The Washington herald., 1918-07-21

the drSt time into race all our
own, q race destined to be drawn
into yet closer bonds with the peo-
pies who developed the first West
ern civilization on the banks Of the
Tiber. and. two thousand years later,
brought to Its finest fruition on the
banks of the Seine.
'The sea seems very narrow today.
France is 50 close a neighbor to our
hearts,.
Could anyone have said IT more
sweetly, more simply, more express
lively than our President did? Could
that be improved upon as an ex-
preston of American sentiment on
Bastille Day toward our great sister
republic, our earliest friend in the
court Of nations. custodian Of some Of
the finest fruits of civilization, whose
courage and fortitude today shine like
a white flame out on a darkened
world?
"He Is no orator as Bryan is," was
the way one well known statesman
paraphrased It soon after Wilson
came to the White, House. It Is un-
doubtedly true. He does not crate. He
does not. So far as memory serves.
make public speeches extempcfane-
ously. He reads. quietly, ans abso-
lutely without any attempt at oratory,
what he has previously written out
with care and thought; ay.d without
necessarily being Wilson "fan." one
is moved to explain He sure can
write"
washington's first celebration of
Bastille Day was not In the least
spectacular. Most of our stars of the
first magnitude has gone up to New
York to take part in the big celebra-
tion there. Practically all of the
allied diplomats were there. The
French ambassador and Mime Jusser-
and, after holding a family recep-
ton for the embassy stan and to
members Of the French Mission, took
fast train up to the Metropolis.
Lord and Lady Reading were UP
there; and their rivals as Interesting
new comers," Ambassador and Wis
countess Ishii. So was the italian
Ambassador, who sent the Falorsis up
to Blue Ridge Summit to enliven the
week end for Countess di Cellere, but
himself went to New York. So was
"Mr. E. de Cartier de Marchienne" to
quote the diplomatic list. the Belgian
minister, who, 1t seems to me was
hailed as baron when he first came
over, but who seems to have dropped
his title in the yeIr that he has been
in democratic America.
the Ellipse In the afternoon, with N.
de Billy, acting high commissioner In
Tardieu's absence, and Senator James
Hamilton Lewis exchanging bouquets
of patriotism and friendship, while ell
the world and his wife, standing. or
seated on the grass, or in automo-
biles parked in a solid ring on the
surrounding roadway, applau1ed at
what seemed suitable intervals, with
out in the least knowing what was
being said. They read 1t the next
day, and were just as happy as II
they had heard, for they had been
there and gotten the picture-the flags
with the blue sky and the golden sun
light filtering through the splendid
elms-and had been able to judge just
how pink" Senator Lewis's celebrat-
ed whiskers really are, and to admire
| the subdued elegance of his attire,
One always notes what Senator Lewis
Is wearing, you know. This time II
was a "modishly cut"-without hav-
ing any very definite idea as to
masculine modes, one felt sure OF
| that-blue serge, with q lighter blue
shirt (of which one saw only the cuffs
and a line that showed in the v OF
his vest-waistcoat, mean, white
| standing collar, and white four-in-
hand tie.
The really thrilling part of the cele-
bration was the flags. Coming down
Sixteenth street, Of course the French
and American flags were Haunting
from windows all the way down, but
the real thrill was when one saw al
the end Of it those two great flags
floating over the White House. One
felt with Wordsworth, MY heart
leaps up when behold a rainbow
in the sky" For surely there was a
bow of promise, invisible. perhaps,
but very real. stretched between the
stars and stripes and the tri-color.
1t was the first time-unless the
British ran their flag over the his
toric mansion, when they took POS
session during the war of 1s12-that
any other national flag than the
American has fioated there, though
President Wilson did at one time try
the experiment OF running up "the
Presidents flag" as an indication
that the President was in residence.
1t seemed a good idea, as the stars
and stripes could then have fioated
from one of the STATS, as IL should,
every day in the year. But 1t aroused
considerable criticism of democracy
aping royalty and it was taken
down. ito be nhended," and never put
up again.
You know, don't you, that IT. is to
the British that Washington reahy
owe the white" House. They set
it on fire, as part Of their general
program Of burning Washington, and
smoked 1t so badly that the light
stone of which it was originally con-
structed was given a coat of white
wash. by our thrifty forebears-and
there are those who say that the
whitewash precedent then set has
been religiously followed in Washing
ton ever since-and to this day it is
given a fresh coat of white-paint
each spring now-not whitewash.
Certainly it was the first time that
the President has ever ordered the
flag Of any other nation flown from
every public building in the country,
and from every ship Of the navy at
home and abroad-'in recognition of
the valor, courage and heroism with
which the people Of France have for
nearly four years defended the nber-
ties Of the world" And while the
sentiment is fine-some Of the flags,
alas! were pretty punk" as my
small son put IL.