The Washington times., 1917-05-03
LEGISLATORS WILDLY
CHEER FRENCH ENJOYS
Viviani and Jofre Given Ovation
on Visit to House.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

CONTINUED from First Page.)
sion. Marshal Joffre shook hands
with her; NJ. Viviani, to the intense
pleasure of the House-again express
ed in cheers-kissed her hand.
House Takes n Recess.
1t was necessary for the House q
take a "recess" to receive the dis
tinguished French ENJOYS. The rules
OF the lower branch OF Congress
specifically prohibit admission to the
floors during a session OF any person
not by law entitled to admission. So
strict are this rule and the precedents
Hereunder that the Speaker of the
House is not permitted even to put a
unanimous consent request that the
rule be abrogated, nor is any motion
In order to set 1t aside.
From time to time in the past the
House has received distinguished Wis
itors-but always the House was
technically in recess. This procedure
was followed several years ago, when
the speaker Of. the Hungarian as
sembly was a visitor and addressed
the members OF the house.
1t is not required that the pro-
ceedings shall be officially reported
by the House stenographers, but
ordinarily the Record carries a state
ment OF what occurred during re-
cess"
Cards OF admission to the galleries
were again required today. Hun
dreds OF disappointed visitors came
TO the House wing only to find plac-
ards at the doors reading:
Admission to the galleries today
by cerd only"
Biz Demand For Tickets.
This restriction kept out compara-
lively all except the families OF MEM
bers, the tickets being distributed
among the members Of the lower
chamber.
The lower passageways OF the Capt.
tol were lined with men, women, and
a few children who had to be content
with catching a glimpse of the MEM
bers of the French commission as
they entered the building. Outside
the doors stood others who awaited the
arrival OF the French envoys. The
parking places about the House wing
were jammed with automobiles. The
House met at IL o'clock, but some of
the families OF the members arrived
long before that hour in order to OBJ
tain choice seats.
There was the usual scramble
among members for cards OF admis-
sion, the supply not meeting the de-
mands OF some OF the legislators who
endeavored to beg or borrow an addi.
tional ticket from a colleague. The
scenes about the House, despite the
ing the visit OF the envoys, were
similar to those which have attended
the various visits of the President to
the Capitol.
Envoys to Leave for West.
To carry the war spirit into the
Middle West and arouse the people
there, the French commission, headed
by N. VIviani and Marshal Jorfre,
leaves Washington this afternoon.
The ENJOYS will 20 to Chicago after
unnamed stops in Indiana and Illinois
and later visit the tomb OF Abraham
Lincoln. Their special train will
carry them TO st. Louis and Kansas
City, after which they will return TO
the East, visiting Boston, New York,
and Philadelphia-
Upon their return to Washington
they will resume the conferences al.
ready begun with officials OF the Uni
ted States Government Important as
these conferences are, however, II Is
believed by members Of the mission
that the question of arousinE the
people OF the Middle West and ex-
horting the entire nation to be alive
and doing is OF even greater urgency.
Seek to Arouse People.
The ENJOYS have been amazed by
the pIacidity and complacency of the
American people. They believe
Americans have lulled themselves into
a false security. 1t is for the pur-
pose of bringing the war closer to the
people of the Middle West and i'm
pressing upon them the gravity OF
the situation that the trip which be
gins today was arranged.
All the members Of the commission
conceive it to be their duty to dis
seminate as much information as
possible concerning actual war con-
ditions and Germany's methods of
warfare. They have been led TO be-
Iieve that the Middle West, because
Of its splendid isolation" needs to
be further stirred and aroused.
1t is believed the tour OF the French
envoys and the information they will
disseminate will accomplish all the
results the envoys sire, and that II
also will stimulate recruiting In all
branches of the service. as we'll as
speed up the mobilization OF every
body and everything in the Middle
West.
The French envoys leave Washing
ton after achieving what undoubtedly
was one of their main objects In
coming to the Capital--quickly arous-
ing the United States Government to
the imperative urgency OF sending
American troops abroad within the
immediate future.
Convinced War Department.
Within less than a week after
their aTrivel the French ENJOYS,
notably Marshal Joffre, appear to
have convinced the War Department
that American soldiers should be
sent to France much sooner than the
general staff had intended. The
arRuments OF War Department
officials that American soldiers would
not be sent abroad until a large force
worthy and representative of the
nation could be raised and trained
was met by proof oi the necessity
for their earlier appearance, and
prediction OF the psychological effect
their presence in France would have
on the Germans, on the French. and
on Americans at hom..
Conferences for the purpose of