The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-03
WILSON MAY
ADDRESS JOINT
SESSION TODAY
Expected That Organization Of
House Will Be Completed
Late This Afternoon
MAJORITY IN CONGRESS
FAVOR WAR DECLARATION
Democratic House Leaders Given
Word to Rush Matters to
Their Completion
CLARK Will PRESIDE.

CLARK WILL PRESIDE.
Washington, April e.-Champ
Clark will preside over the house
during the coming war period.
The house elected him this after.
noon after a speech and war
prayer. Representative Schall,
Independent, from Missouri,
swung his vote to Clark. holding
that patriotism demanded that
this be done in this crisis. The
action Of tho blind representa-.
tive was unexpected.
~ln about 32,O(O voters Of Mis-.
souri,, the majority OF them sre g.
Republicans. With my sightless
eyes l will be Of little service On
the battlefield. but ! can use the
right God gave me by voting
right tOda w. he said.
Washington, April 2.--Congress
convened today in special session.
Thousands lined the streets and
everywhere we're patriotic demon
strations in favor OF their propagan.
da. Not since the Civil war days has
there been such intense excitement.
Congress will not get organized un-
til late today and it Is not known
whether President Wilson will be
able to deliver his war message al
ready completed.
Plea For Patriotism. .'
The house session opened with
South Trimble, clerk, presiding. The
chaplain included in his prayer plea
for patriotism. Diplomacy has fail.
er," he earnestly prayed. Moral
suasion has failed. Appeals to rea-
son and justice have been swept
aside.''
I'VE abhor war, and love peace, but
if war has been or shall be forced
upon us, we pray that the heart of
every American citizen may throb
with patriotic feeling and that a unit
ed people may rally around our presi.
dent"
Nearly the entire senate member.
ship was present when Vice Presi.
dent Marshall called for order. After
the invocation, the presidents proc
IduldllOu CdllIIS CuC CAtidOiu iuAAoAy
session was read.
Referred to Problems.
In the senate, the Chaplain also re-
ferred to the problems confronting
congress.
Amid the confusion and violence
of the world today, we cannot knew
the things that may shortly come to
pass" he prayed. Lead us, oh God,
through the darkness until the day
dawns and shadows flee away. Grant
us courage to defend the truth. At
this critical time, lead these, Thy SER
wants, in a plain path, and inspire
them with lofty principles.
Senate Recessed.
The senate, after being in session
about ten minutes, recessed to await
action OF the house. Senators Mar
tin and Gallinger. the two party lead
ers, were appointed to act with q
house committee in notifying Presi-
dent Wilson that congress is ready
to receive a communication from
him..
THE preamble sets out that the
triumph Of Germany would destroy
the liberty of the world that tho
grandeur of the United States will
not permit its share of the burden OF
war to be borne by other nations"
and that Germany has continued TO
destroy American ships and take Am
erican lives
Paciflsts and anti.pacifsts besieg-
ed official Washington in an eleventh
hour effort to induce toward their re-
spective views. Parades were denied
both, but the program OF each group
called for unorganized sidewalk pro-
cessions to the capitol
Patriotic Demonstrations.
Flags iuttered from nearly every
window in downtown Washington.
from houses in the residential SEC
ton. and all automobiles carried red.
white and blue banners The day
was marked by a show of patri0elc
fervor seldom eaualed IN Washington
even on Independence day.
Most pacffists came here from 9few
York and other cities under the 1l10e
tCcntinned o. Pas Throol