Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-04-06
SIGNATURE OF
THE PRESIDENT
MAKES THE WAR
GRIM REALITY

Chief Executive of Nation
at lib O'Clock This After
noon.
LAST FORMALITIES
BEFORE ACTUAL WAR
Vice President Marshall AT
fixed His Signature to the
Important Document an
Hour Before Formal Ac-
tion Was Taken at the
White House.
Washington, April g.
War was declared at lib
this afternoon.
At exactly that hour Pres
ident Wilson signed the res
olution passed by the house
and senate, declaring a state
of war between the United
States and Germany.
An hour before the reso-
luton was signed by Vice
President Marshall at 1918.
These were the last for
malities necessary to make
the United States an ally of
England, France and Russia
in the world war of democ-
racies against autocracy.
TO STATE DEPARTMENT.
From the White House the en-
crossed resolution was sent to the
state department, there to rest as one
of the most important papers filed
away in the government records.
1t bears no outward mark of differ
ence from hundreds of thousands of
other state papers in the department
files. But it marks the beginning of a
new war of civilization, according to
President Wilson-a war the end of
which must determ ne whether democ-
racy or Imperialism shall rule the
world.
The senate convened at 1891 o'clock
this afternoon and was thereupon
ready for the house messenger to bring
in the war resolution for Vice Presi-
dent Marshall to sign.
The war resoltion was formally re-
ported to the senate as having been
passed by the house and senate and
signed by Speaker Clark, at 1910 to-
day.
Vice President Marshall signed the
resolution at 1913.
MRS. WILSON KEEPS PEN.
The president signed the resolution
in the presence of Mrs. Wilson, his
niece, Miss Helen Woodrow Bones Ru-
1olph Forester, executive clerk, and l.
II. Hoover, head usher. The gold pen
used in affiXing Woodrow Wilson to
the resolution was taken by Mrs. Will
son. The simple ceremony occurred
after the president and Mrs. Wilson
had returned from walk. They step
ped into the White House ushers Of
flee just off the entrance corridor and
awaited arrival of the resolution from
he senate. AS soon as it came the
president sat down before the ushers
desk in the little room and signed the
paper without comment.
SENT TO WHITE HOUSE.
The bill was sent into the office Of
Secretary of the Senate Baker.
There the single sheet of parchment,
containing two of the three signatures
aeeded to plunge the nation into the
world war was wrapped up, carefully
sealed, tied with liberal red tape that
accompanies the colloquial red tape at
he capitol and dispatched it to the
White House by a bicycle messenger.
The messenger. having run the
gauntlet of the White House guards,
delivered the message and returned 10
he capitol.
1t was % minutes after the vice pres
dent signed the paper until it was on
It's way to the White House to receive
he presidents final signature.
Every seat in the gallery and every
seat in the chamber was filled as the
official messenger from the house en-
tered just after the chaplain's prayer
and announced:
"a message from the house of repre-
sentatives."
There was an audible intaking of
breath.
The crowds of representatives and
.heir clerks, and the government Of
ticials, banked deep behind the SEN
ators' desks, shifted nervously..
RESOLUTION DELIVERED.
The house messenger was escorted
to the vice presidents desk and deliv-
cred the paper. 1t was Immediately
handed back to Marshall. who had
wrung his hands nervously for a long
three minutes between the presentation
of the resolution and his receipt of it.
As he waited for clerk to record the
bill on the big senate official ledger,
Marshall took up a new stub pen, wet
1t carefully with his tongue, and held
it ready. ...... .-,t...,.t
vIcE EPEeIDENT SIGNS