Secretary Who Said ‘No’ Goes Skiing; Mrs. Farmer to Kiss Daughter Goodbye Despite Objections

The Young Men’s Christian Association and The Voice of Action, local radical newspaper, were at war today.

The issue was whether The Voice of Action could present a ticket to Russia to Frances Farmer, 21-year-old University of Washington drama student, at a banquet in the association building tonight.

Miss Farmer is determined to make the trip in spite of the objections of her mother, Mrs. Lillian V. Farmer. The trip is first prize in a subscription contest sponsored by The Voice of Action.

The Y.M.C.A. said it could not present the ticket at the association and that the banquet had been canceled because "it hadn’t been arranged through the proper channels."

The Voice of Action said it could – that the banquet would be held at the time and place scheduled because "it had been arranged through the food department of the Young Men’s Christian Association; a perfectly proper channel."

Wesley F. Rennie, general secretary of the Y.M.C.A., said he had canceled the meeting yesterday "because of its purpose." Today Mr. Rennie was reported skiing on Mount Rainier.

The picture of 100 hungry persons knocking at the doors of the Y.M.C.A. tonight, bent on having dinner and making the travel ticket presentation to the University girl, failed to move officials of the association.

Going to Hold Dinner

Merwin Cole, circulating manager in Seattle for The Voice of Action, who has made plans for the banquet and been in charge of arrangements, declared the affair would go on as scheduled.

"We’ll hold it there," Cole said. "The grounds of cancellation are conflicting. I don’t care to go into details or quote anyone else."

"We arranged with the food director, Grace M. Saboe, for the dinner. We itemized the menu. We made reservations for 100 people," Cole added. Asked what he would do if the association stuck to the general secretary’s ultimatum, Cole countered with, "What would you do?"

Y.M.C.A. is Reluctant

Officials at the association were reluctant to speak for Rennie, but said the meeting had been canceled definitely and would stay canceled because the affair had been arranged "without the sanction of the proper authorities." They admitted plans had been discussed with the food department of the association.

Cole said no meetings or dinners by The Voice of Action had been held at the association "recently."

Invitations from the Voice of Action began: "An invitation from the staff of the Voice of Action to attend a send-off banquet for the winner of the trip to the Soviet Union Friday, March 29, 6:30 p.m., room 287, Central Y.M.C.A."

Reconciliation at Noon

Although Mrs. Farmer today still voiced strong opposition to her daughter’s trip to Russia, from which she says she believe the girl will never return, she said the drama student will leave tomorrow with her best wishes.

Miss Farmer had an appointment with her mother at noon today. "Reconciliation at high noon," she termed it. For the past few months she has been occupying a room in the University District. Her mother lives at 2636 47^th Ave. S.W.

With Mother’s Love

"Of course Frances will go with all my love and best wishes for a pleasant journey and good luck," Mrs. Farmer said. "She’s a well-intentioned girl and thinks this trip is for her own interests. I’ve talked with women who said if they had daughters only 15 years old they’d be willing to send them."

"What they’d do with their daughters and what I’d like to do with mine are different things. I can’t prevent Frances’ leaving, legally or otherwise, so she’ll go with my love, of course."

Ten Days to Study

Mrs. Farmer said: "Frances says she wants to study the Russian theatre. I don’t see how she can absorb much of it in ten days, which is as long as she says she’ll be there. I don’t see how anyone can absorb much of anything in that period of time."

The third-year University student scoffed at a possible parallel between herself and Elsa, the character she portrayed in "Alien Corn," the recently successful production by the Studio Theatre.

"A parallel between Elsa and me is ridiculous," she said, haughtily. "That’s a melodramatic idea."

In the production Miss Farmer had the role of a teacher in a small college, burning with a desire to go to Vienna and study the piano. In real life she is a University student who, she says, is absorbed with the theatre and happy she’s going to Moscow.