The New York herald., 1921-10-16
HARDING INVITED
BY SCHOOL CHILDREN
Invitation From 100000 to
Opening of Americas Making
Movement Is Presented.
KEEN DESIRE TO COME
Volume of Messages and Ad-
dresses Make a Hit With
President.
KEEN DESIRE TO COME

Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c., Oct. Is.
President Harding to-day expressed a
keen desire to be able to accept the in
vitation of 100000 school children of
New York to be present in the Sventy-
first Regiment Armory October 20 at the
opening of the exposition Of Americas
Making movement
tives of nearly thirty races will join in
picturing what immigration has done for
the United States. was explained to the
President by Senator Calder and a COM
mittee who called at the White House
to extend the invitation of the New
York school children. The invitation. In
the form of a bound volume, included ar
tltically arranged messages from almost
every school in New York.
William L. Ettinger Superintendent
of Schools in New York, handed the
volume to the President, while John J.
Tigert. United States Commissioner of
Education. explained the purposes Of the
exposition and Of the American Making
movement, in which thousands of per-
sons are interested. In reply President
Harding said In part:
LET me say to you this is all very
fine, very appealing. While I was lis
tening to the addresses conveying the in
vitation could not help but glance over
the company. What fine comment It
is that should not have known you
were a foreign group il you Rad not told
me. While think I have encountered a
great many American people in every
section of the Republic. and looked upon
them with the interest that one invari-
ably does who is in public life. I should
have accepted you as one of the repre-
sentative American committees which
come to the White House as business
requires or occasion impels.
II have said good many times we
Of America have no racial entity, and
we are making, therefore. a people
which Is born of national inspiration.
We are the blend of all peoples in the
world. / sometimes think We are much
the better for that. But, to make the
real America to which all aspire, we
must have distinctly an American spirit,
and you can't have that without con-
secration to America.
This is not, impossible even for those
who como here from foreign lands, and
who retain affections for native land
and still retain an interest for their
kinspeople. I would not think very
much of citizen, even though he came
to America and then gave all his energy
and all hts soul to making a better
republic, If he didn't still feel concern
for those Of his kinspeople In the land
FRONT which he came.
II must be frank with you. because
you would lose your respect for me IL
I were false to you in any way. 1t
is going to be very difficult to get away
from official duties at the time OF your
exposition. don't need to tell you the
reasons. 1t is just on the eve Of an
extremely important conference here at
the capital, with which must, Of course,
have something to do.
IF 1t Is found to be possible to run
away and add my part to the success
of your wonderful enterprise, I would
be more than happy to do So"