34 THE FRISCO-MAN A REVIEW OF THE YEAR. Prohibition Amendment ( ConLinued Prom page 5) The putting into effect of nation- At this time there had arisen a num- wide prohibition and the subniission ber of problems so difficult to handle by Collgress of the constitutional that it seemed possible at times that amendment for complete woman's the Peace Conference might be unable suffrage were other important events to reach a settlement. On March 21 it of the year. Ratification of the na- was reported that the Italian delega- tional prohibition amendment came tion threatened to withdraw from the early in the year with a rapidity that conference unless the port of Fiume surprised the nation. The Michigan was awarded to Italy. On April 2 legislature ratified the amendment on Baron Makino, head of the Japanese January 2 and other states acted rap- delegation, declared that "no Asiatic nation could be happy in a League of idly on the measure during the en- Nations in which sharp racial discrim- suing month. On January 16 Ne- ination is maintained." On March 11 braska's legislature acted, giving the Secretary Lansing, speaking at a din- necessary three-fourths majority for ner in honor of the American peace the amendment. On January 29 the delegation, had given warning that the State Department proclaimed the rati- imposition of too harsh terms upon fication of the amendment and set Germany woulcl cause the spread of January 16, 1920, as the date when Bolshevism and anarchy. On the other it \voulcl become effective. hand, on April 8 the majority of the On January 9 Attorney-General House of Commons sent a telegram to Gregory tendered his resignation, to Lloyd George, reminding him of his become effective March 4, and A. election pledge to force the utmost in- Mitchell Palmer was appointed to suc- demnity from Germany, and on April ceed him on February 27. On January 10 members of the French Senate 11 Walker D. Hines was appointed signed a resolution expressing the hope director-general of the railroads to that full restitution and reparation for succeed William G. McAdoo, who had damage I\-odd be exacted from the tendered his resignation. enemy and that the full cost of the war The government's first blow at the would be imposed upon those respon- radicals during the year was delivered sible for it. on January 8, when Congressman Vic- Domestic Affairs tor L,. Berger and four other socialist leaders were found guilty by a federal The return of the United States to jury in Chicago of conspiring to inter- a condition of peace was not accom- fere with the successful conduct of the plisl~ecleasi1~-. Unusual conditions ex- war. On February 18 they were sen- isted and the people of the country tenced to twenty years' imprisonment. \yere confronted with problems that had been unknown in the days before On January 25 it was announced by the war. One of the most striking the chief of staff of the army that when developments of the year was the the war ended, on November 11, 1918, startling activity of the radical ele- the United States had the second larg- ment, which was engaged apparently est army on the western front, with in a well organized effort to undermine 1,950,000 men. France had 2,950,000 the government and bring about a men, and the British, including the condition similar to that existing in Portuguese, 1,718,000. On February Russia. Entirely aside from the in- 6 the War Department reported that dustrial disorders, which were unusu- American casualties in Northern Rus- ally numerous during the year, the ac- sia, to the end of January, were 409 tivities of the I. W. W. and other killed out of a force slightly in excess radical groups forced the government of 5,000. It was also announced by to take unusual measures for their the jjrar Department on February 12 suppression. that in the three months following the A REVIEW OF THE YEAR 1919 3 5 signing of the armistice, 287,000 Amer- priation bill because of a "rider" re- ican troops overseas had embarked for pealing- the daylight saving law. Con- home and that 1,330,000 men in home gress ~romptlypassed a separate bill camps had been demobilized. repealing the daylight saving law and Congress Passes Suffrage when President Wilson vetoed this One of the first acts of the new measure, both Houses passed the bill House was to pass the woman suffrage over his veto on August 20. amendmcnt to the constitution by a Much of the industrial unrest es- vote of 304 to 89. The amendment isting throughout the country mas at- was again brought up in the Senate tributed to the greatly increased cost on June 4 and this time was adopted of living. As prices continued to ad- by a votc of 36 to 25, two more than vance, the government took steps to the necessary tu o-thirds. Having been curb profiteering and to reduce prices. passcd by both branches of Congress, On August 8 President IVilson ad- the amendment then went to the state dressed Congress on the necessitj- of legislatures for ratification. reducing the cost of living, recom- On May 17 the War Department mending measures designed to pro- estimated that America's participation duce this result. Some of the legisla- in the war had cost $21,291.000,000. tion proposed was enacted by Con- On May 20 President Wilson, by gress and the Department of justice cable, recommended to Congress that undertook to enforce vigorously the it repeal the war-time prohibition act laws prohibiting profiteering. Later so far as it affected the manufacture it was announced that a reduction in of wine antl beers, but no action was prices had resulted, 1,ut the reduction taken upon the recommendation. On was so small as to have little nppre- June 5 the postmaster-general restored ciable effect upon the cost of living. control of the telegraph and telephone The country was aroused during the systems to the owners, so far as oper- summer by a series of race riots, the ations were concerned, but retained first of which occurred in Iiashinston jurisdiction over the finances of the on July 21. Fbur persons were lcdletl companies and the rates charged pencl- in the rioting at the capital. On July ing action by Congress. 27 the most serious race riot of the The activities of anarchistic elements year began in Chicago. For several mere manifested 011 June 2, when days a large section of the city. of bombs mere exploded simultaneously which negroes composed the principal at the residences of ten men in eight population, was in a state of seige. It Eastern cities. One bomb, which es- was finally found necessary to call out ploclecl at the home of Attorney-Gen- state troops to quell the disturbance era1 Palmer in Washington, blew the and before order had been restored bomb planter to pieces, but none of thirty-three persons Ilad been killed the intended victims were injured. and hundreds injured. About half oi The probability that the woman suf- the killed \\-ere whites and half negroes. frage amendment to the constitution Other clashes bet~veen negroes and noulcl be adopted before the next pres- whites occurred at other points cluring idential election was indicated by the the following weelis. On September prompt action of the legislatures of 27 a great mob in Omaha. Nebraska, Illinois. IVisconsin and AIichigan, all lynched a negro prisoner. set fire to'the of which ratified the amendment on court house and attempted to hang June 10. the mayor. On September 29 t\vo ne- U. S. Goes Dry on July 1 groes were I!-nclletl by a inoh at Mont- On July 1 the war-time emergency gomery, ;ilal)an~a. (-)n 0ctol)er 1 a prohihitior act went into effect ant1 for serious I~nttlebctwecn the races 1)roke the first time in history the sale of out at Elaine. Arkansas. and before liquor was i!e throughout the the trouble was ended by federal and United States. On July 12 President state troops five white men antl eleven Wilson vetoed the ae;ricultural appro- negroes had been killed. 36 THE FRISCO-MAN In recognition of the services which other doctrine that attacks the sov- he rendered as commander-in-chief of ereignty and independence of Mexico." the American Espeditionary Forces, A new revolutionary governnient in General I'ersliing was made a general Mexico was proclainled by the follo~v- for life hy act of Congress. IIis noni- ers of Villa, ~vitliGeneral Felipe An- ination for this post was confirmed b~ geles as provisional president. Villa's the Senatc on September 4 and the forces began an attack upon Juarez conimission was handed to General on June 11 and the following day, Pershing as he landed, on September after several Americans in El Paso had been killed or wounded I>y shots across 8, at Seu. York, where he and the the border, American troops crossed First Division, which accompanied to Juarez and attacked the Villa forces. him, were given an enthusiastic recep- After a battle, in which the Villistas tion. 1ve1-e routed with a loss of forty-five The United States entertained a men, the American troops returned number of distinguished officials from across the border. On June 19 the abroad during the latter part of the Carranza governnlent notified the year. On Septenlher 9 Cardinal Mer- United States that it had taken steps cier of Belgium landcd at Xew Yorli to protect American citizens in the and began a tour of the country.