New-York tribune., 1921-05-31

President, at Arlington
Service, Pledges Nation
Will Ever Be Defender
of Its Living and Dead
Loyalty TO Selves
Held First Duty
Nations Entered War for
Protection, He Asserts,
But Achieved Freedom
From, The Tribpne's WASHINGTON Bareou


WASHINGTON, May 30.-In a
Memorial Day address in the flag
draped amphitheater at Arlington
Cemetery to-day President Harding
pledged to the living and the dead
that America would never fail in
her duty to civilization, though she
must first be loyal to herself.
eve are called to look forward to
to-morrow's Obligations" he said.
"Our country has never failed to
measure up to the demands pre-
sented to it in behalf Of humanity,
and it never will. When it ceases
to meet these drafts it will no longer
be our country"
The President, spokesman for the
nation in honoring its dead, said
that these heroes had gone forth
across the Atlantic to uphold again
their belief in free institutions for
all the people,
Freemen's Rights Menaced
In the wars beginning, the Presi-
dent said, Men fought to protect
that which they already had. Thei
countries lives were at stake; their
rights as free men were menaced;
and for these they went forth to
battle
They won more than they sought,
he continued, for starting out to pro-
tect the world against the autoc-
racies of the world, they had won
for themselves and their countries
and had brought even their enemies
an opportunity fer freedom.
eve find ourselves as a people," the
President said, Occupying place Of
vast responsibility ii the torn and
troubled world" but in insisting upon
lo.@lty to ourselves, he explained: "I
counsel no selfishness when I urge
that our first duty is to our own, and
that in the measure of it's perform
ance we viii find the true gauge of
our capacity to be helpful to others"
After the Presidents address Sir
Auckland Geddes, British Ambassador,
placed wreath OF roses sent by the
people of the United Kingdom on the
American flag beside President Har-
ding. The ambassador spoke a few
words in token or Britain's "admira-
tion for the gallantry and devotion of
Americas sons and daughters in the
great war"
The Presidents Address
President Harding's address follows:
"We are met on sacred soil to-day
for solemn hour of sacrament and
conservation. But the soil whence
we come is itself sanctified through
the sacrifices of those who lie here.
Wherever our flag flies within the
boundaries Of the Republic it is q
over lands whose freedom and Sc #
curity have been wrought through
these sacrifices.
"It is the privilege of this COM
pany to utter our tribute of love and
gratitude in this sacristy of beauty
within sight of the national capital.
But others no less devout will as
semhle all over our land and other
lands under foreign skies and among
alien peoples to pay like tribute of
love and memory. There are no re-
stricted boundaries to the reverence
of this day. There is no discordant
note in the hymn of gratitude. With.
all wounds healed and new gener-
atoms Offering on the altars Of our
patriotism, there is no sectionaiiam
in our memorial. Above the mur-
murings of grief is the swelling con-
cord of union, and the dominant
note is our faith in the Republic.
at will be tribute to-day spoken
in many tongues and by diverse
races. Wherever men are free they
are wont to give thought to our
country's services in freedoms
to freedom not yet achieved .heir
instinct tuens the eye and she
thought of hope this way and thew
pray that their cause may gain our
appreciation. They know that We
have never drawn the sword of on
preston, that we have not sought
what was not our own nor taken Eli
that we might have claimed. They
have seen our protecting arm
stretched over the outposts of l!b-
erty on every continent.
Day Now international
'For more than century on.
plighted word warned tyranny from
half the world; then, when tho
s2uSS was Cdheii up Dy mao ambition,
men felt the blow that arm could
strike when freedom answered in it's
utmost might Across the seas we
sent our hosts of liberty's sons, COM
missioned to redress the eternal
scales To-day the sons and daugh-
ters of other lands to which thew
gave their all are placing with low
ing hands their laurels on American
graves, not less reverently than we
are doing here. To me no thought
comes with more of inspiration than
this, that now our Memorial Day is
becoming an international occasion:
that it calls upon the fortunate free
OF many lands and countries to helm
in its observance End that eauallv
to them and us it is a reminder of
our common troth to civilization.
humanity and everlasting justice.