The sun., 1919-05-19
HARDING AROUSES
SPIRIT OF AMERICA
Stirs Great Enthusiasm by
Pledge Senate Will See Ma
tionalism Upheld.
DIR. HILL FLAYS TRAITORS
Noted Citizens in Audience at
Defence Leagues Big Car
negie Hall Meeting.

Senator Warren q. Harding of Ohio
promised cheering audience in Carnegie
Hall last night that the United States
Senate would not fail in the preserva-
ton OF American nationality. The audi
ence was assembled for the Americanixa-
ton meeting of the American Defence
Society. Speaking Of the equality of
opportunity In America Senator Harding
reviewed the humble beginnings of some
Of his anonymous colleagues in the
Senate.
You may not think much of us now"
he declared amid laughter. but Just
wstch u.s.
Then. assuming a serious tone, he
continued:
The preservation Of American ma
tionality rests with the United States
Senate to-day-and tho Senate is not
going to fail you"
He was interrupted by tumultuous
cheers.
II see there Is no note OF information
alism in this Americanization meeting"
ne continued, and again the audience
broke out In unrestrained applause and
yeils, until the speaker declared: "The
spirit OF America to-day IL the spirit of
nationalism and the Senate Is going to
see that that spirit Is expressed in ac-
tion."
Though Senator Harding was ono Of
the original Senators who signed the
Lodge round robin protesting against
the League Of Nations when the first
draft was submitted. this Is the first ex-
preston Of his opinion that has been
heard since the later draft and the
Peace Treaty have been made public.
He developed in his speech the whole
history OF the growth of the spirit Of
| America, asserting that only in the last
great war had It found its true express
sion In the amalgamation of all the ele-
rnents which had been so carelessiy as
simulated in the country's rapid indus
| trial growth.
Costs Heavily to Do tho Task.
sixty thousand American lives, 1885,
goo American casualties and the expen-
diture OF untold wealth was needed in
order for America to find herself. but
the task was DONE" he said.
He told of constituent who had
| written him In protest over the arming
OF American merchant ships in Febru-
| ary 1917. saying that there was no such
thing as distinctly American citizen"
Our forefathers." Senator Harding
| said. severed this country from its
parent moro in protest than in the quest
OF freedom and turned to nationality to
| preserve their newly acquired freedom.
They laid the foundations in civil human
| and religious liberty upon which the
| American temple was built. where equal
opportunity and equal rights are guar
| anteed to all. with rewards In proportion
to their merit
Tho fathers did not foresee the great
| development OF our resources and for
| generations we received new men into
| this country with more thought of their
| numbers than their character with more
| thought of the opportunity for them than
| OF their suitability for citizenship, with
| more thought of our economic needs for
| them than for the way in which they
should assimilate our political institu-
| tons
| We not only neglected the American
ixation OF these people. but we positively
| discouraged II. We left them to the
mercies of the asitator and the scoun-
drels who thrive on agitation. As they
| came out OF the darkness OF Europe
| where revolution was the only cure for
their ills, we neglected to prove to them
that the first consideration OF liberty in
America was order. and that while we
would not tolerate revolution, every man
had a voice in Americas affairs.
80 when we came TO the test OF the
| great war we had to go far afield. We
had to make it popular by declaring that
! the war was a war for democracy and
| not for the defence OF outraged Americas