Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-30
HONOR SIMON WOLF
Banquet in Celebration of His
Seventeen Birthday.
GUESTS FROM MANY STATES
Proclaimed Greatest Jewish Citizen
in the Country.
BARELY ABLE TO RESPOND
Mr.. Wolf Much Affected by the Trib-
utes Of His Friends-Toasts
and Speeches.
GUESTS FROM MANY STATES
BARELY ABLE TO RESPOND

AS tribute to his long and useful career
banquet was given in honor of the seven
tieth birthday of Mr.. Simon Wolf (pro-
claimed by his co-religionists the greatest
Jewish citizen in the United States) at the
Arlington Hotel last night.
About 13O persons were present repre-
senting nearly every state in the Union.
The three District Commissioners. mem
bers OF the clergy and of the District su-
preme bench, were in attendance, and the
numerouT eulogies Of Mr.. Wolf will set the
evenings celebration down one of the
most memorable in the life Of the guest of
honor.
So impressed was Mr.. Wolf by the laud-
atory remarks Of the speakers and the con-
sratulations from friends upon rounding his
three-score years and ten that he was
barely able to express his appreciation of
1t all.
Mr.. VOLTS Response.
In his response Mr.. Wolf said in part:
my friends: My first duty is to thank
the committee that has arranged this pro-
gram. I cannot find language sufficient to
express my gratitude. I thank you one and
all.
II remember. in 1881, when I passed
through Egypt on the way to visit the lit
tie village in Germany where 1 was born
I found testimonial thanking me for the
loyalty expressed in my speeches through
out the United States.
Il have tried to live for the betterment
of the Jew and Christian alike. You are
here tonight not to pay tribute to me, but
to the betterment of the cause we all love
so well-that of the uplifting of all man
kind.
MY mother used to say: No matter
how much you have, always remember
a a yYhn M 1aol loco
l have always remembered that. l have
no bank account. My ambition has been to
gain the friendship of men who would give
me strength to maintain the struggle of
life. Another ambition has been to mold
the best in the Jew into the American, and
get the ideal citizen.
THAT, gentlemen, has been my ambition.
and thank God I have succeeded to a GER
tain extent. We know that God has Great
ed all of US, and there is only one thing to
judge us by, and that is what have
done on this earth to entitle us to recogni-
ton. l shall ever remember this occasion.
From the innermost recesses of my heart
l thank each and every one 1 do not want
your praises l only want your good will
and esteem. AS an American citizen and
Jew 1 want your love"
After the guests had been seated and the
invocation was offered Rabbi Abraham
Simon, who presided as POSTMASTER. pro-
posed toast to the President of the United
States, who had been invited, but who was
unable to attend. The first toast responded
to was Washington and its citizenship"
by Commissioner H. B. F. Mcfarland,
which was, in part, as follows:
Commissioner Macfar1and's Address
washington citizenship is the best in
the country. 1t has divided allegiance.
1t has high intelligence. 1t has keen and
strong public spirit 1t has great civic
pride. Selected by natural and official pro-
cesses from the best in our states and the
best beyond the sea, it is the finest of the
wheat. From all over the country visitors
come here and renew their patriotism
where there is but one flag and one tradi-
ton and one sentiment, all national. We
who live here have the advantage of being
at the national hearthStone all the time.
The citizens of the national capital must
think nationally, must be men of far and
broad vision. They are quick to catch the
best of new ideas while retaining the best
of old ideals. Moreover, they must and do
think internationally. They are hospitable
to foreigners. sympathetic with suffering
abroad. as well as at home, interested in
foreign well domestic questions. No
where else can you find as much breadth
and depth in conversation. for example. All
these things conspire to give our citizen
ship peculiar strength and richness. 1t is
fortunate, since our form of government is
workable only by an intelligent and active
and just public opinion, that we have such
a citizenship. At the District building.
where the citizens make known quickly and
strongly what they desire or oppose, we
feel every day the high quality of the pub
lie opinion of the national capital. 1t is
candid. judicious. weN-informed 1t is not
hysterical nor captious. 1t prevails when
it has unity public opinion prevails no
where else. We see also the willingness of
the citizen to give his time and his money
for public purposes, and especially for phil
anthropic objects. We see his willingness
to give himself in courageous optimism
Notwithstanding the 'kickers' and the
Knockers to the service of the COM
munity.
Il resent strongly the lies about our citi-
zens. If we wanted to point to one man
VINO should show how false they are we
chose to be American. while most of us
had no choice about it, and who exempli-
fies the qualities of the national American
which enrich the citizenship of Washing
ton. Successful in his own career useful
in his profession, active in the public serv-
ice, an informed critic of public affairs,
above all, enthusiastic in every project for
the advancement of Washington, he meas
ures well up to the standard of the true
Washington Citizen
In responding to the toast to 1.-The Law
and It's Profits" Frederick L. Siddons said:
Fortunately, indeed are the people of
the national capital, that they can count
among the number such a citizen as our
guest; citizen to whom the fundamental