Evening star., 1922-10-29

fronts the city. Incidentally there is
nothing but optimism in his mind.
nothing but confidence in the ability
of Washington to make record that
will be unprecedented in the annals
of American municipalities.
Il want to say first" he said, that
you can put ii down as absolutely
true that the people are waking up to
the situation. We have civic pride,
whatever may be said 10 the contrary.
men who are al this very minute de-
voting all their time to this work;
yes. and who are even neSlecting
their private interests to make this
d success They are doing il unself-
ishly. and actuated entirely by their
love for their community. Their num-
bers are growing daily. TOO, and soon
we shall have a solid front of Wash
ington business men lined up for this
affair. l think. too, that the average
Washington man who comprehen0S
what this event means not only to his
city but to America is moved by a
broader spirit than may at first blush
be evident-a spirit that wants the
people of America to come and see
the sacred ornaments of liberty we
have in our keeping.
Plea for Hospitality.
"It will be incumbent upon every
citizen to begin taking account of the
position he will be in next June to
offer the largest measure of hospital
ity possible to the multitude we shall
have with US. You have continually
heard the claim put forward that we
shall have the greatest crowd of best
Americans that any city has ever en-
tertained, and it may be you have
wondered why in this particular ses-
sion we are to surpass all others that
have taken place. l will try to make
hos to
merely upon the accurate information
| have at hand.
"As the hundreds of speakers COM
posing our minute man force will tell
the organizations of the city in the
coming days, we should not forget
that for eight years our people have
been disturbed, profoundly so. They
have been forced out Of their normal
paths, their normal lives and their
morale and thought have been changed
in some degree by the exigencies ac-
companying the failure of the recog-
nized codes of civilization. But they
have not lost faith in the funda-
mentals of their government and their
Constitution. Some of the sacred
ornaments have been rescued from
the ruins of the temple of mammon.
We still have veneration for God,
honor, love of home and family, love
Of friends, love for our brethren, love
for the flag.
And with slow but gradual re-
turn to something like normal condi-
tions the average man looks TO wash
ington as the seat of what he holds
dear in country, the center of his
civic hopes, the depository of the
sacred things his forefathers helped
to make sacred.
$50 the Shriner. with thought ele
vated-or he would not be in the
mystic tie-with a vision of drink
ing at the fountain of patriotic in
spiration, sees the Imperial Council
session of next June in light quite
different from that in which he
visualizes an ordinary imperial ses-
frivolity maybe. merriment and dis
play? Yes. and on a scale unprece-
dented. But in the background. back
of his laughing face and rollicking
manner, is cherished desire not
awakened by any other city-a desire
the nation was made. where the great
have come, written their names on the
scroll of fame and have departed
where the government is. Restless
for eight years. like child that
tosses the night through and rushes
to come home.
Contributors to Fund.
Surely a hopeful and impressive
thought is contained in the fact
which moves this vast army of best
as one man. In no other
Way and on no other basis can one
who studies the progress of the
everywhere explain the
preparations of the
temples Of America to attend the
session next June. Medinah would
send 5000 nowhere else. Lu Lu
would plan to surpass all competitors
nowhere else. Mecca would plan
twelve special trains to go nowhere
list.
"It explains why we certainly shall
witness next June a tidal wave of
Americans sweeping across the Sier-
ras. the Rockies. the central valleys.