Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-03-21

extraordinary session.
Wilson's action of today is inter
preted by some of his cabinet as mean
ing the president at last has lost the
last vestige of patience and hope that
the war chasm might ultimately be
bridged.
Many of them. at first knowledge of
the news, believed a specific declara-
ton of actual hostilities inevitable.
LAND DEFENSE PROGRAM.
Surface impressions of high officials
today were that President Wilson and
Secretary Baker shortly may confer
with war college heads and Senator
Chamberlain, regarding the best form
Of universal service to urge before
congress.
There will be powerful congressional
pressure brought to bear for adopting
at once such a land defense program.
Heads of the militia division of the
war department, while unusually close
mouthed today, showed similar activity
to that displayed in that branch i'm
mediately preceding the presidents
mobilization of the national guard for
border duty.
While navy department heads were
as uncommunicative Immediately fol-
lowing the extra session call as were
army officials, II was believed here that
call for the mobilization of the naval
militia Is not far off-in fact, that such
call might precede any similar call
for state land troops.
PRESSURE FROM EVERY SIDE.
Tremendous pressure was brought
to bear on the president from every
side to call congress into immediate
session and declare a state of war be-
tween the United States and Ger
| many.
| Members of his cabinet, intimate
| friends, senators and representative
and scores of kilograms and letters
from people back in the country-urg-
ed President Wilson to "act and act at
once" against Germany.
Not since the sinking of the Lusi.
tania has the president been buffeted
by such demands for war.
For the first time 1t became known
| today that there are many secrets
about the internal political situation of
different belligerent nations in the
hands of this government. which have
| never been even suspected.
Many of these enter Immediately in
to consideration of this government
course now.
ARGUMENTS FOR ACTION.
| But against these points of view the
presidents cabinet and kilograms from
the country argue along the following
lines in favor of immediate action;
| Prompt assumption Of an ag-
| gressive attitude toward Germany.
| The people are ready for war and
need only the call.
Sounding of single patriotic
note which would Immediately
augment recruiting in both the
navy and army branches of de-
Tense service and enable the gov
eminent to man its war vessels
up to full strength; or.
Declaration of state of war
which would encourage the en-
tente soldiers in the fields; en-
| courage the Russian revolution
lists in the prompt and definite
formation of sound democratic
| government; materially depress
| Germany-and in all, bring peace
nearer.
TO oEMocRATIZE EUROPE.
There are some OF the presidents
cabinet advisers who think this gov
| ernment's entrance into the war at
this time will result III a movement
throughout Germany such as that
which rocked Russia and thus may ov-
erthrow the German imperial govern
ment which the entente has held must
be destroyed, and further democratize
Europe, one of the expressed ideals of
| President Wilson.
AS one cabinet member expressed the
situation, Germany has punched us in
| the stomach. A state of war exists.
| It's up to us to go after them"
After attending the theater last night
to get brief respite from the prob
lem, President Wilson was up early to-
day to resume consideration of the sit