Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-12
AMNESTY MEET
FRUSTRATEDBY
ONE LONE YANk
Move to Seek Lenie1,cy
for War Crimes Ends
With a Police Visit.
Parade Stopped by Illus
ky Officer at White
House; Ants Active.

Washington, Nov. 11.-Petitioners
for general amnesty for imprisoned
violators of war laws Saturday utilized
the spirit of Armistice day in another
endeavor to influence President Hard
ing to pardon the 64 men still serving
sentences under the espionage act.
With a band of five pieces playing
the Marseillaise, and two color bearers
carrying American flags at the head,
the amnesty seekers. more than 20o
strong and with banners, descended
upon the White House soon after the
president had returned from Arlington,
where, in the name of the American
people, he had placed wreath on the
tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They
had obtained a permit to parade on
Pennsylvania avenue before the White
House grounds, but after doing TINS,
they turned into West Executive ave-
nue. toward the White House offices
and their troubles began.
The procession proceeded quietly
until it reached the entrance TO the
grounds near the executive offices,
when a husky park police lieutenant
stepped out, choked off the band in the
midst of Onward Christian Soldiers
and informed the leaders that they
then were on government reservation
ground the Kermit was invalid. The
band thereupon disappeared, but those
participating in the procession re-
mained with their banners about the
grounds for an hour before adjournlng
to Lafayette square, where an open
air meeting was held.
Opposition Arrives
The meeting in Lafayette square.
opposite the White House. had barely
gotten under way when a young. man
accompanied by half dozen negro
boys appeared with a new kind of
banner. These banners as soon as dis
played started a eounterdemoustFa
ton as the amnesty seekers showed
Enthusiastically that they resented the
inscriptions. some of which ran as
follows:
Treason amt no crime-Benedict
Arnold patriotic association, Inc"
I'VE extend our sympathy-Plck
Pockets association
Greeting and good cheer-Sneak
Thieves, Inc.
I'VE want out too-ChIcken Thieves
society.
Police had to intervene between the
two sets of demonstrators and when
quiet was restored, the head of the
anti-amnesty group, Herbert B. Mayer,
Of New York City, who said he re-
Gently was honorably discharged from
the sixteenth infantry, fifth division,
after n long period of service including
two years overseas, explained his
purpose. .-.
Did 1t All Himself
Upon being informed this morning
that the long haired men and short
haired women behind this movement
intend to parade on Armistice day he
said. Il communicated my views upon
the subject to various patriotic organi-
cations and the response was such as
to lead me believe that / was entirely
wrong
Overwhelmed by consciousness of
my error, l determined to make
amends by showing sympathy with the
cause of opening the jail bars for the
anti-war gentlemen a In Debs. Entirely
at my own expense and representing
no one at all except myself, | hired
the boys and made the signs myself in
q butcher shop
Mr. Mayer said further that he ''of
course had no possible right to repre-
sent" the organizations named on the
banners his cohorts carried, but added
that IF this slight action of mine has
in any way served to demonstrate the
bnffoonery aud horror of demonstra
tions such as this on Armistice day
the day on which we honor our dead
comrades who did not stay in iail--the
little feature will have achieved it's
nurnosp