El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-09-19

ny the A0NerAlslmE GluD NJ NMN
Commonwealth club the Down
town association, the Rotary club.
the Home Industry League and
the League to Enforce Pence.
Tells of Wars Cost.
J. Business men they were to whom
I the president said frankly he believe
I he could address business arg umenls
/ With telling effect he read tn
| figures telling the horrible cost OF th'
/ late war in men and money and vital
| ity. The hundreds present l1terail y
! gasped as the president reminded
them that the direct result OF the con
/ flict, irrespective Of the sums Loaned
/ to one or another by the belligerents
was S1S6.0O0. 100000.
And he said that more than sever
and one half million men had died OF
I the field OF battle. which was 1000,
600 more than had been killed in al
/ the preceding wars since the yea
1892. Add TO that" remarked Mr.
Wilson. the enormous number
MANNED and wounded. add to that th'
vitality OF future generations which
had been subtracted from the world
by the recent war. and it staggers th'
Imagination
and all Of it," insists the
president. @eould have been
avoided if the process of arbtfra-
tfOn, or nine months, discussion,
now provided for In the covenant,
had not been compulsory"
The men present showed their ap-
proval and rose from their seats in az
outburst Of applause that was th'
climax OF the whole reception
Interruptions OF cheering were fire.
Quent but none more effective than
that which followed Mr. Wilson's de-
scripti0n Of the war cost. unless Il
was his flat statement that America
would be a member of the league OF
nations regardless OF the counsels OF
the opposition. for the crowd took e
that with zest and cheered and dem
onstrated noisily and happily.
Mass Meeting Turbulent.
But II these two luncheon addresses
were plainly an evidence Of the sym
pathetic and the friendly interest OF
men and women voters II cannot be
said that the big mass meeting in the
auditorium al night was the same
Rarely have the circumstances been
so difficult for speaking and rarely
has a crowd been so perplexing in its
makeup.
Fully 10000 people were packed In
every conceivable space. aisles. raft
ers. stairways and balconies. A more
packed mass Of humanity I have never
seen People could neither get in nor
out. They were fastened as II in a
wise. They gave Mr.. Wilson a thun-
derous welcome and the demonstra-
tion lasted fully 10 minutes. during
which time even the president seemed
TO enjoy the waving OF flags and the
expressions Of enthusiasm. but as the
great majority who had come TO lis
ten needed the appraised hand OF the
mayor. a minority who had come TO
disturb. kept I'D perpetual clamor.
At first II seemed there was
more discomfort and anxiety 10
get nearer the front. hut grad
uaIly the presidents face hard
ened rs he saw that small group
had placed itself in the hall pre-
sumnbIy TO interfere with the
making OF the speech itself.
People on the platform. many Of
them Republicans. plainly showed
their embarrassment as they did not
want a few people 20 give the i'm
preston that San Francisco had 50
far forgotten its democracy as to re-
fuse to hear both sides OF any public
question
Again and again the organ played
in order to secure quiet and finally
the president started speaking amidst
an audible turbulence on the outskirts
OF the crowd
Audience UnresponSIve.
His audience did not respond TO fire.
quently made points Some started 70
applaud. but evidently feared IL would
give the disturbers the opportunity
they sought TO prevent Mr. Wilson
from making an extended speech. But
something in the hostility Of atmos-
phere aroused Mr.. Wilson and he did
what he had hitherto never done. He
started to fight the noise. Usually
in big auditOriums. he had not
strained his voice CT attempted to do
more than extend his greetings but
on this occasion he struck forth in
his argument and handled the Shan
tung and the Irish questions and the
matter Of Great Britains six votes.
with a clarity that quickly restored
quiet and respect. BY the time he
had finished he may not have con-
verted those who came with precon-
ceived hostility. but he tanned the
disturbers and Mr.. Wilson may Wen
consider It a triumph.
Applause came spontaneously to-
ward the end Of his speech. for. by
sheer power OF oratorical appeal and
persuasive argument, the president
had obtained an attentive hearing.
Surveying the effect in san Fran
cisco one can briefly set down these
things as fundamental
Hiram johnson f. still the idol
OF California; he f. still the
strongest political leader in the
state, but the people do not regard
this HseR personal controversy
between Mr.. johnson and Mr.. VIII
son and the latter wisely re-
Trained from saying anything
that might be so construed. But
because the people do not con-
slider II personal fssue. hut n
matter Of fOreiEn policy on which
two Eren1 men may differ, they
have Tor the most nart turned for
the moment from the JOhnsOnian
to the WIlsOnian philosophy.
At the outset OF the debate the state
was almost overwhelmingly In favor
h. 81 T.