Bisbee Daily Review/1917/04/03/"Pacifists" Get Fright of Lives at Capitol
"PACIFISTS" GET FRIGHT OF LIVES AT CAPITOL
AGED SENATOR LODGE WALLOPS ONE FOR COUNT
(By Review Leased Wire.)
WASHINGTON, April 2.—Pacifists who came to Washington by the thousands today under the guidance of the Emergency Peace Federation to protest to congress against war had a turbulent time. The capital, bedecked with the national colors and overflowing with patriotic enthusiasm, gave the peace advocates anything but a cordial reception.
On the streets, the white arm bands and "we want peace" streamers of the visitors drew frequent jeers. At the capitol "patriotic pilgrims" from various cities went over the same course as the pacifists, urging members of congress to uphold the hands of the President and the honor of the nation.
There were numerous disorders, the most sensational incident of the day taking place in the office of Senator Lodge. The senator was called to the door to hear the arguments of the visitors. There were harsh words and then blows were exchanged between the senator, aged 67 and Alexander Bannwart, of Rochester, Mass., born in Switzerland of Swiss-German parents.
Senator Lodge sent his antagonist to the floor with a blow to the jaw, and while the officer force was clearing away the other pacifists a young man in the corridor pummelled Bannwart vigorously before turning him over at the hands of David B. Herman, a half grown telegraph messenger. Then the capitol police appeared and Bannwart, very bloody, was locked up charged with assault. Later he was released on $1,000 cash bail for his appearance in police court tomorrow morning.
Bannwart for some time has been a promoter and secretary of the Woodrow Wilson Independent League of Massachusetts. He was graduated from Princeton University in 1906.
Excitement over the fight in the Capitol had just subsided when a thousand of the peace champions, wearing white arm bands and banners bearing such inscriptions as "Keep Out of War," and "We Want Peace," began to assemble on the east entrance steps of the capitol for a demonstration. It was remarked that foreign accents were frequently to be heard and sentences in German were spoken more than once.
The police started to clear the broad steps before the demonstration was fairly begun. They had some difficulty and the reserves were sent for in a hurry. Then the Pacifists were pressed back to the edge of the plaza, the police forming lines to keep them there. About this time "Pilgrims of Patriotism" and other anti-Pacifists made their appearance.
Heated arguments started immediately and at least two fist fights were launched. The belligerents were very quickly then the anti-Pacifists grouped themselves about the crowd and jeered and hooted. They applauded the police every time one o the Pacifists was required to go back of the lines.
After an hour the Uacifists assembled at Convention hall for a business meeting. The convention hall adjoins a national guard armory, and guardsmen booed, hooted, jeered as the Pacifists passed. The police arrived in time to prevent hostilities. The meeting in the hall was interrupted by word that President Wilson was to address the congress shortly but the crowd made for the Capitol again. This time they let it be known that they were not going to demonstrate, so the police allowed them to stand on the steps at the house side. There they remained until it was announced that the President would not appear until 8 o'clock.
Arrangements were made quickly for holding at once the mass meeting that had been scheduled for tonight, so the delegates congregated about the capitol when the President arrived.
Speakers at the meeting urged the maintenance of peace.
The plans of the Pacifists were so delayed that their mass meeting was not in progress until just before the President went to the Capitol. Several thousand persons gathered in the hall. Disorder threatened on several occasions, but the police, reinforced by armed national guardsmen managed to hold the jeering crowd in check.
The meeting adopted a set of resolutions, protesting vigorously against war and urging the appointment of a joint high commission to settle the issues with Germany.
Free For All
A portion of the crowd discouraged at Concention hall by the police marched to the headquarters of the Emergency Peace Federation later in the night and adjourned after threatening to wreck the place if signs to banish them were not removed, started a free for all fight. It was stopped quickly by the police.
As soon as the Pacifists began to arrive today they were sent to Capitol hill by their senators and told to see the senators and representatives from their home states. The Capitol and the house and senate official buildings literally swarmed with them for several hours. It was during this period that Bannwart and several associates called at the office of Senator Lodge.
Pacifist Struck
Senator Lodge, Senator Weeks and others who saw the encounter say Bannwart struck first at the conclusion of a volley of remarks in which he called the senator a "damned coward," and the senator replied:
"You are a liar."
Bannwart tonight denied emphatically that he had hit Senator Lodge first, saying: "I had no idea he was going to strike me. He just hauled off and hit me as hard as he could. Then a half dozen fellows had a fine time trying to finish me up. That messenger boy had an especially good time. I hope I don't have to go to jail. Why, if I had hit Senator Lodge first I would not have a leg to stand on."
The Arizona man who attacked Bannwart after the latter's fight with Senator Lodge was Ward Davis, and immigration field agent of the Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce. He was at the capitol to see congress convene and happened to be passing Senator Lodge's office.