Decline To Lift Ban

• [St. Paul]• St. Paul will open its theaters and other places closed by the ban as soon as the epidemic shows signs of abating, members of various business groups were told at a meeting yesterday, which at times grew heated• An outburst against the closing order was called forth from Dr. B.F. Simon, Chief City Health Officer, after S.W. Dittenhofer, Chairman of the Citizens’ Committee declared the opening order was strictly up to Commissioner McColl and Dr. Simon, who issued the order• In a heated response, Dr. Simon said, “If it had not been for the agitation launched against the health department by this committee, and a certain morning paper of St. Paul, which all but branded us as murderers for keeping the town open, St. Paul would never have been closed. But to open it now, with the situation not improved any more than when St. Paul was closed, would not be consistent. If the citizens’ committee, which recommended that St. Paul be closed also recommend that it be opened, Mr. McColl and I will take prompt steps to give the recommendation the same consideration as we did the closing one”• [Minneapolis]• Churches, schools, and theaters in Minneapolis, closed by the ban, will be notified by the city health department of the rescinding of the order in time for them to prepare for re-opening, which is tentatively scheduled for Saturday• The present situation is said to be satisfactory, but the public is warned against large gatherings in the peace celebrationNewspaper article1