The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-05-31
PRESIDENT SPEAKS
To WAR VETERANS
OF THREE CONFLICTS
whenever Men Are Free They
Give Thought to Our Coun-
try's Service In Free
dom'S Cause"
Bx Asaociated Pre.s

today at services held in Arlington
cemetery under the lead of President
Harding.
Speaking in the Arlington smpi-
theatre to veterans OF three wars and
to distingui shed company of officials
and departments, the President re-
dedicated the nation to the cause of
freedom and civilization and promised
that it never would fall to
masure up to every demand presented
to it in behalf of civilization. BY stril>-
ing across the sea Into the World war,
he declared America had sanctified
again her. faith in free institutions
for peoples everywhere.
Wherever men are free" said the
President, "they are wont to give
thought to our country's services in
freedoms cause. Today the sons and
daughters of other lands are placing
with loving hands their laurels OH
American graves. Our Memorial Day
is become an international OCCASION"
At the conclusion of the address Sir
Auckland Geddes, the British ambas-
sador, seconded the sentiment by plac-
iEg on the American flag beside the
President'a wreath of roses presented by
the people of the United Kingdom and
her dominions Sin undimmed memory
of the sacrifices that America has made
for individual liberty"
AS to World War
In special reference TO the World
war President Harding declared Amer
lea had opened the door to free in
stitutions even in the countries against
which she fought, and had given OPP
portunity of planting democracies
where absolutism had heidi sway, of
making the people supreme" He added
fha f,-4,, ~. l..
abroad still made it doubtful whether
the vanquished peoples would accept
that opportunity and would pay the
price required to maintain the freedom
to which the door has been opened
The exercises at Arlington with
their backgrounds OF thousands of
flag draped graves formed the center
OF the capitals memorial day cere-
monies though various smaller gath.
erings were held in other parts of the
city. During the day parade of
veterans, headed by Lieut.. Gen. Nell
son A. Miles. was reviewed by Presi-
dent and Mrs. Harding from the steps
of the executive office.
One unusual feature was a gather
ing OF the survivors of the Naval Acad-
envy class of 1881 to decorate the
graves of their dead classmates Ad.
niral Baron Sotokichi Uriu of the
j
| graduate of the academy, vas among
those who attended, having come to
this country particularly for the &C.
casion and for class reunion to be
held tomorrow at Annapolis. Other
members of the class include Secretary
of War Weeks, Senator Weller or
Maryland, Admiral H. B. Wilson and
Major General George Barnett of the
marine corps.
Tn Sfafrarv Hall ~ 49, Co-:A,
tribute was paid to Roger williams
for his fight for religious freedom, and
included addresses by Representatives
Burton of Ohio, Kahn of California and
Shines of Rhode Island.
Geddes Presents wreath
Presentation of the memorial wreath
by Admiral Geddes was not a part OF
the pre- arranged programme at the
Arlington cemetery, his request to make
the offerings having reached officials
In charge just before the President
seated on the platform, rendered
God Save the King" when the ambas-
sador came forward to speak
AS ambassador of my king King
George "" said Sir Auckland, "as rep
resentative in this republic of his gov
ernments throughout the world; in the
name of the people of the United King
tendencies, of the emperor of India,
of British communities on every con-
tinent and on the islands of all the
seas; in token of their admiratio for
the gallantry and devotion of Ameri-
cas- sons and daughters in the great
war; in evidence of their sympathy
for America, who today mourns and
glorifies her dead; and in undimmed
memory of the sacrifices that America
hQ A. la fnr ind wi tta1 xrrifh
mission, Mr.. President 1 lay this
wreath upon the flag of America"
The Presidents Address
The text of the Presidents address
follows:
I'VE are met on sacred soil todsy Y
for a solemn hour of sacrament and
conservation. But the soil whence we
come is itself sanctified through the
sacrifices of those who lie here. Wher-
ever our flag flies within the bound
aries of the republic. it is over lands
whose freedom and security have been
wrought through these sacrifices.
ut is. the privilege of this company
to utter our tribute of love and graft
tude in this sacristy of beauty within
the sight of the National Capital. Bat
others, no less devout, will assemble
all over our land and other lands, un-
der foreign skies and among alien peo-
memory. There are no restricted boun-
daries to the reverence of this day.
There is no discordant note in the
hymn of gratitude. With old wounds
healed. and a new generations offer
ing on the affairs of our patriotism
there is no sectionalism In our memo
rial. Above the murmurings of griet
is the swelling concord of union and
the dominant note is our faith in the
republic.
ut will be a tribute today spoken
in many tongues, and by divers races.
Wherever men are free they are wont
to give thought to our country's serv-
ices in freedoms cause. Where men
may but aspire to a freedom not yet
achieved, their instinct turns the eye
and the thought of hope this way, and
they pray that their cause may gain
our appreciation. They know that we
have never drawn the sword of oppres-
sion; that we have not sought what
was not our own, nor taken all that we
might have claimed. They have seen
our protecting arm stretched over the
outposts of liberty on every continent.
For more than a century our plighted
word warned tyranny from half the
world; then when the gauge was taken
up, mad ambition felt the blow thai.
that arm could strike when freedom
answered in it's utmost might Across
the seas we sent our hosts of liberty's
sons. commissioned to redress the eter-
nal scales Today the sons and daugn-
tiers of other lands to which they gave
their all are placing with loving hands
their laurels on American graves. not
less reverently than we are doing here.
To me, no thought comess with more
of inspiration than this that now our
memorial day is become an information