[J. Reuben Clark]
[Arthur Gaeth telephones to tell Rowena Miller that use of the Tabernacle for Secretary of Agriculture Brannan had been withdrawn after all arrangements had been made, that it was being stated that Clark had authorized this action, and that if the situation were not altered, it would hit national news:] I then mentioned the matter to President Clark later in the afternoon, reviewing the facts and indicating to him that he (President Clark) was being quoted as the source of authority here at headquarters who had directed the stake presidency to refuse the use of the hall. President Clark told me that he had had nothing whatever to do with the matter, had not talked with anyone at Brigham City concerning the question, and told me I could quote him on that, which I later did when Arthur Gaeth called me about four o'clock.
A short time later Emily Stewart called me, said that Arthur Gaeth had called her, and I reiterated President Clark's statement that he had not talked to anyone at Brigham City either by phone or in person. I understand that she then talked to President Smith about the matter, and he called President McKay to see whether or not President McKay had had anything to do with the question, because he himself (President Smith) had not talked to any of the Brigham City people. Upon learning from President McKay that he had not spoken to anyone concerning the matter here, President Smith then asked President McKay to talk with the stake president in Brigham City by telephone and make it clear to them that whoever was saying that the First Presidency was responsible for ordering the contract for the use of the hall cancelled or withdrawing permission for
its use were in error, because no member of the Presidency had given any such instruction.
The matter was left entirely in the hands of the local brethren of the stake presidency as to whether they should make the hall available or not. ...
[The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]
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