The spectator., 1919-08-19
By EDWARD B. CLARK.

dfdS DcSu lOOheu 10 III a sense as the pulpit of peace for all people, it's own citizens have been at one another throats. It is possible that Mexico and some of the far eastern countries will look at the spectacle with some ffing like ironic amusement.
 Scores of reasons have been ad- Vanced for the outbreak. None of them seems exactly to fit the case, but perhaps the SaneSt one is that the nerves of all the people are on edge, and that it has taken only a little noise to send them beyond control. The riots began on Sunday night, when the only weapons used were fists. Comparatively little harm was done Some soldiers took part in the initial disturbances but discipline soon took them out of the field. The frain had been fired. however, and even ill the face of military and police authority men and women battled in Fhe streets and alleys and even in the houses of this town which usually As place of steady habits.
 There are men in Washington who are in position to trace the effects 10 their causes who say that the re- sentiment of the people against what they have called too drastic punish fse''ts for military and civil offenses during the war has had it's natural result
 "he men who hold to this view Say shat soldiers and civilians have been aed to believe that. because of the tenn per Of the people toward what they call excessive punishmentS. some of fiie soldiers of the service and some civilians thought that hereafter only Eight punishments would be meted out for heavy offenses, and that this feel ing has made men willing to engage in riots of the kind which have oc- cured in the capital of the country. Probably Due to "Nerves"
 There may be something in this. but contact With the soldiers in the Amer Ican expeditionary forces and with those already returned to this country, and also with the war workers in this ,city, leads one to think that the real cause of the trouble is representative nerves made so by war conditions which have produced an unnatural atmosphere, and in which the soldiers and civilians have been forced to live
 On the first night of the trouble some men in uniform took part in the disturbance but military discipline soon prevailed and the men who were violating the law became later fore most in attempts to uphold it. Under the guidance and control of their of ficers they did fine work The main difficulty of the whole situation arose from the fact that In the absence of martial law under which citizens could be kept in their homes, crowds of cu- riosity seekers numbering thousands sought the scenes of trouble and be came the means of further disturb anceS. Many entirely innocent per cons, both white and cOlOred, were in Jured during the continuance of the rioting. If these people had stayed at home the riots would have been re- duced to a minimum and probably nothing would have happened after the first nights occurrence.
 No Chance for Adjournment.
 The prospect is for continuous ses- sion of congress until late in the sum mer of 1920. Both Republicans and Democrats in house and senate declare freely enough that there seems to be no chance to get away
 Of course the present session must end on the frs Monday in next De- cemher, bUt as another session then will begin, the two in sense will merge Into one. This thing has hap pencG before.
 What is the reason for the predc- Eion in legislative circles of one long. driving session? There Is not one req son, but a multiplicity of them which nave come together to make the pros pect for continuous session bright, or black, as one chooses to view it.
 The senate committee on foreign re- lations still has in it's keeping the covenant of the League of Nations. The committee intends to study every feature of the document down to the minutest Item before rendering It's re- port to the senate.
 Debate May Last All Summer
 No one knows how long it will take to debate the covenant to a finish on the floor of the senate Some of the leaders have said that snow will fly before the end looms in sight Others express the hope that the people will make their feelings In the matter felt so strongly one wly or the other that an earlier result snay be reached It can be said. however. that the major- ity of the senators, whether they for the league 2" -ainst '.
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