Middletown transcript., 1921-03-12
HARDING P[UNGES
INTO HIS DUTIES
Submits His Cabinet List to the
Senate
INAUGURAL VERY SIMPLE
City Comfortably Crowded, But PomE
And PanopIy Are laekino-Whole
Affair Serious And
1usinessIike.
INAUGURAL VERY SIMPLE
OATH OF OFFICE.

OATH OF OFFICE.
Washington.-The oath of office
Of President as administered by
the Chief Justice of the United
States, Edward Douglass White,
follows:
Il, Warren Gamaliel Harding,
do solemnly swear that l will
faithfully execute the Office OF
President Of the United States,
and will, to the best of my ability,
preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States"
Washington.-Solem mindful OF
the great responsibilities that will be
his for the next four years, and ex'
pressing prayer for divine guidance
in the solution of the momentous
problems facing him, Warren Gamalie]
Harding, of Ohio, became the twenty.
ninth President of the United States
in an inaugural ceremony in which
simplicity and lack of ostentation re-
placed usual pomp and display.
Before a great standing crowd OF
thousands, which completely filled the
broad plaza and eddies for blocks
around the Capitol itself, the new
President accepted the supreme gift
Of the Republic in short inaugural
address-an address in which he did
not attempt to outline other than in
general terms the program Of inter.
national and domestic problems to be
followed by his administration.
For my part" he said simply, Il
accept with single mindedness of pur
pose, and humility of spirit, and i'm.
plore the favor and guidance Of God
in His heaven. With these am un.
afraid and confidently face the fu.
ture."
Brilliant Day.
Inaugural Day-the day on which
Ohio sent the seventh of her sons into
the White House-dawned clear and
cold. The temperature was not far
from freezing and there was a stiff
breeze whipping the flags that dec
Grated Pennsylvania avenue and the
Government buildings.
It was typical Harding weather
in it's lack of rain or other disagree
able features. Not once during the
long campaign at Marion did rain fall
on a front porch delegation, and
friends of the New President, crowd
ing the Capitol in large numbers, were
gleeful at the continuance of Harding
luck" They took it as a happy
augury.
It was strange Inauguration day
Of Washington. In other years
crowds moved restlessly up and down
the street all night long, and dawn
found many of them camping sleepily
in points OF vantage along historic
Pennsylvania avenue to view the
great cavalcade of dignitaries. Not
q sentinel paced beat in the city, ex
| cept for the policemen who idly swung
their clubs In front Of the Willard
where the President-elect and Mrs
Harding and the Vice-President-elec1
Coolidge were Quartered.
There was something distinctly
businesslike about the inaugural Gone
were the pomp and panoply and dis
play OF other years, with their extrav
agant decorations, crashing bands
marching military and horse
drawn carriages Of state proudly bear
ing silk-hatted and frock-coated digni
taries in great parade. In their steat
came the swift motorcar, little music
and an apparent desire to get things
over with in the shortest possible timt
and settle down to the momentous la
bors that confront the new Administra
ton.
The lack of military display wal
particularly noticeable. Three troops
Of the Third United States Cavalry
from the nearby post Of Fort Myel
were the only regulars on inaugura
duty, and their services were utilizet
| u1O1O aS Oil ouAAAoAy PO1sCO oA IL OuoA
for display. Around the White Hous,
where Woodrow Wilson was spending
his last few hours of an eventful Ad
ministration, there was only a forc'
Of high school cadets and the usua
police.
Hanging like q pail over the jollit!
and merry-making Of the inaugura
visitors was the death Of Chaml
Clark, the great Democratic leader
who almost was President. In Con
gress Hall Hotel. under the shadov
of his beloved Capitol where he Ia
bored SO diligently for more than {
quarter OF a century, and within |
stones throw of where the ceremonie
took place, the great Missourian'
body lay in state, mourned b,
thousands. ..
The days events began to marcl
with swift efficiency shortly after /
O'clock, when half dozen automobile
drew smartly up before the Willar
Hotel. They formed the entire parad
of the Harding inaugural. Only tn
first four cars, were really in it, tn
others being occupied by Secret Ser,
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