Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-18
Circulation Every 1IC0A
Evening Yesterday L FAOK
PASSING of The Grand Army.


Memorial Day OF this year takes on
.,Iditional significance and will be marked
:, an incident which will Incite both
.vnpathv and appreciative admiration
II will mean more than ever before pe-
.a,,se it's observance will include anoth't
,lement Of those to whose memories inc
.l,x Is devoted. and to whose honor tue |
,,.a,In &c the entire country extend ap-
nropriatc recognition.
Memorial Day now includes 'esn-
n,onv to the patriotism, the devotion ana
,bn bravery Of those who gave their liNcs
tb.t thc world might be free. Who fought
,.al,antlv on the bloody fields of battle II
France. in aid Of those who had tor weary
nontbs been opposing the formidable
military power Of the one nation q
t,,r,nc which sought t. control CON
f;,,ent with view to following ITS TIL
,rnnb by reaching across the Atlantic ana
making an enforced subject OF our couh-
trv 70 the aid Of the Allied nations q
E,rone which had arrayed themselves
AGAINST this threatening danger, We SEM
m eb;ns and our men. after repeated ae-
cressions bv the arrogant German govern
mcnt had left 10 us no other course u
b,nor What our men did on the battle
fields of Europe. and in successful conl-
ia with the trcachcrous, fiendlsh under
50 agencies Of Germany. IS now glorious
history. 1t is, therefore, with their gaI'ai''
dacdsand heroic sacrifices fresh hinmemory
that 10 will JON on the coming Memorial
Day In rendering homage to them
The incident, which viii recall many
f.n5 memories and incitc the dcepcst
ta,l,nrs 81 our nature, is the fact that the
Grand .trmv 81 the Republic, for the Frsl
,.n,c sjnce the custom Of extending natoa-
,vi5c honor IL those who gave their liyes
for their country was inaugurated, VII
moi be in control Of the affecting ana
annronriate ceremonies. Time has made
is inex6rabIe demands upon the members
of this noble organization In ITS prime y
numbered members by the thousands
Today these thousands are but hundreds
,nd tbose few members arc so enfeehled
bv advancing years, that they cannot
slpnlv the physical stamina essential 70
forming and carrying out program q
Memorial Day Observance.
The lavine Of the cornerstone of Bunker
ILIl Monument. on the Fourth Of July,
1926. was attended by handful q vel
Grams ofthe American Revolution. Scarce
IL able to walk, they were conveyed to the
place of meeting and made comfortable
bv all that loving hands could do Tor
them. They formed an element that added
interest to the occasion, that called Tor the
best efforts Of the orators Of the day, chiei
among whom was the eloquent Danlel
Webster. How to appropriately address
these old heroes. sitting within the shadow
Of the grave. was q question that gave
great concern TO Mr. Webster, Tor hls
address was to be especially directed to
them. What should he call them. And
with an inspiration worthy OF ms genus
the answer came to him at the last
minute. and rs he arose to address the
gathering he gazed upon those old soldiers
OF the Revolution, the last OF the patrot'
who had followed the great Washington
and given success TO his cause, and said
Venerable Men"
And this is what we may call the survlv
ors Of the Grand Army of the Republic
from this time until the last heroes Of oul
mighty Civil War answer the final sum
mons. 1t has been five and fifty years
since the war between the States came to !
close in the splendid success Of our Fedora
Union, and the youngest Of those wh'
actively participated in it's desperate con
ficts must be considerably past tn
scriptural limit Of three score years anG
ten. Many are beyond il, and 50 it may b
truly held that the majority Of the war
survivors are venerable men" today
II is for this reason the members Of tn
Grand Army Of the Republic have volun
tarilv entered into honorable retirement
and given over the laborious details Q
Memorial Day observance to younger ant
more vigorous hands. The posts Of tn
American Legion, composed Of those VII
participated IN our country's splendi
service during the closing months Of tn
great conflict. will succeed the Gran
Army of the Republic in conducting tn
annual tribute Of the people to those VIII
lost their lives in honorable war. But th
grand old heroes Of the Civil War will b
in evidence, as quiet. sympathetic pal
.icipants. until the last man pays the iini
tribute TO nature. And until that tim
comes. as come it will. may all Of them b
able 10 say: My lines have fallen
pleasant places; yea, ] have goodl
heritage.