The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-11-02
Crowd OF Several Thousand Hear Him
in Presentation OF His Views at
Birmingham, Ala; Tackles Race

Birmingham, Ala; Tackles Race
Question.
Birmingham, Oct. 2G--North and
South, whites and blacks were admon-
ishcd by President Harding here to-
day to put aside old preiudiccs and
pretcnses and set the face Of the ma
ton courageously toward construc-
tive and permanent solution Of the
race problem.
In a sweeping presentation Of his
views, which was received with va
rying manifestations of emotion by a
crowd of several thousand whites
and negroes, the president declared
social equality between the races must
not be considered q possibility, but
that the black man must have an in
catonal opportunity if the American
nation is to live true to its traditions
of democracy.
Racial Disarmamcnts
The address, one Of five delivered
here by the president during a days
visit to the Birmingham semi-ccntcn-
NAL celebration, was driven home
with vigorous gesture and deliberate
utterance, such as Mr.. Harding sell
dom has employed since he became
chief executive. He spoke with q!
manifest determination to drive his
shafts to the heart of racial dis
agreements and to make the pro-
nouncement one Of the most plain.
spoken of his administration.
The crowd before whom he APP
pearcd was packed in the inadequate
confines Of Woodrow Wilson park,
and many hundreds On the outskirts,
apparently unable to hear, kept up a
hub-bub which made his declarations
inaudiblc to all but those who were
close by. Repeated bursts of cheer
ing swept the segregated sections al
lotted to the negroes, as they caught
portions Of the speech relating to
political and economi opportunity.
In the white section there were occa-
sional ripple Of applause as the sig
niticancc Of a phrase here and there
was realized aid pondered by those
near the speaker.
Visit Son-partisan
Throughout the day the president
insisted that his visit to the heart OF
the south was wholly non-partisan,
and everywhere he went he was ac-
companied by Senator Underwood, Of
Alabama, the democratic leader OF
the Senate. At reception late in the
day at the Republican club he asked
Senator Underwood to stand at his
side and shake hands with each Of
those in the line, and in his luncheon
address he paid warm tribute to the
craftsmanship OF the Alabama legisla-
tor. During the early evening he paid
a call on Mr.. Underwood's mother in
the residential section Of Birmingham.
The speech on the race problem
was a carefully prepared dcliverance
setting forth the Presidents views in
direct terms. In 1T he appealed to
the Republican party to desist from
"demagogy" in making the black man
a mere adjunct Of Republcanism;
warned the south that blacks should
vote "when fit to vote; and insisted
that there must be equal educational
opportunity. Against social equality
he urged both races to stand "uncom-
promisingly" and suggested that
natural segregation" might be the
logical result of properly applied
policy.
Twice the executive departed from
his manuscript, once to declare he
was speaking his sentiments here in
the south because he never wanted to
say anything in one place he could
not say in another, and again TO point
a fOrcfingcr at the white section of
the audience and warn that whether
You like it or not, unless our Democ-
racy is a lie you must stand for that
equality" which gives the black man
a just economic opportunity
OF the shorter speeches which
helped make up the Presidents pro-
gram, the first was delivered to mem
'bers Of the Alabama legislature
soon after his arrival here. The Prcsi-
dent took the occasion to emphasize
that he had como on a non-political
mission and to caution them that the
test Of government efficiency was not
in party emblems, but in service.
IL the Democratic party did not serve
Alabama, he said, it never could con-