The Washington times., 1906-10-08
THOUSANDS HEAR
MILLER'S ADDRESS
At FIRST SESSION
National Guard ArmOry
Filled With EnthuSi-
aStiC Soldiers.

Ten thousand honoTed heroes of She
war OF 1885 aye gathered iu Washington
70 attend the thlrd annual encampmes.t
OF the United Spanish War Veterans
which was opened in the National
Guard ArmOrg. over Central market. AT
ii O'Clock this morning.
The city is In the hands OF the in
vaders who will remain here until sat
urday evening Buildings are decor
ated with asss, banners, bunting. and
Welcome Spanish War Veterans"
signs. The department OF The District.
under the able leadership of Command
er ]. Walter Mitchell has planned more
entertainments than were ever heard
Of before at an encampment and this
years convention viii doubtless eclipse
all others held by the organization.
Battle-scarred and manned veterans
with smiling Faces focked to the place
Of meeting this morning. All roads lead
to the Guard Armory. and the spacious
drill halI was well filed long before the
meeting was brought to order. Eight
hundred or a thousand members Of the
ladies' auxiliary were also there in gala
attire and wearing badges showing the
name OF their favorite candidate. and
whence they came.
Commissioner Macfarlaud ana Com
mander-in-Chief Charles r. Miller de-
nvered the principal addresses. and were
received with cheers from the vast con-
course Of men who fought so valiantlv
TO free Cuba in 1898.
Urell Opens Meeting.
Col NJ Emmett UreII, formerly com
mander OF the department Of the Dis-
trict and chairman Of the committee on
reception. opened the encampmeut at
II O'Clock with a few remarks. in which
he introduced the Rev. w. II. T. Reanev.
chaplain of the local branch of the or
ganization, who pronounced the solemn
Invocation. Chairman Ureu then pre-
scented Commissioner Henry 3. L. Mac
farland, who gave the assembled vet
erans a most cordial welcome and
turned over 10 them the keyc of Greater
Washington.
Macfarland's Welcoming Address.
The Commissioner said.
Washington is glad 10 welcome the
veterans OF the war for humanity
which has had such remarkable and
beneficent results. In this hall. where
the first organization Of Spanish War
Veterans was formed, the representa-
tives of the great national order To
which they now belong ought 20 feel
peculiarly at home. Here in the Ma
tional Capital. whence they were call
ed into service, and where their efforts
were directed, by President Mckinley.
himself a veteran OF the civil war, pass
ing on the honorable tradition Of the
American volunteer, Of the American
soldier, here where the greatest Of the
Spanish war veterans, now Commander
in-chief of the Army and Navy, waits
TO welcome his comrades at the White
House, you do not need to be given the
freedom OF the city.
Never was war more righteous or
successful than your war. And though
it was fortunately little In its length
and its cost. it was great in its spirit
and its consequences. 1t was thrice
blessed
Thrice Blessed War
1T blessed the islands which it freed
from medieval tyranny of custom, OF
ignorance, Of government. 1t blessed the
Old World country from which they
were taken, and which has been richer
and more prosperous ever since. It
blessed the United States with the re-
ward of such service, which is always
more service. with the burdens ami
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