New York Times
BACKS PEOPLE�S COUNCIL.
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Socialist Mayor of Minneapolis Says It Will Have Free Rein.
Special to The New York Times.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Aug. 23. — Thomas Van Lear, Socialist Mayor of Minneapolis, today not only promised police protection to the People�s Council, but openly aligned himself with the peace-at-any-price organization. The Mayor said that the regular policemen and special policemen would be used to maintain order. In a long statement he said that the People�s Council represented the �common people� and that he would uphold the Constitution in giving them the right of free speech, free press, free assemblage, and the right to petition Congress.
Copies of the Mayor�s statement, upholding the aims of the council, were telegraphed to President Wilson, the Secretary of War, both branches of Congress, and all branches of the People�s Congress. The People�s Council bore the expense of telegraphing the statement.