Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-08
The President S Southern
Welcome

New York newspaper correspondent, ac-
4 Complying President Harding's party
on their trip to the South last week.
sent an article from Atlanta conveying the
impression that the President was subjected
to indgnities in this city.
From the President himself comes COM
plete refutation in the form of letter to
Mayor Key, expressing his appreciation Of
the hospitabe welcome given him, not only
here, but everywhere else he stopped in the
South.
81 cannot tell YOU" wrote the President
to the Mayor, "how delighted we all were
with the trip South, and how proud I am
to have been accorded the reception which
was rendered me by your splendid city,
The New York correspondents dispatch
gave the readers of his paper to understand
that evidences of hostility were manifested
toward President Harding in Atlanta. He
spoke of motorcycles being noisily cranked
off while the President was speaking at
Grady Monument, of movement and disorder
in the audience, of loud voices interrupting
the Presidents address.
Taking this dispatch at face value, a
number of newspapers in various parts of
the country have made editorial comment
which did Atlanta a severe injustice.
There was plenty of room for the news
paper correspondents to comment on the
magnitude and vociferous enthusiasm of
Atlanta's reception to President Harding,
but certainly no semblance Of justification
for the intimation that the people were hos
tile or cold even Indifferent
In point of fact, there has never been, in
Atlanta's history a more remarkable dem
onstration of the peoples interest in pub
lie man or public occasion. President
Harding was greeted at the Terminal Sta
ton by crowd that packed the waiting
room and pushed as far out toward the
train gates as the police would let them.
a hai ri fO Hills
Club by throngs of people who stood on the
sidewalks in a pouring rain and waved
flags and cheered him. On returning to
Grady Monument, in the late afternoon,
when the rain fortunately ceased and the
sun came out, he found awaiting him such
a multitude of people as were never before
assembled on Atlanta's streets.
OF course there was noise in the crowd
at the speaking, but it was the noise of
hand-clapping and cheers. Only those near
him could hear the President distinctly, as
he was speaking outdoors, but whenever
they applauded the others took it up and
the wave Of applause ran as far as Five
Points, hundreds of yards away, and was
taken up by people in windows, and by
people perched on the roofs of skyscrapers.
There was some jostling, but it was by peo-
pie who were trying to see the President
No greater display of the peoples interest
and friendship and respect was ever given a
man in high office.
The New York correspondent undertook,
evidently, to give the impression that At
lanta not only, but the South in general,
was hostile to the President. He intimated
that an icy atmosphere began to envelop
the party as soon as they crossed the Mason
and Dixon line.
In contrast with this impression, it is in
teresting to note the Presidents letter
above quoted, and, ALSO and especially his
words at the luncheon at the Druid Hills
Club:
everywhere have been smiling faces,
clapping hands, the most cordial greetings
that human beings can bestow upon men in
authority.''