Evening star., 1937-03-22
FIRST
IN A
SERIES


lea, do hereby proclaim to all whom
1t may concern that state of war
exists between the United States and
the imperial German government"
That most momentouS proclamation
since the Civil War was wigwagged
from window of the White House
to the Navy Department. TelegrapherS
there relayed it to the great naval
wireless tower at Arlington, whence it
was flashed to naval stations and YES
sells throughout the world.
Wilson Before Congress.
Uncle Sam had definitely embarked
on the great adventure of saving
the world for democracy, maintain
ing the while his own honor" To-
day war-wlser Uncle Sam, his
dreams of Wilsonian concert of
free peoples badly battered anxiously
watches war shadows over Europe
and moves to set up 'iron-clad safe
guards of American peace.
Before Congress assembled in spe-
cial session on April 2, President Will
son appeared to ask for declaration
OF the existence of war because of
Germanys submarine warfare With
out restraints of law or humanity"
German intrigue against the United
States and the menace of autocracy
to the liberty-loving people of the
world.
ut is fearful thing to lead this
great peaceful people into the most
terrible and disastrous of all wars"
he said. But the right is more
precious than peace and We shall fight
tor the things We always have carried
nearest our hearts"
La Toilette Fought Action.
The President had entered the House
chamber amid deafening cheers but
Senator Robert CF1ghting Bob
La Toilette, who strongly opposed 60
ing to war, stood with arms crossed
and head sunk over his chest
When Wilson said the Congress
should vote for, war, the six Supreme
Court justices who were in the cham
Der solemnly arose as if to approve
the Presidents proposal.
Two nights later the Senate by a
vote of 30 to adopted the war resolu-
ton. A fed minutes after o'clock on
the morning of April the House ap-
proved it 373 to so. Dramatic scenes
and historic debate attended the pro-
cedure in both houses,
La Toilette launched into an impas-
t1oned three-hour speech by reading
a letter from a North Dakota mother
protesting in behalf of her son against
the slaughter of war.
The poor who are called TO rot in
the trenches" he shouted, have now
no organized mouthpiece; they have
no press but the day is coming, hope,
when they will be heard
And later in his speech, he thun-
dered: The man who says l am I'M
patriotic lies in his throat
Norris Blamed Gold.
The eloquent John Sharp Williams
OF Mississippi arose to reply:
The speech of the Wisconsin Sen
ator would better have become the
German chancellor, Won Bethmann-
Hollweg, than an American Senator" 3"
he charged. Il have loved the Wis
consin Senator IN a way until recently.
But I have no patience with any man
who stands up IN the Senate at this
time applauding the common enemy.
If the American people cannot be
aroused now in patriotic fervor they
are degenerate sons of noble Sires.'
Said Senator George Norris of Ne
braska: II am most emphatically op-
posed to taking any step that will
force this country into useless and
senseless war but I shall not permit
my feelings to interfere with bringing
victory to American arms
I'VE are going into war upon COM
Inand of gold" Norris added. we
are about to do the bidding of
Wealth's terrible mandate, make mil
lions of countrymen suffer, untold
generations bear burdens and shed
their lifeblood all because we want
to preserve our commercial right to
deliver munitions to the belligerents. !"
Lone Woman Opposed.
House passage of the war resolu-
ton followed IT hours of continu-
Gus debate Among those opposed
to war were Democratic Leader
Claude Kitchin of North Dakota
and Miss Jeannette Rankin of