The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-08
NOST EPOCHAL WEEK IN
 HISTORY OF NATION ENDS
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 northwest, they came. As a rule they were Germans or Americans Of German extraction, and many of them were un- able to express their desire for peace save in the language which is best under stood in Berlin and along the sweeps of the Rhine
 Thousands of these so-called peace lov- CTS thronged the corridors of the capitol, and on the arm of each were embems which when deciphered, declared, Keep us out of war" ''We want peace" and 1 "We will not fight
 SENATOR IS ASSAULTED
 Along with the coming of the pacifists three features were outstanding Monday morning party of them, in which one or more women were conspicuous, visited the office of Senator Lodge of Massachu- setts. When the senator declined to ac- cede to their wishes, declined to vote against what he termed the interest of his country against the interest of Ger many, one of the pacifists Bannwart ! struck him blow to the face When the senator rallied and struck back, other pa cifistS interfered, and when several clerks and messenger boys ran to the assistance one of the livest pitch battles inag ginable was fought to the finish. The pacifist was
  Monday night the pacfists several thousand strong while the President was reading his war message to Congress- held what was tantamount to an indig- nation meeting in the business sections of the city. Americans, their blood aflame with patriotism, repeatedly stormed the building in which the pacifists were hold ing forth, and nothing save a squadron of policemen at every place. of entrance prevented well organized and sustained and bloodshed
 THE PROTESTS CONVERTED The third outstanding event-and one construed as highly significant-was a feature of Wednesday, While passing hours in jail Bannwart, the Boston pa cifist who on Monday had assaulted Sen ator Lodge, had opportunity not only to review his own conduct, but to read and digest the war message of the President. And he was convinced that he and his following were misguided, and thor oughy, it seemed. converted to the idea that America was preparing to enter, not a struggle for spoiiation, but a war for liberty and national honor
 To that effect he expressed himself. He praised the message of the President a s net only one conceived in justice and wisdom, but one to which every real pa- triot could not do other than subscribe. He was especially impressed by that por- IlOn or lue ffeSluenl message III WHICH
 it was declared that the United States had no quarrel with the people of Ger many, but was preparing to inveigh against the despotc government of the Prussians and the idea that peace can only be acquired through the sword and sustained by lordly domination.
 A CRITICAL MOMENT
 Bannwart's change of heart was to certain extent a phenomenon to which all other pacifists, admittedly misguided, contributed. The conversion of the most pugnac cious of the peace lovers" was taken to mean in Washington that prac- tically all of the pacifists, of whatever origin, will rally to the cause of the United States in the time of grave emer- gency, and that as a result the power of William Jennings Bryan and his puny fol, lowing in the lower House of Congress, will be broken forever.
 On account of the excitement which prevailed in Washington, there was grave fear on the part of the police that prac- tical riot would obtain and prevail. Along with the pacifists there came to the cap- ital, an equal number of anti-pacifists, representative of the real bellicist ele- ment in America Both factions desired to impress Congress with their conten- tions and their propagandas, and both conceived the notion that they could best carry out their plans by means of a pa rade. It was readily conceived as re- suit, that when the two columns, in bat tie array, met nothing could prevent clash to be followed by more or less se rious casualties Therefore, the chief of police denied to both camps permit to, parade. Otherwise it is regarded as cer- tain the day would not have been passed without unfortunate bloodshed.
 WILSON'S DEEPER MEANING
 The message of the President was, of course the big feature of the unparal- lelled week. To the casual observer the President, with fine logic and almost in- comparable rhetoric, recited the innumer- abl ofenses committed by Germany against the property and life, the honor and dignity of the United States and asked Congress because of those of- lenses, to recognize and declare that against the United States Germany was conducting war.
 There was much more subtle meaning, however, in the message of the President. Of equal importance to the war feature was that which carried a mental, a soul suggestion, direct and almost irresist- able appeal to the people of Germany, tools and pawns in the hands of ambi- tous and interruptions autocrats to rise in their might, in the psychological mo- ment and strike the thackles which for ages have bound them in state of serf dom. How finally the President through the subtle art of indirections, presented to starving German women and children and the bleeding German soldiers the picture of a strong. vlAfie, masterful and free Russia! A great republic established by people awakened after ages to their state of bondage and to knowledge that only through their own timidity their masters could continue to oppress
 HIS MASTERFUL EFFORT
 It was a message of war and mes sage of preparation. The President was endeavoring to strike the Prussan au- tocracy through the Teuton people. He was endeavorng to break the alliance which holds Austro-H Hungary to the Ger man empire. He was endeavoring to talk directly into the hearts of the German Americans. to tell them that in them the administration had confidence and to in- form them, without equiNocation. that it was only with the individual anarchist of their blood that the government would deal swiftly and without compassion.
 In one instant he stimulated the dor mant but never-dying patriotism in the American heart, and in the next. at tempted to undeceive Americans, if in anywise deceived by the idea that the fight against Germany would be fight of children and of broomsticks. And then