Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-19
SPIRIT OF '76' HITS
MEADE in A WHIRL
Philadelphia Boys, Blessed
by Taft, Create
Camp Stir
HEAR SPEECH ON TRAIN
paker and Bliss Witness Re-
markable Scene Among
Draftees
HEAR SPEECH ON TRAIN
,, MEADE. Admiral, Md, Nov. 10.

CAMP MEADE. Admiral. Nd NOV. ls.
,,,,,, n benediction from cx-President
-. st,,l ringing In their cars. 100 Sc
TO-. mon from Local Board No. 26. of
S.r.ds,phia, came into Meade yesterday
"a saye the multitude here spectacular
s" .N, The host was led by the spirit of
"a. impcrsonated by three lads who
"a the part. The wild shrek of the
a.. the piercing notes of the flute and
..or boom of the drum reverberated
uo al the echoes OF camp life and
..nsbt an ovation to the doughty young
,D',,ns who have Joined liberty's legions.
a,,,,a n.,. Seeper and more precious than this
..,nome by a throng of 10000 was the
',.dctory which the former President de-
Wysred TO the boys on the tram between
m,,r,in eton and Baltimore. Each of these
nnasters wore a regulation suit of khaki,
,n,forms being the gift of William
u..homs uS n member of the local board.
o., oame here as an escort to his charges.
h..har nc with DR.. Charles Il. Bricker and
C.srue w. Swazey, the other members of
IN, local triumvirate.
Tho boys were skylarking and singing as
.ss train gathered speed after Wilmington
sss passed Somebody flashed the word
NJ Mr.. Taft was another car. Mr..
% aSrabams was a delegate to the national
Conventions of 1912 and 1916 and was one
A. the men at the former quadrennial affair
,.ho voted for Taft. He suggested that the
lads serenade the former commander-in-
chief. This was accepted with aldcrity.
They formed into fours and marched
through two cars until they came upon tho
farmer President seated in Pullman.
singing. I'VE Are Going over" they sere-
naded Mr.. Taft, who smiled and bowed his
xayarr thntr
had finished with the song they turned into
"Oyer There" and at its conclusion some
youngster shouted, speech Speech"
The ex-President smiled ana bowed. bat
the cries continued, and In few minutes
other passengers Joined In the demonstra-
tion and appeal. Mr.. Taft motioned for
silence and then said:
Boys, it is pleasure to see you. It IS
upon you that this nation now, depends to
crush autocracy and to keep liberty where
the Spirit of 76 placed it In this world.
when look at you I. too, can remember
that every father and every mother in this
land feels a thrill of pride that her son
gagged in the noblest cause that can chal-
enge the attention and activities Of man.
kind at this time.
"Your father and your mother are proud
to see you in uniform and ] join in their
thanksgiving because the sight of every one
here reminds me that my boy. "A son I love,
Is in khaki awaiting the call to do his duty
for the land that gave. him birth.
81 have time but for one, thought to
nobly. but remember that the one request
J. would make upon you Is never to do a
single thing for which you will be ashamed
lives fight like soldiers and remember to
keep yourselves unsullied and ready again
2 look into your mothers eyes without
shame, without remorse and without a pang
Of regret that she shall find In you not the
ad who marched away so proudly"
The young selected men cheered the
former President to the echo and gave him
noisy farewell again when they detrained
at Naval Academy Junction. They marched
to Admiral while autoists and pedestrians
stopped to cheer the lads. Those who rep
resented the figures in the spirit of '76"
were William Miller as the drummer,
Michael Powers as the fifer and James E.
bore banner on which was blazoned, I'VE,
the boys Of the Twenty-sixth District of
Philadelphia, have the spirit OF 70"
The trio at the head of the procession
reached Admiral at the thick of the travel.
and as they plowed a way toward the
3lbth Infantry thousands fell into step
behind them and an impromptu parade
was formed
The fife blared out yankee Doodle" and
the marchers took UP the refrain until
Meade echoed and re-echoed with the words
OF the ancient ditty. Finally. the men.
SUI as cheery as ever. paraded down one
highway and UP another. giving everybody
VINO was In the camp a chance TO see some-
tning real and something thrilling.
IN the tower at division headquarters
we're two witnesses to this remarkabl
demonstration who took an exceptional in
terest in the entire affair. One was Newton
D. Baker. Secretary Of War; and the other
was General Tasker II. Bliss, chief of stan
OF Oh the army They gazed down on the
spirit OF '76" from a distance of 100 feet
or more. but they did not lose single