The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-05
HARDNGAPPEALS
FOR FULLSUPPORT
OF EVERY CITIZEN
Receives Welcome Home of
Presidential Size and Makes
Several Brief Addresses.
COHESION MAIN THEME
He Would Have America
Great Maritime Nation
With Adequate Navy.
HONORED BY SERVICES
PreSident-Elect Proceeds to
Bedford, Va, to Speak To-
day at Elks Home.
COHESION MAIN THEME
HONORED BY SERVICES

Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
NORFOLK. Va, Dec. 4.-Journeying
tonight toward Bedford in this State
where the Benevolent Protective Or
der of Elks maintain home for their
aged and infirm, and where he will
make memorial address tomorrow,
Presdent-elect Harding is keenly
aware that his vacation is over and
that once more he is in the swirl of
great tasks he was appointed to shoul-
der.
The transition from the unhurried
unworried existence OF sea voyage ano
pleasant adventuring in strange lands
was sudden and complete. Senator
Harding again is in the land of proud
and desperately energetic local COM
mittees, of brass bands, of hungry
politicians and ambitious men of many
degrees, of swift functioning tele-
graphs and of jobs that must be
tackled and policies to solve.
Not for one moment in this crowded
day was he permitted to forget that
he is no longer a mere cog in the ma
chinery of government, for here within
the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay mu-
inequalities. the people and even the
navy and the army extended to him
the honors that are reserved for
President.
Series of Functions.
From the hour--9 in the morning
that he landed at Newport News from
the United Fruit liner Pastores until
he boarded his train for Bedford at IL
o'clock tonight Senator Harding was
the centre of succession of formal en-
tertainments and informal receptions.
There were occasions for four speeches,
for a luncheon and a dinner. for an In
spection of the navy yard at Ports
mouth. the naval base at Hampton
Roads. the army base and the vast plant
OF the Newport News Dry Dock and
Shlpbuildlng Company. and for a series
of automobile drives which thoroughly
the harbor. 1t was the busiest day spent
by Senator Harding since the heat of
his campaign for the Presidency.
The message he had for the people OF
Newport News and Norfolk and through
them to all the United States dealt with
large questions that Senator Harding
already has revealed in his interest in
national defence, foreign relations the
upbuilding of foreign trade and the ne
cessity for teamwork II the problems
now awaiting solution are satisfactorily
to be solved.
Possibly the most important thing he
said in the course of the day was about
this necessity for whole hearted COOP
Grafton on the part OF all the people. He
made 1t clear that I'm his opinion no sin
gle human being contains genius enough,
energy enough, to put through the re-
construction demanded. and that the
task is a task for all the people as we'll
as for the President they had chosen.
No Man Must he Remiss.
The humblest citizen Of the Republic
can do his part" the Senator said more
than once to-day. mo man must be
remiss in the performance of this duty
and | crave your help. my countrymen"
There was hearty applause when he
said his Administration never will lose
touch with the people and that one Of
its principal aims will be to restore true
democratic government keenly sensible
to the popular will.
In the Academy of Music in Newport
News at noon Senator Harding was in
troduced to a large audience by Repre-
sentative Bland (Dem., va.). After a
reference to his Visit to the Panama
Canal Mr.. Harding spoke OF the devel-
opment OF the merchant marine. a topic
of special interest to this community.
Il do not believe" he said, that any
nation ever wrote n particularly brilliant
page In the history OF the world except
as IL was eminent on the high seas
Only n mistaken policy ever allowed our
merchant marine TO recede. America
must be nation OF shipbuilders and
ship operators on all the high seas We
are Just from Panama, where we saw
the miracle wrought when American
genius dug n channel across the isthmus
The still greater thing for us to achieve
Is to make America maritime ma
ton"
Touches ON Disarmament
In several speeches he touched on the
question OF disarmament, saying
mo one knows precisely what TO.
morrow may be- but / have an abiding
conviction that the heart OF America Is
right and that the courage Of America
is equal to every task before us be.
leve that some day mankind will reach
an approximation OF disarmament. but
until that day comes ! want a navy for
American defence and n merchant ma.
rine equal 10 the aspirations OF the Re.
public"
He touched lightly on the League OF
Nations and on the cause OF his entire
conflict OF opinion with President WI
son.
~ differ with him largely because J
do not want a mortgaged America" ne
said. in quoting from many Of his cam
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