The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-03-17

Washington, Feb. 29,-T h
American congress is popularity re
puted to be a deliberative body
1t is composed of men whose exper
fence in affairs of the world is cal
culated to make them proof agains
unseelningly panic, and hysteria
That such a body of men could b.
utterly stampeded by a shadow
transformed into a hysterical mol
by circumstantial rumor, seems
almost incredible but that very
thing happened last week. 1t was
a phenomenon such as | had moi
previously observed during my short
services as a member and old time
members of both houses tell me
that even they cannot recall sit
uation in any manner similar to
that which prevailed during the
two days that the now famous
heurotic revolt was at it's, height.
The outbreak developed with the
suddeness of tropical hurricane,
ragged with vast fury for forty eight
hours aid then gentle subsidized as
sanity began to reassert itself
among those who had been so
stradgely attacked.
The house meets at noon. AS is
my usual custom, | went over from
my office about that time. [ was
wholly oblivious to the fact that the
nation was fairly rocking on its
foundation, that rebellion was ram
pant Chat, of course, being the
habitual attitude of revellion) and
that the issue of peace or war hung
by a thread more tenuous than
that which suspended the tabled
sword above the head of boastful
Damocles. Attempting to pass
through the democratic cloak room,
[ ran full tilt right into the middle
of the whole horrendous upheaval.
That loafing place of congenial
spirits was filled with men who
were arguing with unwonted, loud
and gasticulatory vehemence. A
dozen or more usually calm and
evenly balanced statesmen were
giving vent to their pent-up and |
passionate views in ANYTHING but
placid and dignified manner. In
another moment, | found myself |
right in the center of one of the
finest brain storms that ever broke |
oose within the historic confines of
,he national capitol.
There was neither opportunity
nor necessity for an inquiry into
he reason for the vocal and physi
,al cataclysm into which [ had
wandered. The Presi-
lent of the United States had us all
tanding right smack on the brink
f war and unless the great Ameri-
an congress Immediately asserted !
Is pacific indeayors we should be
Iurled head long and unprepared
nto the bloody depths below. Half ;
dozen of them wanted to know at
nee and without equlvocation or
rental evasion what | thought Of
IL pending tragedy. instantly
lere swept across my inner VISION |
picture of our fair country torn a
Y the ravages of that great modern v
.oloch; of fond parents like my /
if marching away to horrld a
enches in faroff Flanders. | a
ought OF Shermrn and what he n
id about it. | hesitated and a
IS lost for before | could frame II
Y reply, my inquisitors had left =;
e to pounce upon another luckless o
.sser-by.
As is well known, our relations
tn Germany have not been en-
ely free from stress since the
went down. A number A
subsequent developments served
aggrivate the situation. There 8
IS always been the possibility that
e two nations couldn't and would =,
We then to do something else. a
le whole fuss hinged, and still l.
:, rms ,,yap tho r,ropncIfion of