Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-06-23
HARDING SPEAKS
At FORT NJ HENRY
President Pays Tribute to Writer
Of u. S. Anthem.
NATION NEEDS FAITH OF KEY
Executive Calls the Author Shining
Example for the People-Mrs.
Harding kneeIs Before the
Blind Veterans.

Fort McHenry, Baltimore. June 10
On this wind-swept promontory OF
Baltimore bay-the scene of the writ
ing under fire of "The Star Spangled
Banner''-President Harding walked
between lanes of living heroes of the
great war who never again shall see.
They were the blind from Flanders
the ArgOone, Messines and Chateau
Thierry.
President Harding, acco- panied by
Mrs. Harding, shook hands with each
member of the sightless battalion and
Mrs. Harding knelt before some of the
more gravely stricken men as she
murmured words of comfort to them.
The presidential party motored to
the fort on the bay point from the
Emerson hotel, where they had been
the city's luncheon guests. On ar
rival at the fort, the President was
given salute Of twenty guns. A pro-
gram of speeches and songs preceded
the Presidents speech. President
Harding's speech ''The shrines of
American patriotism not only reflect
the quality Of it's gratitude, but they
are ever refreshing and inspiring. We
are assembled today to rededicate one
Of these sacred shrines.
Come to Praise Service.
"Here the patriotic sons of the early
republic crushed one Of the most
ambitious invasions ever aimed
against our nation. Here, during the
rage of combat, was born the swell
ing anthem of American patriotism.
"It is wholly fitting that Flag day
should be chosen for this commence
ration and rededication, because our
hymn of patriotism is an apostrophe
to the flag we love. Yea, it Is apOs-
trOphe and invocation as well, born
of patriotic and poetic soul in the
travail of sublimely heroic light.
"SOme one has said in substance,
let me write the songs Of people,
and care not who makes their laws.
That quotation presents one of the
living truths In every land, under
every sky, about the appeal of poetry
and song to the finer sentiments of the
demonstrated in the appeal which
The Star Spangled Banner made to
the American people.
81 think it fair to say that we have
come here today, not so much to pay
tribute to the genius which caught the
inspiration of vital moment and
wrote That inspiration into one of the
songs of the ages, but rather more to
memorabilia the patriotic service of
the author il his everlasting contribu-
ton TO the soul uplift and exaltation
of his countrymen who live after him.
More Than Great Poet.
Francis Scott Key, though he pro-
duced some splendid lines, which are
less familiar than they deserve, was
not a great poet. He was less, but he
was also more, than great poet. He
was possessor of a patriotism which in
a supreme moment could make words
and meters it's creatures and servitors,
and so a modest genius was raised in
one flaming hour to place among the
immOrtals.
THAT the song became instantly
popular, and that when set to music
1t was Immediately adopted as the
anthem of militant Americanism, testi-
fies that already, more than a century
ago, the conviction Of a great nation
alism and a great destiny had taken
hold upon the American people.
at was not in the production of
soul-stirring lines, thrilling with mar
tial appeal-it was in the contribution
of his great hymn toward creating
that sense of national pride and that
realization of responsibility for great
adventure in behalf of humanity
which became at last the inspiration
of union preserved and of nationalism
established"
The President quoted from "The
Star Spangled Banner" the lines:
40, thus be it ever, when freemen
shall stand
Between their loved home and the
wars desolationv
"That was the poets prayer" he
faid. "We may fairly claim, in pride
for the deeds o. our fathers, our
brothers, the prayer has been Granted,
the faith has been kept.
"We need all the inspiration and
faith which fired his (Key's) glowing
soul Ct patriotism. No generation of
men has evei come into the world to
find its path smoothed. or to find its
problems solved for it in advance
Solution is the fit price we pay for our
inheritance of liberty and opportun-
ity."