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Show SENATOR LODGE FELLS A I PACIFIST WHO ASSAULTS I HIM IN THE CAPITOL I Member of Peace Delegation Calls Massachusetts Senator "Coward" and Strikes Him When He I Resents Assertion Aged Statesman Sends H Opponent Sprawling to Floor. WASHINGTON. April 2. A person- j al encounter between Senator Lodge of Massachusetts, and Alexander Bannwart of Dorchester, Mass., in which the senator knocked his oppo nent down, occurred today in the corridors cor-ridors of the capitol. Bannwart, with the Rev. Paul Harris Har-ris Drake of Christ church, Dorchester, Dorches-ter, and several other men and women of pacifist delegations, called Senator Lodge to the door of his committee room and asked him to vote against a declaration of war with Germany. Senator Lodge replied that if President Presi-dent Wilson asked for such a declaration declara-tion he certainly would support it. "That is cowardice," retorted one of the group. "National degeneracy is worse than cowardice," roplied the Massachusetts senator. "You aro a coward," said Bannwart. "You are a liar," retorted Senator Lodge. Bannwart advanced and struck the senator, who then, despite his sixty odd years, launched a blow that sent Bannwart sprawling on the hard tiles of the corridor. Bannwart and several of his friends I were taken, in charge by the capitol : police. i . Denies Being Aggressor, j Bannwart told the capitol police , ho was not the aggressor and con tended that Senator Lodge struck tho first blow. In other respects his story did not differ greatly from that told by employes in the senator's office. Bannwart Gets Pummelled. After Senator Lodge finished with the pacifist, David B. Herman of this city stepped in and, according to spec- tators, pummelled Bannwart, cutting i several gashes in his forehead and spreading blood over his face. Bannwart Bann-wart was taken to a police station with directions that a charge of as- i sault on Senator Lodge be preferred against him. The others in the group 1 with him wero allowed to go. j Senator Lodge appeared on the floor when the senate met and apparently ap-parently was none the worse for his encounter. Scores of senators went over to tho Massachusetts senator's desk and shook his hand. Pacifist headquarters gave out a statement about the affair, which, in part, was as follows: "A group of Massachusetts delegates to the peace gathering wore received by Sonator Lodge. A plea for peace was presented and replied to by Senator Sen-ator Lodge. On some further talk by Alexander Bannwart of Boston, an American, and said to be of Swiss descent, de-scent, the senator suddenly called 'You aro a damned liar.' "The Massachusetts man replied: " 'I must call you one,' or words to that effect Claim Lodge Struck First. "On this, Senator Lodge struck Bannwart Bann-wart in the fact. The Boston man struck back, knocking the senator down. Thereupon a group of young men came out of the senator's office and began to beat Bannwart, striking also, whether or not accidentally, a young lady among the delegates." The version of the affair at the capitol cap-itol was that it was Bannwart who was knocked down and that Bannwart was the aggressor. Senator Lodge's Statement. Senator Lodge's formal statement follows: "I was trying to got away from them. They were very violent. I said: 'Well, we must agree to differ.' "Then this man, whom I afterward learned was Bannwart, said 'You are a damn coward.' I said 'You are a liar.' He struck me and I struck him. Then the whole parly rushed at me and pushed me against the wall. "A young man from Arizona who was in the corridor, my secretaries and Senator Stone's messenger intervened for my protection and drovo them off." Lodge Denies Statement. Sonator Lodge declared that the statement of the affair issued by the pacifists was an "absolute falsehood." Senator Weeks issued a statement testifying that Senator Lodgo was not the aggressor, but was attacked by Bannwart and the pacuist pari)'. "Senator Weeks said: "The unprovoked and disgraceful assault as-sault has a far wider significance than simply an assault upon an individual. It Is well for tile country to take notice no-tice that those who claim to bo trying try-ing to keep the country out of war are among the most intolerant of our citizens citi-zens and do not hesitate to nttack those who hold different opinions. Such people should be watched. I doubt the good faith and loyalty of men and women who arc so far lost to the proprieties as these who committed com-mitted tnis offonse," |