The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-21
That Body Is Unable to Do Anything Until the Gre dentials Commit
 tee Reports
APPLAUSE GREETS PRAYER OF DEAN
 WALTER T. SUMNER
Deals With Present Conditions in the Conventions Session of Convention Marked by Large
 Crowds and Demonstra-
 tions for Candidates

crowds and DemersIra-
 tions for Candidates
 Chicago. June 2o.-Five minutes was the entire duration of the two sessions of the republican national convention today with a recess of four hours between. The first session convened at noon. lasted four minutes; the second convened at o'cioch and lasted one minute.
 The feature Of the noon session was tho prayer of the Very Rev. Walter T. Sum- ner, dean of the Protestant Episcopal cathedral of saints Peter and Paul of Chicago. and the applause which followed It. The prayer differed from that offered at the opening session on Tuesday when Father Calaghan adhered strictly to the usual form of the Roman Catholic rituali likewise from the invocation yesterday bk Rabbi stolz. which was eolorless and gsas eral in it's terms.
 Deals With Conflict
 Dean Sumner dealt quite directly with the sensational factional conflict pres- ent in the minds of every person in the enormous audience In whose behalf he spoke and prayed that there should bs granted to the members of the convention "self restraint cool judgment and all wis- dom. that their deliberations may insure to the nation civic righteousness, indus trial peace and social justice" His prayer follows:
 Tn the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
 Almighty God, look down. we heseech Thee, on this convention here assembled and grant unto these members self re- stralnt, cool judgment and all wisdom. that iheir deiiberatiopg may insure to tne nauon service. civil right peace and so- ciaI justice: that all men may have an abundance of life and the mind to serve Thee in Cody living, maiptaining the sanotlty of the home and the integrity of the nation. Amen
 The entire gathering, both on the floor and platform and in the galleries stood during Dean Summers invocation, and az he closed broke into quite general hanG- elapping.
 The afternoon session was remarkable, not so much for the fact that 1t lasted bit less than one minute as for the extra ordinary conditions which ensued upon its adjournment.
 Pandemonium Reigns
 Almost with the fall of Chairman Roots gavel there broke out pandemonium of cheering which lasted almost as long as that of yesterday Ii had scarcely definite cause, though it's immediate oe- caslon was the effort of man in the west gallery to swing the great gathering into unison with the cry We want TeddyI'
 If started all right. but almost im- n ediately the LaFollette. Hadley and Cummins enthusiasts began opposition turmoil with the result that within less than minute the Coliseum was simply one meaningless chaos of noise. Presently a group of men in the south gallery back of the platform brought four or five megaphones into play with We want Taftl'
 A smashing rainstorm was in progress outside so the people simply stood where theye were and shouted. each to his taste.
 Under cover of the racketsand at first unnoticed by the crowd, theve began to gather on the platform body of big po- Iicemen: first one, then another, then three, till in few minutes there were ranged along the curved edge and at the back of the platform some 20 police. And they were under personal command of Assistant Chief Schattler.
 Then 1t began to be noticed that Chair man Root. Secretary Gleason. Sergeant at Arms Stone and his assistant. Colonel Thayer, had never left the platform. And the crowd began to understand the req son for this conspicuous show of force.
 Expected to Hear Roosevelt
 One of the reasons for the immense crowd which had gathered today was the general impression that Colonel Rooss- welt would come to the convention and make a speech; also there was consider- able reason to assume from the morning newspapers that today would bring to pass the much desired battle between the factions perhaps a bolt of the Roosevelt adherents possibly an attempt to hold a rival convention simultaneously on the floor of the same hall. The police force had been almost doubled and in the morning Chief of Police McWeeney had taken personal command To the person uninformed as to the swiftly changing de- yelopments of the day the promise of ex- citement was exceptionally allurfng.
 The crowd which waited for the storm to cease was good humored. but 1t was situation full of possibilities and the con- vention officials were taking no chances. Assistant Chief Schuettier was loath to turn the people out into the storm. So. for a good deal more than an hour the police guard surrounded the platform and the convention officers kept their places on the stage while the crowd yelled itself tired
 Crowds Edged Out
 At last the rain began to slaeken and the police ''got busy at once. gently but grimly edging the people out. By that time they were ready to go.
 Tn the Coliseum annex the credentials committee was hearing the first of the contests If was word rom the commit- tee that the contests could not be fin- ished in. time for any session today brought about the quick adjournment. Whether business will proceed tomorrow when the convention Is called to order at Il a. m will depend chieay on whether the expected all night session Of the cre- dentials committee completes the work of preparing the roll of the convention.
 The various delegations had begun struggling in about 11:3o a. m, the crowds at the doors outside forcing them to en- ter singly. The band began playing pop- .>>iS
 1Continued on Page Fourteenl