The Republican journal., 1917-03-22
Washington as it is Today.
By Vesta Davis Higgins.

gratlhed desires, and believing that my
heart fully appreciates the value of the
privilege that has.been mine, of living
for months i, the shadow of the great
events of this history making period o.
our nation, and being enabled at this
time to witness the important function
of the inauguration of President-one
more interesting experience in my life
never to be forgoIten-I feel great de.
sire to transmit little of this buDbline
enthusiasm to my home friends through
The Journal, even though much l may
tell you will DE an ''old story" at the
date this can reach them through the med.
ium of weekly paper.
The great event, both for Washington.
and for all the United States of America,
the ceremony of seating newly chosen
President, occurring as it does once in
four years, never loses its interest.
In fact, that interest increases with the
years. The elaborate nature of the set
ting for each Inauguration is more pro-
nounced in its gorgeous fulfillment. the
gathering at Washington from every
State in the Union of larger numbers.
At che Inauguration of Andrew jack
son in 1929, when he rode to the capitol
in carriage made from the hull of the
frigate Constitution, the ceremonies were
considered most respondent, and in COM
parison with the present day inaugural,
the words of Daniel Webster are inter-
esting: "Never has such crowd been
seen here before. There must have been
fully s, 900 people along the line of march.
Persons came 500 miles to see the Presi-
dent lnaugurated.
Today, hundreds of thousands of peo-
pie representing every State, as we'll as
foreign countries, thronged the capitol
plaza, and Pennsylvania Avenue to the
White House, despite the recent inclem-
ent weather. After week or ten days
of almost perfect spring weather, the
week proceeding the important event
produced most alarming change. Sleet,
rain, more sleet and more rain, followed
until it was with great difficulty that the
final arrangements and elaborate decora.
tons of the city were completed. The
Second, third and fourth days of March
was almost steady downpour, dis
tressing condition of things certainly.
And when we aWoke the morning of the
fifth, to the same dark leaden skies, and
with little comfort to be extracted from
the ''weather man," the hopes of the
city were at low ebb. 1t was with
great delight we noted little later the
wind swing straight into the west, and
the sun burst forth, for which we were
grateful indeed, even though during the
afternoon a raking wind attempted to
make things rather uncomfortable.
At IL 30 the Presidents carriage I'M
der heavy escort came up the avenue to
the Capitol The immense grandstand
across the east front of the Capitol,
which had been under construction for
faooH
white cloth, festooned and wreathed
with laurel Thereon were numbered
seats for ten thousand people, forming
a mass of bright color, the brilliant uni
forms of high officials intermingling.
Flags and bunting everywhere kept the
colors of the republic in the eyes of the
people, and high up on the glistening
white dome at the feet of ARMED Lib
erty," four great banners-the Stars
and Stripes-foated in each of the
heavens quarters. Against the back.
ground of the noble, white building the
effect of the whole scene was picture
to live in history, carrying suggestion
of the simple majesty and dignity of the
republic. At a central point, on raised
dals at the extreme front of the grand
stand facing the east, and the sea of up
turned faces of thousands more crowd
ing the plaza, Woodrow Wilson for the
second time took the oath of office
People who are used to crowds esti-
mated that 35, 600 people surrounded the
President at this time, and from there
on down the avenue, more than mile to
the White House, was surglng sea of
human beings. Stands had been built at
Intervals along The route, each seating
many hundreds Of people. Every win
dow and balcony contributed its quota,
ranging IN price OF tickets from SIP on
top floors to 500 at best points of van
tage on second floor just above the
heads OF the crowds on the curbs, where
family parties We're held Prices scared
high Tor good seats, and some balconies
were sold out for 5000, with use of room
adjoining. the immense stands erected
at the Treasury building in front of the
reviewing stand at the White House, and
at the State War ard Navy building held
many more thousands.
Immediately after the address by the
President, the carriages were again
taken, and the waiting procession, which
had been for hours forming On all the
adjacent streets and avenues, escorted
the President down historic Pennsylvania
avenue TO the White House. And that
inaugural parade is certainly we'll worth
crossing a continent to view.
will not attempt any detailed de-
description, as all that will have been
read at home in the daily papers, but
will simply speak of some features
which may have specially claimed my
attention, and give ideas gathered from
remarks heard here and there, which
gave one an understanding Of the trend
of peoples thoughts. Because of the
serious conditions that confront the ad-
ministration the inaugural ceremonies
seemed to have deeper significance to
the people. l am told it was one of the
most solemn inaugurals in the history of
the nation. Instead OF the general hoi-
day or carnival spirit, one sensed strong
ly the feeling of tenseness and patriot
ism which prevailed. Although there
was less of the military than is usual in
these parades, due in measure to the
fact that most OF the regulars of the
Army and Navy are elsewhere on duty
from which they could not be spared,
many being held on the Mexican border
at this time, yet the spectacle presented
to all minds the spirit of "prepared-
ness" Ali branches of the regular ser
vice were represented infantry, cav
airy, artillery, engineer corps, marines
and trained man OF wars men, fighting
men all. Closely following them came a