Evening star., 1923-06-04
Thousands See Dedication
Service at Zero Milestone

sociation. Senator Tasker l.. Oddie,
representating the American Automo-
bile Association, and Roy ID. Chapln,
representing the National Automobile
Chamber of Commerce.
Presentation Of the zero milestone
was made by DIR. Johnson. 1t was
then unveiled by Lieut.. Col. Clar-
ence O. Sheriff., military aide to the
President and master of the dedi-
catory exercises
Thousands Hear Speakers.
Amplifying horns. the same used
at the inaugural ceremonies of
President Harding, which had been
placed at points around the Ellipse
by the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company, carried the mes
sages of the speakers to the thou
sands who We're unable to get with
in hearing distance. The complete
ceremonies also were broadcast to
the crowds on Pennsylvania avenue
over the amplifiers on the temporary
poles which dot the historic thor
oughfare from Washington Circle to
Peace Monument.
Army Band Opens Exercises.
The United States Army Band of
seventy pieces opened the exercises
at 1870 o'clock with a concert, which
continued until about O'Clock, when
Col. Sheriff. introduced the presd-
ing officer, Secretary of War John
w. Weeks. While the last strains
of America" from the Army band
were being played the motor cara
van arrived. The band Immediately
struck up Hail. Hail! The Caravan"
and 1t was sung by a chorus COM
posed of members of the Columbia
and Capital Male Quartets and other
singers. organized by William f.
Braithwaite. The song. was com
posed for the occasion. the music by
q hN-
ginia Monroe.
Invocation and benediction were
pronounced by Rev. J. j. Muir, chap
lain of the United States Senate.
the nation Or. Johnson emphasized
that it owes it's existence to Chateau
Thierry-"that fateful day in July.
1918. when the German had thrust
the point of his wedge between the
English and French and there was
not man or gun to oppose his
progress to the English channel"
Forty miles away were $4,000
United States marines and other
troops, also quantities of American
made motor trucks said DR.. John
son. They loaded sixty men to
truck, their guns in their hands and
their accouterments on their backs,
and away they flew over the splendid
roads of France. cheering as they
went. They arrived on time. They
were drawn up in battle formation.
Wave on wave, the shock troops of
the German empire were thrown
against them-but there those clear
eyed American lads stood like a stone
wall. They never gave an inch OF
ground! And that was the farthest
west the enemy ever got! From then
on it took fast-moving automobiles
to keep them in contact with the re-
treating foe until Old Glory waved
on the bridgeheads of the River
Rhine. 1t was the motor truck on
the roads of France that saved the
world.
Is the u. 8. Safe:
so we asked, Is the United States
safe? Suppose there should come a
in our homeland.
We resolved to investigate. We sent
one Army expedition in 1919 across
the continent through the north and
another in 1920 through the south.
We proved that it could be done
but that only in certain favored
relied on for a dependable itinerary.
Congress moved. We had bought
lavishly to end the war, motor
trucks, automobiles. road machinery
cessation of hostilities left this prop
erty in the hands of the Secretary of
War. Since it was no longer needed
for the purpose, Congress directed
the Secretary of War to transfer TO
the Secretary of Agriculture, gratis,
for distribution to the states all sur
plus war property suitable for high
way work. Under this legislation
$500, 100000 worth of machinery and
equipment bought for the war and
of France had the war lasted six
months longer is today in commits
sion building or caring for the roads
of our beloved homeland-and every
one of the more than 5000 counties
has benefited by this transfer.
Congress further appropriated vast
sums to aid the states in putting this
equipment to use and in constructing
roads for our use at home, such as
we found already built and serving
the needs of Europe. Vast as these
sums were. they were not sufficient
to construct our roads in time to
serve this present generation. So we,
preferring to travel over these high
ways while we are living and while
our Neyes can behold the vastness, the
richness and the beauty of our coun-
try to being borne over them in
hearse, selected a definite point in
Washington as the point of beginning
and other points which listen to the
surf-beat Of the Pacific as the points
to build to, and we resolved to- issue
our call to the nation to help us to
close the gaps without further delay.
Stdnu HOF fdNeO Chteu Stutess
1--WE. have taken our stand for a
paved United States. This monument
is placed here to mark the beginning
of system-but a beginning implies
continuance and completion. The use
of the automobile is universal, there
fore pavement must be universal.
Until this is accomplished we will not
be living in the spirit of the age in
which our lives are cast.
Mr.. President. on behalf of Lee
Highway Association and through the
cooperation of number of public
spirited citizens, including the chill
dren of the late Senator John H.
Bankhead, father of the federal high
way act, and of national organiza-
tions, including the American Auto
mobile Association, the National Au-
tomobile Chamber of Commerce and
the National Highway Association. 1
have the honor to present this monu
ment. to be a standard of linear
measurement on the highway radi-
ating from this place and as the SYM
boil of the spirit of this, the motor
age of progress"
Senator Oddie stressed the impor-
tance of an adequate system of ma
tional highways. NO more urgent
demand faces us today than the
building and maintaining of an ade-
quate system of national highways
which we now lack" he said.
bThis wear Is tha 10fth annjyersary