The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-21
Frederick Haskin's Letter
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AN UNUSUAL GARDEN PARTY

OF cameramen who are following
him about, swapping him as he
talks to a row of men in wheel
chairs or as he poses with his wife
They are keenly interested in rec
ognizing and pointing out 10 one
another Vice President and Mrs.
Coolidge, the cabinet officers ana
their wives; Brigadier General
Sawyer. the dignified little doctor.
who guards the presidents health
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr, assistant
secretary of the navy, and Mr.
Christian, the presidents secre.
tary.
A large audience gathers around
the receiving line to watch the
other guests meet the president Il
is a sign of the informality of the
occasion that a number of snap
shots of the president are taken.
One young woman leading a sight
less soldier receives permission
from an aide and goes up 70 the
president and snaps a picture for
the boy to send home.
1t is more than an hour before
the last veteran in line has been
received. Even then not quite all
the guests have been greeted. The
president and Mrs. Harding 20 back
to a driveway where two automo-
biles are standing. In each car is
a group of veterans who cannot
walk and have come without wheel
chairs. They have been on the
outskirts of the party. Now they
are the center OF it, for the presi-
dent stands by the two cars and
talks with the boys in them for
some time
The Presidential Autograph.
There is a final furry of excite
ment after this when some soldier
is inspired to have the presidents
autograph Each man is wearing
an identification tag, labeled with
the name of his camp or hospital
and under it, white House Party,
June T." Different colored tags for
each contingent enable the presi-
dent and the nurses to place the
boys quickly. They are from Fort
McHenry; Soldiers Rest at Cnlpep-
per, Va; Walter Reed; ST Eliza
beth's hospital; Naval hospital;
Evergreen Institution for the Blind,
Baltimore; Silver Spring training
center, hit. Alto Naval hospital. and
the Carry On club.
1t is one of these tags that is
presented to the president for his
signature. The president signs it
and at once a dozen more tags are
offered him, In three minutes the
crowd around the president is so
deep that the outside row knows
only by hearsay what is going on.
Mrs Harding and General Perish
ing are also besieged for auto
graphs The news continues to
spread. Eventually Mrs Harding
suggests that some of the tags be
marked with the owners name and
address and given 70 her to be sign
later and returned. 1t is O'Clock
and the party is over.
The afternoon must have been
one of great emotional stress for
the president and his wife. These
men, so many of whom. had to be
led, assisted, or wheeled in chairs.
are the heroes of a war that is
over, but they are still fighting.
Even the most boyiSh of them is
not young and exuberant. At a
White house party in their honor,
on a brilliant June afternoon, they
are quietly happy
Even to stand apart and see so
many of them together-the men
who are paving for the war is an
affecting sight To greet 1000 per-
sonalIy and TO see at close range
the endless possibilities of war in
juries and mutiIations must Eeces-
SariIv he an overwhelming pyunri-
ence.
At sight of one boy who had no
hands to offer in greeting and no
eyes to help him bear his other
affections, the president was al
most overcome. He could only put
his hand on the boys shouIdcE and
say, Courage" Another sighIless
young man came along the line. led
by his 3-yearzold child. The baby
carried an American flag in the
other hand.