Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-05

over the crowd in the capitol plaza. and
for the first time enabled thousands
to hear an inaugural address.
About the only feaeures familiar to
inaugurals were the patriotic decora-
TOMS that 1uttered under a bright sun
along Pennsylvania avenue and the
usual escort of cavalry acting as a
presidential guard of honor in the
ride to and from the capitol. The only
semblance Of a parade was presented
by the little group of official tmotor
cars and the hollow square of troop
ers, kept at trot all the way.
Coolidge Takes Oath
Before his own Inauguration began
{ Mr.. Harding attended that of his vice
president. Calvin Coolidge. In the Sem
ate chamber. 1t was an hour past noon
when the first Of the inaugural COM
pany began to file out on the platform
facing the east plaza. members Of the
Senate and House coming first, follow
ed by the foreign diplomats in dress
UNIFORM and, last of all, by the JUS
tees of the supreme court and the
president-elect Chief Justice White
and Mr.. Harding walked out to the
front of the platform together. as the
! Marine Band, the Presidents Own,
played the national anthem.
| Then the oath was administered and
the new president began his inaugural
address, reading from manuscript, but
making his points with vigorous ges-
/ hot
of applause.
| The presidents visit to the Senate
Chamber followed Immediately the
! conclusion of the address. He had
made know his intentions to a few
/ leaders and the Senate was waiting
in special executive session to receive
He went first to the presidents room
| and was escorted by a committee of
senators to the rostrum of the cham
Der to make his first communication
to- Congress-
Wants Good Relations
Submission of the cabinet selec-
tions was prefaced by a brief ex-
PLANTATION, in which the new chief
4 executive suggested that good rela-
I tons between executive and legisIa-
tive branches might be cemented by
che element of personal contact. He
read from memorandum the names
OF the men he had selected for his
official circle of counsellors. Within
~ minutes after his departure all
the nominations had been confirmed
In personally appearing before the
upper branch of Congress in execu-
tive session, President Harding
| harked back to a precedent estab-
hshed in the earliest administra-
tons, but disregarded ever since.
Mr.. Wilson observed the custom
of personally addressing the Senate
and House when they were in SEES
sion with open doors, but no Presi-
dent in a century had gone before
either at secret sitting. Mr.. Hard
ing has not announced general
policy in regard to his messages, but
the general expectation among those
close to him is that all of his i'm
portant communications to Congress
will be made in person. .
J Holds Open House
Reaching the White House shortly
before o'clock. the President and
Mrs. Harding had luncheon with the
immediate members of their fami-
lies. DR.. George T. Harding of
Marion, the executives father, sit
ting at his sons table as a guest of
honor. Afterward the Hardings
held open house to the folks of
Marion who had come on several
special trains to see their neighbors
settled in the executive mansion.
1t was late in the afternoon before
Mr.. Harding made his first visit to
his offices and issued the order open
ing the White House grounds to the
public. In doing so, he fulfilled a
prophecy of Mrs. Harding who de-
clared on election night last Novem-
Der that one of the first acts of the
next administration would be to
take the policemen away from the
White House gates"
Most Of Mr.. Harding's first eve
ming in the executive offices was
spent with his secretary, George B.
Christian, Jr., making a preliminary
survey of the unfinished business
left by the retiring administration.
Mr.. Christian also completed assign
ment of temporary Office force,
retaining most of those now serving
in clerical positions and adding sew
eral assistants from the Harding
headquarters staff at Marion. 1t
also was decided definitely to con-
tinue virtually all of the secret SER
vice detail of the Wilson admins
tration, including Richard L. Jervis,
as chief.
|
MANv DDnDT EnHc