Evening star., 1921-11-14
Text of Address
by President at
Corner Stone Rite

President Harding in his address
at the laying of the corner stone
of the George Washington Memo
rial, spoke as follows:
There begins here today the full
ffilment of one of the striking con-
temptations contained in the last
will of the Father of his Country.
1t is an impressive fact, worthy OF
our especial thought. that In the
century and half since Washing
ton became the leader, the heart
and soul, of its struggle for in
dependence and unity, this nation
has SO many times found occasions
to record devotion to the preceptS
which he laid down for it's guild
ance. So today. after more than.
century's delay. we are come to
pay tribute to the foresight whicb
first encouraged and endowed the
institution here established-an
institution which is to be alike q
monument to those VINO sacrificed
In noble cause and beacon
to shed afar the light of useful
knowledge and grateful under
standing among men. For L need
not remind you that Washington.
in his last will and testament. first
conceived the idea which we here
see shaping into forms that shall
combine loftiest sentiment ana
truest utility. He proposed. and
gave bequest to found an institu-
tion to disseminate learning, cul-
ture, and a proper understanding
of right principles in government.
In furtherance of that purpose
made possible the institution OF
which we are now to lay the cor
ner. Very properly they have con-
ceived Washington's impelllng
thought to have been a gathering
place for Americans. where Amer
lean minds could meet In fruitful
exchanges. We can better ap-
praise this thought when we re-
call the limited publicity, the slow
transportation and the dlfhcuit
process of translating public sentl-
ment of his day.
Mindful of this inspiration for
the achievement OF today, have
thought it might be well to direct
attention to some phases Of Wash
ington's character which are not
so we'll known as they deserve
and which are wonderfully set
forth in the provisions of his last
will and testament.
Too Much From Public Sides.
1t has seemed to me that our
studies of Washington have been
too much from those public sides
from which we view him as the
military chief, the inspired leader
of the colonies, the statesman and
guide of constitution-making times.
welding force which hammered
fragments of communities into a
great nation; as the first President,
and as the author Of that body of
domestic and foreign policies which
he bequeathed in his farewell ad-
dress. All this We know. but we
have not gathered all of inspiration
that waits to reward the contem-
plation of the virtues and ideals
that made Washington, on his
private and personal side. very
model of good citizenship.
Perhaps there has never been a
nation which has owed SO much to
one man as our republic owes to
Washington. AS youth, filled with
the spirit of adventure and ex-
ploration, he came early to know
the colonies and our nearest north
west. In the epoch Of the seven
years war, or. as we call it, the
French and Indian war, his leader
ship was perhaps the contribution
which saved this continent to as
sured dominion of the English
speaking colonists. Indeed, l think
1t may be said that If on the one
side Washington was the great per-
sonal force that wrenched apart the
two chief branches of the English
speaking race, he was on the other
the greatest personal factor in saw
ing this continent to Anglo-Saxon
domination, and, in doing that, he
contributed very greatly to making
possible the wide-flung family of
English-speaking nations. If as
leader of the revolving colonies in
'76. this time aided by France. he
tore them from the grasp of Eng
land, it is equally true that two
decades earlier he had saved them
from the possible domination of
France. l am sure that today our
faithful friends and trusted allies
of France and England alike would
agree that in both cases, viewed in
the light of subsequent events. he
served mankind well.
Last Will Remarkable.
With all these things we are rea-
sonably familiar. We know his
career as organizer and leader Of
colonial forces in the seven years
war; as generalissimo of the war
of Independence; as chairman of
the constitutional conventions; as
first President, as author of that
farewell address, whose fund of
wisdom has contributed SO much to
shape our national policies even to
this day.
But among the documents which
attest his wisdom. there is one to
which little study has been given.
l mean his last will and testament.
On an occasion such as brings US