The Washington times., 1915-12-07

threaten the peace and safety of the
nation, the apparent indifference on the
hoor and in the, galleries passed and
there were tnmultuous cheers; a..
there should be enacted Federal laws to
curb the activities of such creatures oil
passion, disloyalty, and, anarchy, the
applause continued.
The President went on to say that the
individuals he had In mind have formed
plots to destroy property and have en-
tered into conspiracies against the neu-
tralty of this Government.
=, Strikes Responsive Note.
This brief but positive reference to
these plotters struck a responsive note
in the minds not only of the members
of Congress gathered. but also those
occupying seats, in the galleries.
Members of The President's- Cabinet
had seats to@fhe. ifnm&diaa. left of the
Speakers rostrum. The Wives of Cabi-
net members were given places,in the
in this gallery Mrs. Norman Gait. her
mother. Mrs Boiling. Miss Margaret
Wilson Miss Bones. Dir. Cary T. GRAY
son and other close personal friends or
Every member of the Cabinet was
present today and remained during the
reading Of the tps tmpessVsIEe VIS prss,dsrt
tempore. Mr. Clarke of Arkansas, the
Senators came into the House cham
ber at 12:35 o'clock. Senator Clarke oc-
cupied a seat on the rostrum with the
The joint committee appointed to es-
cort the President into the chamber
comprised Senators Overman. Johnson
Of Maine, James, Works. and Smith of
Michigan and Congressman Kitchin,
Fitzgerald, Carlip; Mann, and Fordney.
Consumes More Than Hour.
Announced by the House doorkeeper.
Joseph J. Sinnott. President Wilson en-
tered the hall Of the House by the door
to the left of the Speakers chair and
went quickly to the reading clerks desk.
lie bowed to Speaker Clark and the Vice
President pro tenn. gave fleeing
glance toward the Executive gallery
where sat his fiancee. and then pro
ceeded with the reading of his message
as the applause subsidized.
PRESIDENT Wilson concluded the, read
ing of his message at 1:42 O'Clock He
had consumed one hour and two min
utes in its delivery. -
Touch of the Dramatic.
Crowds began to assemble about the
Capitol entrances and its corridors two
hours before the President arrived to
deliver his message. Appearance of the
President before joint session OF the
Senate and House of Representatives
has ceased to be novel-and yet there
was today underneath the Capifoi dome
sense Of the dramatic. of the expec-
tation that something vital to the well
fare of the nation was being done and
said.
The very fact that the keynote of the
NJ 10 90 t,, n
vance to be national defense lent to
the situation today unusual significance.
This was no ordinary message about
purely domestic affairs it's echoes were
10 be heard around the world, and other
nations were believed to be waiting to
see the pace set by the greatest re-
public.
Under such circumstances. It was nat
ural that the Capitol scenes should re-
Meet national enthusiasm. The desire of
citizens In every walk of life to enter
the building and watch the President
set in motion the machinery for pre-
pAfedneSS was natural
All Animation Upstairs.
The throngs were orderly and vet
sorely disappointed that admission could
be granted only to few. A limited
number of unfortunate ones, minus
tickets to the crowded galleries, were
admitted to the ground floor of the
er corridors and had to be content mere
ly with glimpse Of the President and
his party as they were hurried to an
elevator.
Ier1es began to fill with distinguished
men and women at II o'clock, when the
doors were thrown open.
II the legislators had constituents in
toWn-and most Of them had-these
constituents had to be told that adms-
sion was impossible. Scarcely more
than 500 seats We're available in the
House galleries. exclusive of the sec
tions reserved for the Presidents fam
tly. the Diplomatic Corps. and the Su-
preme Court.
With 4s5 House members and ninety
six Senators-each drawing one ticket
simple mathematics demonstrated that
the average citizen" had no chance
to enter the Capitol building.
Taxpayer Gets Rebuff.
A determined man who said he was a
taxpayer" and had right to enter
his own Capitol engaged in q brief and
fruitless argument with one Of the many
officers about the building. The officer
was sorry; indeed he had high re-
spect for taxpayers. but nothing could
The scene attendant upon the conven-
ing of the House and the subsequent
calling to order of the joint session
we're not out of the ordinary. After a
routine session Of twenty minutes, the
House took a recess at 1920 With the
hour for the arrival of the President
near. the Senators filed over. two by
two, and took the front row Of seats.
Members Of the House were immedi-
ately in the rear.
Close Attention Paid.
Then the President came and the Gus
tomary committee was named to wal
upon him and escort him to the cham
her.
He entered and began the reading of
his message, while the nations law
makers paid attention to every word.
The more telling points were applauded,
not only from the floor but from the
galleries-now filled to the doors with
men and women whose faces revealed
the excitement Of the occasion.
Many Seek Admission.
Long before noon crowds besieging the
Capitol building for admittanco re-
f1ected the absorbing interest in the sig
nif1cance of the occasion. The appear
ance OF President Wilson before Con-
Eress Is no longer a novelty; but the