The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-07
G. A. R. IN MEETING
.rrERANs GATHER BY THOUSANDS
AT CAPITAL.
cOMRADE HAY IS ELOQUENT.
,,DnEssEs THE OLD BOYS IN BLUE
IN WELCOME.

THE "Tent City" VIII BE on the
white Lot Next to the White
uouse. and Every Arrangement
uos Rcen Made to Care for the
veterans-With Good Luck and
cood weather President May BE
we'll Enough to View the Grand
,..ode From a Carriage Wednes-
day.
Washington, Oct. 1.-THE ceremonies
Incident to the beginning OF
+be thirty sixth encampment of
tho Grand Army of the Re-
-,ublic. which commenced here
TO-DAY. were varied in character and
MOSTLY only semi-official. The only
formal proceeding of the day was the
dedication of Camp Roosevelt, the tent
citv on the White House grounds,
which will be the headquarters of the
several corps organizations during the
,reek The ceremonies there consisted
of number of addresses by men of
national reputation, the chief speech
being delivered by Secretary Hay. For
the rest the old soldiers busted them
selves largely in renewing the ac-
ouaintances of forty years ago and in
manifesting their appreciation of the
welcome extended to them
bv the capital city. OF
this welcome they found generous
evidence on every hand. The events
of the day, outside the dedication GER
emonies at Camp Roosevelt, included
a fine regatta on the Potomac. an at
tractive automobile parade, an inter-
esting procession by the Red Men of
this city and neighboring cities, and
camp fires in the evening. Command
erin Chief Torrance and his staff kept
open house all day at the Ebbitt House
and received many hundreds of callers.
At night the veterans and their
friends were entertained by an eXhl-
bition of fireworks on the Washington
monument grounds. The principal
scene represented was the rescue of the
diplomatic legations at Pekin, in which
800 persons were engaged.
Brig. Gen. Jacob H. Smith, who was
retired by President Roosevelt last
July on account of his campaign
against the natives of Samar, has come
TO Washington to attend the G. A. r.
eneampment. He spent part of to-day
at the War Department visiting old
friends.
Camp Roosevelt, which is to be the
headquarters of the various army corps
represented here during the week of
the G. A r. encampment, was formal
ly dedicated at 4:30 O'Clock this after
noon. The camp is on the White lot,
just west of the White House, and be-
tween that building and the Washing
ton monument. Addresses were made
by Commissioner B. F. Mcfarland of
the District of Columbia, Secretary of
State Hay, Secretary of the Navy
Moody and Commander-in-Ch Chief Tor
rance Of the G. A. r. and others.
Secretary Hays Speech.
The Secretary of State, Mr.. Hay
spoke in part as follows
Comrades of the Great Army: In
the name of the President and in his
stead, l bid you welcome to Washing
ton. l need not say that on every inch
Of American soil, wherever that STAR
ny banner waves, you are at home,
and need no formal words of welcome.
But especially in this capital city of
tne republic you fought to preserve,
you are the children of the house; the
doors are always open to you. Wher-
ever you turn, you are reminded of
the history of which you are a part.
From the windows of that White
mouse the eye of many comrades have
looked upon this field whose names
pelong to the ages-Lincoln, Grant,
Hayes, Garfield, Mckinley, and Roose-
Veit' In the beautiful squares other
comrades salute you from the bronze
nurses OF the monuments where your
Iove and loyalty have placed them.
across the winding river, the nights
u Arlington show the white tents of
rahe S eternal camping ground, where
sour friends and brothers repose. And,
.easung It's gigantic shadow over this
DNouac of yours the unequaled obelisk
oI washington towers to the clouds
Tue loftlest structure ever reared by
man IN memory of the Hottest char
acter in human history.
y peculiar interest attends this
sathertng. Never again shall all of us
meet IN a camp like this. Not often
SlaH the youngest and strongest of us
e0iile together to renew our memories
VI the past, and our vows of eternal
Sesotlon to the cause to which in those
g.Stdht DAYS we swore allegiance
1Alrty-seven years have passed since
ooige OF us, wearing Grape on our arms
IL u mourning In our hearts for Abra-
a in Lincoln, saw the great Army
1Hilich ne loved pass before the White
tlouse IN the grand review Many of
Iou marched in those dusty columns.
@eeping step to the rhythm of drums
iiu trumpets which had sounded the
inset IN a hundred battles. The ban
,I olew gaily out-what was left of
snen' they We're stained with the
@eaIher of long marches: they were
oPpIendld in the rags and tatters of
SPURIOUS victories. There was not
.nuch OF pomp or state about that SOL
. .uIn march. But the men in the street
nat day-many of whom L have the
nolior of seeing before me-afforded
' anelr own country, and the rest of the
S"orId a lesson which shall never be
,oIgotten, though it's tremendous i'm
Io't was not Immediately perceived.
~ TACT many differences were drawn
a. the moment which the lapse Of a
CIV months found altogether false.
one one trained observer of events in the
, Ia World said These splendid fell
toWs will give you trouble: it is too
Iltie a force to be disbanded easily"
~ ~ reasoned from the presidents of
,'r past. unaware that we were MAX
VS. new presidents. Since then the
bo,Id has learned the lesson of that
rs our The normal condition of the
npuoilc Is peace, but not the nerveless
'edce of helplessness.
IN, our fathers ordained that in this re-
SSuohc there should be no distinctions;
ia human nature is stronger than
Tsms, and nothing can prevent this
beopIe from showing honor to ali who
= r.