New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Sullen, Mute Thousands
of |. w. w. Greet Him
With Gree Political
PrisOners'' Banners
Reject Treaty, Live
In Fear, He Warns
Tells Tacoma Audience
League Alone Will End
'Disorderly Autocracy'

SEATTLE, Sept. 19.-A launch which
was conveying President Wilson and
members of his party, including Mrs.
Wilson. to the battleship Oregon, col
lided in the harbor here this after
noon with another launch. Neither
the President nor any member Of the
party was injured.
In the launch in addition to the
President and Mrs. Wilson were Secre-
tary and Mrs. Daniels, Secret Service
men, secretaries and newspaper men.
AS the launch showed off from the
dock it heeled over till the port rail
was nearly under water. Starting
ahead, then, the craft ran bow on into
another launch, giving the party
severe jar. The President sat serene
in the aft and smiled.
Reviews Pacific Fleet
After the accident President Wilson
boarded the famous battieship Oregon
in Elliott Bay, and, standing with Sec
retary Of the Navy Daniels and Admiral
Hugh Rodman. commander of the Pa
citc fleet, reviewed the great lines of
sea warriors assembled here. To-day
marked the first time that the Presi-
dent of the United States had flown his
flag in Seattle Herbor.
When President Wilson arrived here
this afternoon from Tacoma, where he
spoke this morning, he found that the
l. w. W. had arranged to attract his
attention by mute demonstration
against law and order as maintained
in Seattle. When the President ap-
peared at the head of the parade at
l:3 this afternoon in aJckson Street.
thousands of men credited with being
mem bers Of the Central Labor Council
lined the streets, wearing large white
badges with black letters reading, Gre
lease Political Prisoners"
Guards Feared Trouble
The secret service men attending the
President scanned the protstants curl
ously and "bracd" themselves for any
thlng that might happen. Mixed with
the men with badges were men and
women and children, without badges.
an a. these started lusty cheering for the
President, who rose and removed his
silk hat and acknowledged the greet
ing.
The men with badges for the most
part remained silent. Block after block
the sidewalks were packed with the
men wearing the badges.
Inc demonstration was planned last
night. the cause Of it being that early
IN the year, when Seattle was rocked
with I. w. W. troubles, many of the
offenders were roughly handled by the
soldiers and policemen under orders of
Mayor Ole Hanson. Two of the lead
ers, Hulett M. Wells, an attorney and
former president of the Central Labor
Council, and Sam Sadler, also promi-
nent as leader, are still locked up on
Mcneil Island, charged with obstruct-
ing the draft
The demonstration to-day was In aid
of Wells and Sadler, and it is under
stood tina ia delegation will wait on
the President at his hotel and ask for
the release Of Wells and Sadler.
When Mayor c. B. Fitzgerald, who
succeeded Mayor Hanson, was asked
to-day about the demonstration, he
said:
There was nothing particularly sim
ister about it. Two or three thousand
men in city Of the size of Seattle are
not very formidable, no matter what
kind of badges they wear. They asked
for permission to parade today, but /
refused it, telling them that the town
was full of returned soldiers, and that
they would get rough treatment from
the doughboys if they tried to parade
the same day the President was in
town. They took my advice. I don't
object to their blowing off steam, but
they will have TO be careful about
breaking the law"
Not Taken as Affront.
The Rev. M. A. Mathews, pastor of
the First Presbyterian church of Seat
tie. who also was with the Presidents
party on board the Oregon, said "The
demonstration was not means as
threat against President Wilson so
much as petition to him in behalf of
political prisoners. l saw some of the
men wearing badges applaud the Presi
dent when he passed in his car. ! do
not think they mean to atfront him by
wearing the badges"
Seattle turned out in enormous num-
bers to greet the President. The
streets were iammed from curb to the
fronts of the stores for two miles
along the, route Of the parade. The
police had great difficulty in Keeping
the crowds back. They were assisted
by several hundred Boy Scouts, VINO
did good work. Secretary of the NAVY
aDniels rode in the car behind the
President.
The recent labor troubles in Seattle