Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-21
Theme of Addresses Today in Public
Schools of District.
ANNIVERSARY ANTICIPATED
Variety of Programs in Which the
Pupils Participated.
ORD Err OF EX ERCl S E S

All Of the school children of the nations
capital, from the members of the June
graduating classes in the high schools down
to the tots of the kindergarten, Joined in
celebrating this Afternoon the coming of
Washington's birthday anniversary. The
natal day itself being prescribed holiday,
the school celebrations are always held the
afternoon before.
At each of the school buildings some
prominent resident of the District presided
over the joint ceremonies, while second
citizen delivered a patriotic address, all
having Washington for subject. the
speakers in all instances restrained their
propensity for oratorical flights to present
to the children in simplest language
graphic picture of one whose life and ex-
ample they have been urged to follow ever
since the establishment of the American
republic.
The exercises began in each school at $50
o'clock this afternoon, the presiding oncers
and speakers having been designated by
the committee on public schools OF the
Washington Board of Trade. OF which Dr;
A. p. Pardon is chairman. The Board OF
Trade inaugurated the plan of celebrating
the coming of Washington's birthday
number of years ago, and the occasion is
now looked forward to each year as a mo-
ment of inestimable Importance. ,
|
the programs, rendering patriotic anthems
reciting appropriate selections and In some
cases presenting essays on the father OF MS
country.
At Central High School.
One of the principal celebrations was at
the Central High School, where Mr. II. b.
F. mcfarland, president of the board OF
District Commissioners, delivered the ad-
dress of the day.
|. The Commissioner said:
The day for eulogy of George Washlng-
ton is past. The poet has had little 10 say
of him. but the orator and the historian
have exhausted praise in his honor ne
patriotic societies, which have produced IN
recent years a more general ana more
yea lous celebration of Washington plitu-
day. have made all the facts of Washlng-
toms life, and all that has been salu III
praise of them, more familiar TO US tn nan
they ever were before. Washington, ike
every other very great man or genus Can
never be known adequately by other men.
But we know now all that can ever De
known about him, and everything mas Deen
said that can be said about ms eAtraorui-
nary life. When Washington died century
ago detraction, which had barked even at
his heels, skulked away. and he TOOK nus
place among the few immortals OF the
world-a world hero; the first American
whose fame spread over every sea; the nrst
great expansionist, who not only though.
contnentally and led the advance of
America beyond the Appalachian chaln,
but spread the American ideas over every
land No one can now add laurel to ms
crown or take away. what, then, is
left for US, and especially for those VINO
Rive IN the capital which he founded, under
the shadow of his mighty monument, and
almost In sight of his home and grave? II
IS to initiate his example. 1t Is that eacn
should be, in his place and time, in kind,
though not in degree, Washington. Such
genius as his is rare. No other man in our
history has had it; for Abraham Lincoln
though similar, was not the same. ot
such character as Washington S, thank Co..
is not rare, but can be had by any one VINO
is determined to have It. We cannot have
the genius that carried through to indie
pendence the American revolution, and then,
within a decade CONVEX: led the rope OF sand
Of the confederation into the rope Of steel
of the United States. We cannot have the
ability that used fully the French as allies
| without allowing them to become masters,
and that made friends of the Engllsh Wnen
| II was no longer necessary that they should
be enemies. We cannot have the insight
| and the foresight that kept the young re-
| public out of entanging alliances with
| Europe expanded the borders of the United
| States without limit made the Monroe doc
trne inevitable, and provided for US fu-
| ture of constant growth and unceaslng
glory. But we can have, II we Will to
have the noble character that controlled
these noble powers.
A True Man.
I'VE know now, after both wicked SLAM
der and fulsome praise have been swept
aside that Washington was true man.
| We need no cherry-tree story to know that
| he could not lie. for he could be neither
| coward nor trickster. We see him, from
| his boyhood to his untimely death, in the
| prime of life, a high-minded, honorable,
! pa trotic gentleman, loyal to his family, his
| country and his God. The manliness OF
| Christianity was never better shown by
public man, whether in his faith and hope
at Valley Forge or IN his m 9aess ano
nothing 'goody-goody or sentimental about
| Washington. He stood like his monument,
| four-suuare in massive strength to every
wind that blew, towering above the world
| and pointing to the sky. We have neither
| his strength nor his height, but we can
stand firm for what we know to be right,
| and keep our lives pointing upward.
washington went through his wars
| without wound upon his body. though his
! soul was wounded over and over again, but
| he laid his life on the altar Of his country
| as perfectly if he had died for it. 1t Is
| Is the essence of noble living, and this we
| can all emulate.
Western High School.
The exercises at the Western High School,
| while brief, were quite impressive. At !
o'clock the pupils in the school and the
members of the faculty assembled in the
lecture room on the main floor, where the
program was rendered" Miss Edith c.
Wescott, the principal Of the school, was
in charge of the affair, while DR.. A. P.
Pardon was the presiding officer. The pro-
gram opened with the singing of two verses
| of America by the entire school. Dr.
| Pardon introduced Miss Antonio Carmody
| who presented a paper prepared by Miss
| "Washington's Part In Settling the Dis
| turbed Military Conditions Immediately
Following the Revolution. Another paper
was read by Miss Edith Ridout on Wash
ington's influence on the Course of Events
| Intervening between the Revolution and
| his Inauguration as.the First President" Mr.
| Charles F. Nesbit and Mr.. Lyman L. Pierce
| followed with instructive addresses upon
| the life of Washington. The program
closed with the singing of the last two
| verses of America" and the taking of the
| oath of allegiance by all of the pupils
| Eastern High School.
| The program of exercises at the Eastern
w