Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-20
WASHINGTON, June 20.


A near-riot in front of the White House
was precipitated today when the Russian
mission entered the grounds to present its
credentials to President Wilson by Ereat
banner held aloft by the suffrage pickets
at the gates
The sign read.
To the Russian mission: President
Wilson and Envoy Root are deceiving
Russia. They say, 1--WE are n democracy.
Help us win world war so that democ-
racies may survive"
We. the women Of America. tell you
that America is not a democracy Twenty
million American women are denied the
right to vote. President Wilson is the
chief opponent of their national en-.
franchisement. Help us make this ma
ton really free. Tell our Government
that it must liberate its people before it
can claim free Russia as an ally
The sign was held aloft by Miss Lucy
Burns of New York, and Mrs. Lawrence
Lewis, Of Philadelphia.
Shortly after the women went on duty
crowds began to gather before them, jeer-
ing. Augmented by Government clerks
who swarmed out of nearby buildings at
lunch, the crowds temper began to rise
The women banner holders were ex-
tremely belligerent. They answered taunt
for taunt and jbe for jibe from the crowd
The police guards at the White House
gates, with whom the suffragists' pckets
/ have been on very friendly terms since
they started their "geard mount" were
srimly silent and made no move to check
the crowd when. led by several men, it
advanced suddenly toward the pickets
Several men then jerked down the ban
ners, tore them to shreds and trampled the
remnants under foot
CRY OF TREASON RAISED
'Ths is treason" one woman cried as
she wrested one end of the banner from
Miss Burns.
I'VE give our sons and then you do this"
another shouted
The women who hld the banner we're
jostled, but were not injured
White House policemen rescued them
from the crowd and took them with their
banner inside the gates of the executive
mansion.
While the riotous scene was being enacted
at one entrance the Russian mission passed
into the White House grounds through an
other gate. The members Of the mission
did not see the sign that caused the out
break, nor even notice the disorder.
The incident was called to the attention
OF the Department of Justice shortly after
y occurred and an investigation was
started at once to determine whether there
was anything reasonable in the first line
OF the women's placard which accused
president Wilson and Root of deceiving
Russia.
State Department authorities were in
doubt whether this constituted reasonable
meddling in delicate negotiations involving
this Government.
said:
1T is not those who demand Justice but
those'who deny justice who do injury TO
ne country. We wish to call the attention
VI PRESIDENT Wilson to the fact that when
me appoints an envoy who deals indirectly
with great ally. he is not acting honestly.
Mr. Root declared in Petrograd a few days
ago mat his mission came from a demo-
cratic republic, where universal, direct
equal and secret suffrage obtained He
p 1neW ne was speaking falsely. lie told the
Russian people that
We love liberty and we cherish above
az our possessions the ideals for which our
iathers fought and suffered and sacrificed
mat America might be free
=. we suffragists wish free Russia to know
mat until the 10000, ,0OOs American women
VINO are bearing and will bear a large
snare OF the burdens of the present war
are enfranchised nationally this is not n
nee Government We are, in short, simply
asking free Russia to speak to a deaf
executive on our behalf"
MRS, Lawrence Lewis is the widow of
lawrence Lewis a Philadelphia attorney,
ana is member of the board of the Light
mouse Settlement, of which her sister, Mrs
4 Bradford, is head and founder. 1t
thls settlement in which President Will
son daughter was a wor.-ey. Mrs. Lewis's
prother is Dr. Howard Kelley the noted
taulum surgery expert OF Baltimore. She
nas Just returned from China where her
son, who has just entered the army medical
IPS at Newport was engaged in medical
missionary work.N