The Pulaskian., 1916-06-09
NATIONAL GATHERING opsnv,
 FORMALLY IN CHICAGO
CROWD FILLS THE CoLIsEuH
Senator Harding of Ohio Is EIso... Temporary Chairman and peIlv. ers the Keynote speeoh--
 Committees Named.

the national convention-todav hae. a capacity house. Despite tha ,o.. that the proceedings Of the frat s.~ sion were to be only preliminary =. malities, the people Hooked to th. Coliseum by the thousand and nouras through the many entrances in sol,a streams for hours. When Charles Hilles, chairman of the nationa, co,,' mittee, arose at eleven o'clock ana took up the gavel to call the convar. ton to order there was not one yacan, seat in the immense structure.
 It was fine setting for an i'm. portant event. The Coliseum was doo orated as never before, with flags are bunting draping the girders and gal leries and covering all bare spots on the end walls. Up in a gallery at tha south end of the hall a brass bans was pouring forth patriotic and popu. lar airs. Back of the speakers ros. trum, where sat MT. Hilles and his working force of 35 men, were grouped many members of the diplomatic corps who had come on from Wash. ington, and the distinguished guests of the convention, among them all liv ing exchairmen of Republican national conventions. To the right and left of these were placed the members of the national committee and ther guests.
 Tn the body of the hall, directly in front of the speakers stand, were tas s91 delegates gathered about their state standards and back of them 9sl alternates. Just below the rostrum and on both sides of 1t were the 425 working newspaper men and in tho galleries all around the hall were the thousands of spectators who had been fortunate to obtain admission tickets
 MT. Hilles was heartily applauded when he stood before the throng gavel in hand. He spoke but briefly in calling the great gathering to or der, and called on Rev. John Timothy Stone, pastor of the Fourth Presbr terian church of Chicago. to deliver the invocation. Dr. Stones eloquent and impressive prayer was followed by the reading of the call for ths convention by James B. Reynolds of Massachusetts, secretary of the na- tional committee.
 MT. Hilles then called for nomina. tions for temporary chairman. or course the selection of United States Senator Charles Warren Harding of Ohio for that position had been all settled long ago and his election by unanimous vote was only a formality Senator Harding Is an imposing figure, and as he accepted the gavel from the hands of MT. Hilles he was enthusias. tically cheered.
 Chairman Harding launched at once into his keynote" speech, and did not belle his reputation for eloquence ana deftness of phrase. He began with warm plea for harmony in the party ranks, coupled with the confident as- sertion that such harmony already was an assured fact With unetuous sen tences he skillfully oiled the way TOT ehe smooth return of those who iel' the party four years ago to follow the Bull Moose standard, and he declared to chem and to the world that he did not believe there was a really reac' tionary Republican among the dele gates.
 As might have been epexcted, NIT Harding early in his address LOOK up the subject of national defense. HIS utterances on this topic were reason ably emphatic and in line with tne preparedness sentiment that has been spreading over the land. Our nationai unselflshness has been proved slho. the great war broke out. he sa1d' anu our national weakness in defense re- vealed. The foreign policy or 'ho Democratic administration, both Ill io. lation to Europe and in the matter oA Mexico, was dealt with in few csus tic sentences, and the plan to 'u'A loose" the Philippines also was scoreu'
 The speaker devoted some attenuos to the need, from Republican poin. of view, for a protective tariff, ans ...sn turned to the topic of Americas ism. Here he once more Ter ms o'e quence have full play, and his cal ~. loyalty, devotion and love TOT 'A United States on the part Of every ono of it's citizens was answered py roar of cheers. U,
 "verily, 1t is good to be an Ame,. can. And we may rejoice to oe HO publicans," he concluded.
 When the band music that pu.. forth at the end of Senator Haroins speech was over and the assempiAss quieted down again, the other toinS rary officers were nominated elected, and the chairmen of the
 rious state delegations were ca'ieu .- to send up the names of the men lected by the delegates to repres. them on the committees on credsn
 permanent organization, rules . 2
 dor of business. and resolutlons' most cases tho names were ~ -