Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-04-30
Principal Grafton Is Delivered
by Viviani, Who Praises
American Statesmen and
Their Ideals.
TOUCHING TRIBUTE
PAID BY BALF0UR
High Officials of Three Ma
tons Unite in Honoting
Memory and Achievements
of Washington.
10y MORNING IouNnAt SPECIAL LEASED ~rrr,


Mount Vernon, Va, April 29.-Thc
| flags of Great Britain, France and the
United States floated proudly togeth-
er today over the tomb of George
Washington. Beneath them spokes-
men of the three great democracies
paid homage to Americas soldier and
statesman and pledged themselves.
each to the other in the name of the
dead, to prosec, the present strug-
gle against auto 'acy on the lines he
himself had / lowed in bringing
America into be Z.
Nature was il, her most bounteous
garb. The evergreen, eternal senti-
nels before the tomb, stood out bold
ly in the new life Just blossoming.
The only sign human change
since Washing 's,as .a.d to rest 50
long ago was the flags of the three
allies over the arched entrance to the
tomb itself. In groups of twos and
threes an eminent gathering, includ-
ing the members of the French and
British war commissions, the presi-
dents cabinet and mem bers of con-
gress, had strolled up through the
sloping grounds from the river bank
until perhaps half hundred people
stood with barred heads In sern-cir
Gle before the tomb The day, whicn
had been heavy and threatening as
the party approached IN the Mayflow-
er, suddenly burst into sunlight which
played through the trees on the uni
forms and faces of those assembled.
Deep Emotion shown.
Without formality, Secretary Dan
iels motioned TO NJ. Vivlani, minister
of justice and former premier of
France, who advanced slowly into the
center. Before the tomb OF Washing |
ton, whose efforts towards liberty his
ancestors had glorlously aided, NJ. Vi
viani delivered an address in which !
the whole force of his emotional pow |
er, deepened by the significance and
somberness of the occasion, fought |
for expression.
The SPECTATORS, though most Of |
them could not understand French, !
caught the suppressed feeling and fire
of the orator and followed his words |
spellbound, and as he finished, the si-
lence became supreme with the gen !
eral realization that no applause could |
express the emotions aroused.
NJ. Viviani said In part:
"I esteem it q supreme honor as
we'll as a satisfaction for my con-
science to be entitled to render this
homage to our ancestors in .he pres
apca ne INV co1Iaogua ana frinr 4 Mr.
Balfour who so nobly represents his
great nation. BY thus coming to lay
here the respectful tribute of every
English mind he shows, in this his
toric moment of communion which
France has willed, what nations that
live for liberty can do.
when we contemplate in the dis
tant past the luminous presence of
Washington, in nearer times the ma
when we respectfully salute President
Wilson, the worthy heir of these great
memories, we at one glance measure
the vast career of the American peo-
pie. 1t is because the American
people proclaimed and won for the
nation the right to govern itself, it is
because 1t proclaimed and won the
of all men, that the free
American people at the hour marked
by fate has been enabled with COM
manding force to carry its action be-
yond the seas: it is because it was re-
solved to extend its action still fur
ther that congress was enabled to OBJ
tain within the space of n few days
the vote of conscription and to pro-
claim the necessity for national
army in the full splendor of civil
peace.
I'm the name of France salute the
young army which will share in the
glory.
Tribute to Allied Heroes.
while paying this supreme tribute
to the memory Of Washington I do
not diminish the effect of my words
when turn my thoughts to the mem
ory OF so many unnamed heroes.
ask you before this tomb to bow in
earnest meditation and all the fervor