The Washington herald., 1921-01-16
SAD NEWS DAMPENs
FESTIVAL SPIRIT.

r UST before the MarshalIs arrived
two pieces OF news were circu-
y lated that rivaIed the interest of
the guests in their coming-the sad
news Of the death of young Joseph
Letter by an accidental shot while
hunting in Louisiana with his IA
ther, and OF the fact that President
elect Harding had called of all Of
the inauguration festivities. There
were so many close friends of the
Letters at the ball and even those
who didn't know them sympathized
with Mr.. and Mrs. Letter. They were
among the box holders of the even
ing but weren't there, OF course, as
they had left the city only three or
four days before to spend a month
on their hunting preserve in Louis
lana. The message as I received II
at the ball came from Ned Mclean
who lost his oldest son a year or
so ago by accident. He and his
wife were out of town when that
occurred but the boy was here.
I have seldom seen anything Gre
ate the interest that the news about
Harding and the Inauguration did
And among the comments I heard
on the subject, practically everyone
said they were glad OF 1t. Many
reasons were given for being glad
usually the fact that each person
had expected to have guests thrust
upon them for the inauguration
and would have to spend much
time and money entertaining them,
pay big prices for ball tickets and
seats on a grandstand to view
the parade and pay inflated prices
for everything in the shops about
that time and perhass-more than
likely-the weather would be bad
and so forth. Then everyone
without an exception agreed that II
would be a terrible shame to spend
such huge sums for the inaugura-
ton when there is so much suffer
ing the world over; when Herbert
Hoover is pleading for money to
save the lives of the children abroad
and whom there are so many people
without work in our own country.
1t seemed so to me from the begin
nirg.
When I heard that the bail com
mittee might stage the ball in the
Union Station concourse, in which
case they would install a heating
plant to heat that big place-just
for one nights entertainment, mind
you,-or If the old Convention Hall
was used, the committee would re-
model it, put in new entrances and
exits, etc.-they would have to do
so to make it usable-I felt what
awful expenditure at any time just
for one ball, and especially at this
time; and when I heard that the
stand at the Capitol alone would
cost $50,000, 1 thought of all the
uses that money could be put to
and how badly the poor little
children at the House of Deten-
tion needed enough beds to sleep
in and blankets enough to keep
them warm, and of the Children's
Hospital, which is about $4,000
behind, and of the men saw
begging on the streets in New York,
Of the shortage. OF public schools
here in this city, the nations Capital
and many similar things. OF course,
the hotel men and merchants don't
like the idea of a simple Inaugural
tion, but certainly the majority are
in favor of 1t. Then, with the Reds
and Bolsheviks and other fanatics
running around loose, there might
have been some big tragedy during
the ceremonies, or the ball, or the
parade
At any rate, the wishes of the ma
jority are going to rule, and Hard
ing will be sworn in as President
with the simplest ceremonies of
their kind in the memory Of anyone
living TODAY