of the Minnesota Motion Picture Theatre Owners, would be named, but this week he issued a statement in which he said "the salvation of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America depends on the re-election of Cohen." However, it will surprise few, if in a pinch, his name is mentioned by some of the Cohen faction. In that case, the feud that has developed will be as unsettled as it is today for he is not an acceptable candidate to those fighting Cohen. Another candidate mentioned as a possible Cohen substitute was William A. True, but the only comment that a very influential exhibitor would make when his name was given, was a hearty laugh. Another exhibitor who had heard the same story asked a member of the executive committee of the national organization if it were true. The reply was: "Now I'll tell one." Martin G. Smith of Ohio admitted frankly to the writer that he stands practically alone in that State for Cohen. The Cleveland and Cincinnati factions are for