The Moving picture world (May 1922)

256 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 20, 1922 been announced that the executive committee had dispensed with the Senator's services. "Is that your only basis for your belief— this announcement of yesterday about the executive committee?" interrogated the Senator. "Yes," responded Goldberg. Then Walker resumed his address. "On April 22 on my arrival at my home I found there a letter delivered there by messenger. The communication came in the form of an official communication from the national headquarters of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America. The letter was written on official M. P. T. O. A. stationery." He explained that the letter signed by members of the executive committee, including Messrs. True, Pramer, Collins, Lick, Bingham, Fay, Nott and Duncan and General Manager A. E. Moeller, informed him that he had been dismissed as national counsel of the organization. "While I was reading this letter," he said, "the telephone bell rang and a reporter of the Times was on the other end. He questioned me about a statement he had received telling of my dismissal. And this was on Saturday, April 22."' He then read a letter from Cohen, dated April 26, 1922, who repudiated the statement of the executive committee. Walker said he had telegrams from two members of the executive committee whose names were attached to the letter, who claimed they did not authorize their use. Never a Candidate For Anythhig "This is my valedictory," he said. "I am going to show you how much of a candidate I am. I'll show you that I never was a candidate for anything. I'll show you how foolish that statement was. And I'll say a lot of things against the man who influenced and inspired those statements that he can come into court with me and make me prove." He deliberated at length on the Cohen letter, which characterized the action of the executive committee as "irregular." The Senator then said that "Cohen repudiated his own associates." "This is not a controversy between Cohen and Walker," charged Walker, "but one between Cohen and the men of your executive committee. It is a case of veracity and authority. You fight that out between yourselves. How far you are going to get on this desert of misunderstanding is your funeral, not mine." Reading further from Cohen's letter, he said that the president characterized the "order" of the committee as "not binding." He attacked Cohen, saying he knew what the committee had done and when it was done. Action Illegal He referred to the constitution situation, stating that the action of the executive committee was illegal because there was no such instrument, the organization had none, he said. He said his firm had drawn one up at Minneapolis, but that it was never adopted, or acted upon. "Let's not fool any longer," he said. "Let's discuss this situaiton from all sides. Let's insist on being logical. Now let's find out just where I stand. I don't know and I want to find out. The letter signed by Moeller, with authority from the committee, dated April 22, says I'm not your counsel and the letter from Cohen, dated April 26, says I am. What's it all about. Can you make it out? I'll give up, I can't." The Senator then charged that the same time "Cohen was talking about cordial relations with me" and seeking to "promote peace," he was "sending slanderous statements to the newspapers from New York to California." And here the Senator exhibited clippings from various papers. "If Cohen did not approve the action of the committee, why didn't he reprimand Moeller. He's still got his job and drawing $150 or more a week." Service Invaluable, But Attacked The Senator said, too, that the letter from Cohen "admitted that Senator Report GoldwynFirst National Deal Is Off WASHINGTON, D. C— Persistent, but undenied reports circulated here have it that the Goldwyn-First National deal whereby the physical distribution of Goklwyn pictures was to be handled by First National beginning with September 1, has fallen through. OfTicials of both concerns attended the convention, but none would comment on these reports. Walker was of invaluable service to the exhibitors." "What kind of a sleight of hand trick is this?" said the New York Senator. He said that the exhibitors needed me and then later in the Exhibitors Bulletin he attacked me. What did he mean?" "I am not asking for volunteers to help me. I wished I could tell you what is in my mind. It is a pity for you." He accused Cohen of breaking faith, saying that the president promised certain ones that he would not bring up the Walker matter at the Monday session. He said friends of his told him that. He characterized the statements made by Cohen and the committee members as "contradictory." He reviewed the published stories that started the controversy, saying that two trade publications (not Moving Picture World) had printed yarns that he was a candidate for the presidency. This, he repeated, w^s done without his knowledge and that he had never been approached on the subject by those who wrote the stories. He added that later those same two papers again editorially mentioned him as candi date without his authority and over his protest that they refrain from doing so. He explained that the World story had been written following the appearance of the stories in the trade papers and that the New York Evening World "picked it up" that afternoon and the writer, Joe Jordan, believing the report to be true and being a friend of the Senator's, covering the New York Legislature in Albany for that paper, gave Walker a sendoff by mentioning $75,000 as the salary figure. The Senator said he did not authorize even this statement and that it was published without his knowledge and that the writer had not directly or indirectly consulted him. Attacked Bulletin Story He attacked, too, the statement in the last issue of The Bulletin wherein reference was made to the installation dinner of the Theatre Owners Chamber of Commerse. The Bulletin said that the Senator pledged "to take his mental prescription from Hays." Walker said the statement was false, for it was incomplete and that it was said in the spirit of fun, the understanding being that the affair was a social. He condemned Cohen "for distorting facts and poisoning exhibitors by not using the complete statements." "I would bow before the feet of any man," shouted the Senator. He accused Cohen of playing politics and said he wouldn't want the best political office in the world if "I had to get it by crossing my pals. I wouldn't forget a pal for the best pal in the world." He referred to the attack made on Monday in New York. "I was born and raised up in New York," he said. "And I'm proud of it. All my pals are there and I am proud of them. And I wouldn't forget a pal. If they threw my pals out of heaven I wouldn't want to go there." Went Into Details He referred to the statement published in newspapers on "professional politicians." He condemned this and wanted to know if "Gus Schmidt is a professional politician because he holds office?" He went into details concerning his record in the Legislature. He said he had done many favors for Cohen, that he had secured a postponement of a jury notice served on Cohen and that because of this action the latter was able to attend the Cleveland convention. He read a letter from Cohen to prove this point. "You can't use public officials today and then accuse them the next day," he Said, "It isn't being done." Referring to the charge that he was a "producers' candidate," Walker said '. "The man who said I was a producers* candidate is a liar. I'll show you who might be a producers' candidate if you would let him. But I'll dwell more on this later." He then went into the history of how he became affiliated with the moiton picture exhibitors, saying that he was "not a professional politician afflicted with