Evening star., 1915-11-20
Laying Of Corner Stone for
Building Projected in Honor
:" Of William Mckinley.
Mr.. WILSON is UNABLE
TO ATTEND CEREMONIES
Exercises at Niles, Ohio, to Mark the
Birthplace of States Dis
tinguished Son.

NILES. Ohio, November 20.-The cor
ner stone of the National Mckinley
birthplace memorial was laid here at
noon today with ceremonies reminiscent
Of the former Presidents life. Lead,
Kindly Light a favorite hymn of the
murdered President, and the Strauss
waltz. ''On the Beautiful Blue Dan
ube,' a favorite of Mrs McKinley's.
rine Band. and James H. Hoyt. an inti-
mate friend of the former President,
recited personal "reminiscences.
President Wilson was .forced to de-
cline an invitation to lay the corner
stone, but he sent a representative of
the national administration and prom
ised to be present at the dedication of
the building later. Other guests of the
day included Senators Atlee, Pomerene
and Warren G. Harding of Ohio, Repre-
sentative William A Ashbrook of Johns
town, Ohio: ]. G. Schmidlap of Cincin-
natl, one of the trustees of the memo
rial fund; Gov. Frank Willis of Ohio,
Myron T. Herrick of Cleveland, former
amba ssador to France. and l.. C. Dyer
of st. Louis, member of Congress
and commander of the United Spanish
War Veterans. Gov. Willis. Mr.. Her
rick and Representative Dyer being
thC pi iHSipdl SpedheTS.
= Parade Opens Program.
The days program began with 4
parade, in which state troops. veteran
organizations, Masons and other or
ganizations in which Mr.. Mckinley was
interested. took part. Camps of Spanish
War Veterans and posts of the Grand
Army of the Republic from Cleveland,
Ifnr - ~. \
Pittsburgh. Sharon and New Castle,
Pa were in the line OF marchers. Half
a dozen bands made Music for the
parade.
Following the. Masonic part of the
program a tablet was. affixed to the
stone,. bearing this inscription:
"ERECTED 1916.
tie Perpetuate the Name and Achieve
ments of William Mckinley, Twenty
fifth President of the United States of
America. .a
BORN January 2s,:Is43
DIED September H., 1891" .
The building itself when complete
will be a two-story STRUCTURE of severe
colonial design, flanksd by one-story
wings of almost equal length with the
main structure, The main portico is
to be supported by six ionic columns
and the facade of each wing will carry
as many similar supports in sectional
FORM The cornice will be plain, and
rectangular doors and windows will
emphasize the straight lines, of the
design. -
Mr.. Dyer Advocates Preparedness.
After paying tribute to the memory
of William Mckinley, Representative
L. c. Dyer of st. Louis, Mo-, command
er-in- chief of the United Spanish War
Veterans. told of the unpreparedness
of the United States for the war with
Spain, and declared himself pledged
to the support CT the movement for in
cEeasing- the army and navy
He declared that the United States at
the present time was of all the coun-
tries in the world virtually the least
able to defend itself and its possess
sions
Thousands of persons who served in
the -Spanish-American war lost their
lives, and many who are living today
are physically disabled by disease con-
tracted in that service, because, he
said, the country was so unprepared
for war that President Mckinley had
to call for volunteers, who rushed into
the field without any training or prep
aration for the hardships that a soldier
has to encounter.
He also said, in part:
Argues for Better Treatment