The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1916-02-10
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF Ma.
TON GIVEN INVITA-.
TIoN TO COME HERE.
MIR. LOCKE WRITES
TO GEN. GREGORY
Letter Also Written by Cham
ber of Commerce Secretary
Direct to White House.

President Wilson has been official
ly invited TO visit this city, two let
ters requesting that Columbus be In
cluded in the itenerary Of his forth
coming southern trip having been
sent to Washington Tuesday. One of
these letters was written by Mr. W
II. Carter, Secretary of the Chamber
of Commerce, and went direct to the
White House, while the other was
written by Hon. T. J. Locke, Jr., a
local wholesale grocer, and was
mailed to attorney general I. w.
Gregory.
Attorney General Gregory is ma
tive of this county, and is closely re-
lated by ties of affinity and friend
ship to Mr.. Locke, who in his letter
urged the distinguished jurist to do
everything possible to induce the
President to come to Columbus If he
visits the South fof the purpose of
urging upon its people the dire ne
cessity for preparedness against war.
Although few small towns will be
included in the itinerary of the Pres
ident's forthcoming trip, Colum-
bians have some reason to believe
that the invitation extended him to
come here will be excepted. When
former president Taft toured the
country in 1909, he was induced to
come here through the efforts of
Hon. j. M. Dickinson, native of
Columbus who was then Secretary
Of War, and as President Wilson has
native son III ms cabinet it Is not
unlikely that he will follow the ex-
ample of his distinguished predeces-
sor in office and give Columbians the
privilege of extending him the hospi-
tality of the city.
Mr. Carter's letter to the Presi-
uent IOlloWS.
February 3, 1916.
Hon. Woodrow Wilson, President.
Washington, ID. c.
Dear Sir:
"The Chamber of Commerce of
Columbus and Lowndes county asks
that you include Columbus, Miss, in
your Sothern itinerary as one of the
speaking places,
''ln support of our invitation, we
desire to say you have addressed the
people of the large cities and through
them the American people. You
have effectually presented your mes
| sage to that class of our citizens.
But there is another class of citizens
much larger and certainly as inhu-
ential, that should by all means hear
| this message as you can only present
| it. The people of the smaller towns
and of the country districts are as
much interested in having our coun-
try prepared for any extingency as
are the people who have heard your
message and they do not all read the
daily papers.
when President Taft spoke in Co
lumbus on his southern tour, he was
greeted by ten thousand people
who came from surrounding towns
and villages, from the hills and val.
leys of this state and of Alabama
He spoke to one of the largest audi.
ences here of the entire trip and one
made up of different class of peo
pie.
IF you will honor us by includ
ing our city in your tour, we promise
you still larger audience of such {
character that through them yol
may effectively reach the Great clas
that compose the body of the South
ern people, the Country-loving Sou
/ thern farmer.
"And we need to hear you on thi
question, come and tell US about it.
II have the honor to be,
"Yours faithfully,
w. H Carter,
"Secty. Mngr