The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-09-19
Unrest in Masses Expressed in
Public Disturbances at
Meetings Addressed
by Chief.
FRISCO CROWDS ANAL YZED
Three Different Audiences
Enthusiastic-Sheer Power
Of Argument Wins.
(BY DAVID LAWRENCE)

TO san Oiego, Cal, Sept. 19.-(Copy-
righted for The Chattanooga News.)
Crowds are always difficult to an
alyze; their applause is not always
conclusive. Their demonstrations
are not always spontaneous and the
enters into the psychology of the
moment. But more distinctive than
any other audiences on the whole
journey have been the three which
President Wilson addressed at San
Francisco. Their respective responses
were different, their demeanor so
different.
Women's Nos, Emphatic.
First, Mr.. Wilson addressed an au-
dience of several hundred women.
There were no male guests except
newspaper correspondents. The
noise of their combined voices when
cheering was naturally feeble con-
trast to the lusty outbreaks of the
mixed audiences, to which we have
become accustomed. But, their pune
tuations of applause seemed to indi-
cate that the idealism of the presi-
dent, as expressed in his advocacy OF
a league of nations. made deep i'm
preston as contrasted with the al
tentative policy of political Isolation
defended by Hiram Johnson, the ju-
nior senator from this state. No more
attentive audience ever listened to a
Wilson speech, and the presidents
tracing of the historical background
of the Chanting settlement was so eff
fective that l heard favorable COM
ment on every side as the women left
the banquet hall. Did the women of
California want their sons to go to
war to take Shantung from Japan
and to fight Great Britain and France
who pledged themselves to support
Japan on the Shantung question be-
fore America entered the war? That
was Mr.. Wilson's query and the
women answered with a chorus of
mos" that was unmistakable.
Business Men Swayed.
But II the audience at the lunch
con given by the women on the first
day of the presidents visit to San
Francisco was friendly and SYM
pathetic, 1t did not begin to compare
with the demonstration of enthusiasm
which interrupted his speech again
and. again at the second days lunch |
con, attended by the Advertising |
club, Commonwealth club, Downtown |
association, Rotary club, Home In
dustry league and League to Enforce !
Peace. Business men they were, to |
whom the president said frankly he |
believed he could address a business !
argument.
With telling effect, he read the fig
ures telling the horrible cost OF the
late war in men, money and vitality.
Tho hundreds of men present literally
gasped as the president reminded
them that the direct cost OF the con-
to one or another by the belligere nt..
was s1s6, 900 900, 900. And, as he salu
that more than seven and half mil
lion men had died on the field of bat
tie, which was one million more than
had been killed in all the preceding
wars since the year 1898; add to tr..t,
Mr.. Wilson, the enormous
number of manned and wounded, add
to that tho vitality of future genera
tions which had been suostr acted
from the world by the recent war
and il staggers the imagination, and
all of it, insists the president, could
have been avoided if the process OF
arbitration of nine months discus
sion now provided for in the covenant
had been compulsory in 1914.
The men present showed their ap-
proval and rose from their seats in
an outburst of applause that was the
climax of the whole reception. In
Of cheering were frequent,
but none more effective than that
which followed Mr.. Wilson's descrip-
ton Of the war cost, unless 1t was
bis fat statement that America
would be a member of the league of |
nations regardless of the counsels of
the opposition, for the crowd took to
that with zest and cheered and dem
onstrated noisily and happily.
Few Come to Disturb.
But IL these two luncheon addresses
we're plainly an evidence Of the SYM
and friendly interest of men
md women voters, 1t cannot be said
that the big mass meeting in the
at night was the same.
Rarely have the circumstances been
20 difficult for speaking and rarely
1as a crowd been so perplexing in its
make up. Fully 10000 people were
backed in every conceivable space,
isles, rafters, stairways. and bal
,onies. A more uncomfortable mass
If humanity I have never seen! Peo-
,le could neither get in or out-they
we're fastened as if in vises. They gave
Mr. Wilson a thunderous welcome.
And the demonstration lasted fully i
fifteen minutes, during which time (
wen the president seemed to enjoy
he waving of flags and the express
ions of enthusiasm, but as the great
who had to come to listen
9eeded the upraised hand OF the
hayor, a minority who had come to .
isturb kept up a perpetual clamor. {
1t first, it seemed that it was more
discomfort and an anxiety to get
carer the front, but gradually the
residents face hardened as he saw :
small group had placed itself in
he hall presumably to interfere with
he making of the speech itself. Peo-
lie on the platform, many of them '
kpublicans, plainly showed their em- !
arrassment, as they did not want a !
w people to give the impression that :
an Francisco had so far forgotten \
IS democracy as to refuse to hear /
9th sides of any public question. c
gain and again the organ played in g
der to secure quiet, and finally the !
resident started speaking amidst an 4
|ldible turbulence on the outskirts !,
the crowd. His audience did not d
Espond to frequently made points. t
ome started to applaud, but evil s
fntly feared 1t would give the dis I
|rbers the opportunity they sought n
prevent Mr.. Wilson from making .
extended speech. y
iut something IN the hostility a