The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-15

WASHINGTON, June 1&-President
Wilson delivered a patriotic address at
the Flag Day exercises at the Treasury
Department to-day. He confined him
self to thoughts on the meaning Of the
American flag.
The fiag," he said. "is embodied not
OF a sentiment but of the history. n no
man can rightly serve under 1t who has
not caught the meaning of the history"
Some of the Presidents utterances In
reference to the leaders OF the American
people OF the past were construed as
counselling the country to maintain a
dignif,d and restrained confidence In
the present International situation.
There was not a single s~washbuckler
among them" said the President. They
were men of sober. quiet thoughts. the
more effective because there was no
buster IL. it,
look" added the President, ito
the noisy places where men are talking
In the market place we look to where
men are expressing their individual
opinions. we look where partisans are
expressing passion. instead Of trying to
attune our ears to that yolceless mass
Of men who merely go about their daily
tasks. try to be honorable. try to serve
the people they love. try to live worthy
OF the grca. communities TO which they
belong. These are the breath OF the
nations nostrils these are the sinews
II It's might"
Some of those who heard the Presi-
dent applied his remarks In this connec-
ton TO the criticisms Of the Government
policy which Secretary OF State Bryan
has made. but Washington has lons
since learned that 1t is not safe to in
terpret or apply MIR. Wilson's remarks
too freely. Beyond the words them.
selves there is no basis for believing the
President had Bryan in mind. The
President said:
Mr.. Secretary. friends and fellow
citizens:
81 know Of nothing more d!fHcult thar
to render an adequate tribute to the EN-
bIem OF our nation. For those Of US
who have lived its life and felt the bea,
OF its pulse 1t mus, be considered a
matter of impossibility to express the
great things which that emblem EN-.
bodies. l venture to say that a great
many things are aid about the fas
which very few people stop TO analyze.
For me the flag does not express a
mere body OF vague sentiments. The
flag of the United States has not beer
created by rhetorical sentences In
declarations of independence and in bills
OF rights II has been created by the ex.
perience OF "a great people. and nothing
is written upon II that has not beer
written upon II by their lie. II Is the
embodiment not OF a sentiment but o,
history. and no man can rightly serve
under that flag who has not caugh,
some Of the meaning OF that history.
Experience. ladies and gentlemen, IL
made by men and m Experience
Is the product OF those who do the living
under that flag. II Is their living that
has created it's significance. You dc
not create the meaning Of "A national life
by any literary exposition of Il, but by
the actual daily endeavors OF a great
people to do the tasks OF the day and
live up to the ideals OF honesty and
righteousness and Just conduct.
Tribute to Pioneers.
And as we think OF these things, our
tribute Is to those men who have created
this experience. Many OF them are
known by name to all the w~orld-states-
men, soldiers, merchants. masters OF
industry. men OF letters and of thought
who have coined our hearts into words
or these men we feel that they have
shown us the way. They have not beer
afraid to go before. They have known
that they We're speaking the thoughts OF
a great people when they led that great
people along the paths OF achievement
"There was not n single swash'
buckler among them. They were men oi
! saher nutaf fhnuuht fha mara affacttvs