Evening star., 1922-05-28

Memorial day in years not remote
was marked by many sentimentai op-
servances which are no longer con-
tinued though some equally ac-
ceptable substitutes are In order.
President Mckinley. it will be re-
imembered. with something perhaps
of premonition of his own fate.
never failed to send an exquisite
wreath of flowers fresh from the
White House conservatories. which In
his day lay west of and adjoining the
mansion, to the tomb of President
Garfield. The wreath was prepared
with great pains in the conserya-
tories and the President not only IN
spected it, but he asked certain OF
Ills friends to view it also.
Usually it was largely of pink and
red carnations with white violets and
young ferns and it was tied win
great sash of red. white and blue
ribbon, In which was tucked the cdro
of the chief executive. Then Spe-
cial messenger left on the midnisht
;train and was in Cleveland in time
to lay the presidential offering on the
tomb when the regular exercises were
in progress. Mindful of the just estl-
mates placed on American Presidents,
a wreath went also to Grants mauso-
leum in New York city and to Lin
coins in Springfield. while an usher
from the White House journeyed
down on the Norfolk boat and disem-
barked ~ Mount Vernon with
wreath of purple and white violets
and crossed palms to hay on the tomb
of Washington. So far as the RECORDS
go, Mckinley was the only executive
who observed this custom punctilious-
ly and with regularity.
Now. all these graves OF the IL
lustrious dead. including the last
martyr of the White House, are deco
rated, but orders go telegraphicaiiy
and the floral tributes are deposited
in the name of the chief magistrate
of the nation by the military organi-
cation in charge of Memorial day
services. The one wreath Whlch VIII
go directly from President Harding is
the flowers will be taken from the
propagating gardens which supply
the presidential mansion.
year, by recent papal decree. May
so. is to be held sacred to the memory
10 St. Joan of Arc. and will be the
first universal observance of her feast
coincidence that the decree placed
her feast on the solemn day given
over to the memory of those who died
in war or for, the. service of their
country. but Americans welcome it
heartily. No special arrangements
could be made to add anything sig
served. but some few societies will
carry copies of the banner of Joan Of
Arc used in France on November l..
which is the day the French and other
tional cemeteries. The statue OF the
soldier salt on Meridian Hill will
no doubt. receive its full share of at
tention from all the military and pa
srin to. lot N
teries and places of assembly For
weeks past. lovely specimens of fieur-
de-iis. the royal emblem of France
during the heroic maids career. have
Earl French Of Yypres, field mar
shat of Great Britain. is the hrst OF
the nations heroes of the recent war
10 visit this country. though hopes
are still entertained of the coming of
Lord Byng from Canada. Earl French
is known personally to large circle
Of washington people; and IN ms VEL ril;
aspect. He furnishes an example of
one who has become renowned SOL
dier. and yet whose youthful aspira-
icaI ranks. His early education was
directed toward preparing for holy
orders.
about ten years ago, when the Mex
lean question was acute, and he passed
much time with Sir Cecil Spring Rice
and Secretary of War Garrison in
conference about Intervention. He
moil in the southern republic from
various points of vantage. The field
marshal was born in Kent, but is Of
Irish blood through his father and of
a member of the Eccles family of
Edinburgh. Lady French, his wife.
is renowned for her prowess in. the
sport field, and is the daughter of the
late Squire Selby Lowndes of Bletch-
the earl and Lady French is selby
color artist. who has reaped laurels
as freely as Winston Churchill in the
same profession. He also is captain
of the Royal Horse Artillery and
served throughout the Belgian cam
paign.
The distinguished naval visitor
Admiral Sir William Pakenham. bears
name as intimately connected with
martial annals of the past as Field
Marshal French Of the present, for
he belongs to the same eminent Irish
family as that of Gen. Sir Edward
conspicuous bravery under his
brother-in-law, the Duke of yelling
ton, in all the famous battles which
led mp to Waterloo. died at the hands
Chalmette. where the battle of New
Orleans was staged. Sir Edward had
succeeded Gen. Ross, commander Of
the British forces in Baltimore, and
had sailed to the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi with the army which Jared
so badly under the attack of Gen.
Andrew Jackson. The citizens of
Louisiana have borne testimony to
the soldierly qualities of Gen Paken-
ham and a small shaft marks the
place where he was borne from the
battlefield to negro hut nearby, and
where he died. His tomb in st.
Paufs, London, is one of the most
imposing in that edifice and in
variably attracts the compassionate
regard of the American tourist The
commander of the British squadron
now in the Atlantic waters Is the
nephew three times removed Of the
British Gen. Pakenham of the battle
of New Orleans.
One OF the most interesting pieces of
historic china in the valuable collection
which the National Museum has been
gathering for more than thirty years is
that deep cream salad bowl in the CEN
ter of the miscellaneous Washington me-
MORALS. This bowl is the sole survival
Of the handsome dinner service presented
In the summer of 17S2 to Gen. and Lady
Washington, as the term went then. by