Evening star., 1923-08-15

I and allegiance only to the Pope
Their magnificent record in the world
war made plain the utter absurdtty of
the slander.
Now comes Bergdoll's malicious at
tack on the American Legion, In
which he sets forth in detail that the
! dying victim Of his shot had CON
fessed" that the conspiracy to cap
ture him had been formulated and
| financed by the American Legion
centering in the Paris Post. So he
, boasts that he would like to get a
shot at any legionnaire."
The national adjutant of the Ameri-
; can Legion, Lemuel Bolles, from the
headquarters at Indianapolis officially
denies that the American Legion had
anything whatever to do with the
unsuccessful attempt to capture Berg
doll. He suggests. however, that "the
safest place for Grover Cleveland
Bergdoll is behind the bars of peni-
+: tentiary in the United States"
War Department officials also deny
that the Army had anything to do
with the attack. None of the attack
ers is connected with the Army.
An American newspaper man is ac-
cused OF being implicated in the con-
spiracy, and other newspaper men,
,, getting advance tips, were in Eber-
-
story" That being the case, how
comes 1t that Bergdoll does not ac-
cuse all the American press with be-
ing criminally involved?
The warning of National Adjutant
Bolles does not mean that Bergdoll
is in any danger from the American
Legion, as an organization, but the
/ a h
tion of the fact that, since the
tragedy Of last week, there are likely
to be men in Europe-no matter what
nationality-who will seek to avenge
the victim of the unsuccessful at
tempt.
There ars "apaches" in Paris who.
like gunmen of New York, stand
ready to murder anybody for re-
ward. Bergdoll may never be brought
alive to America, but IL in an Ameri-
| can penitentiary he would be safer
here than at large even in Germany
triotic Americans, but from indi-
viduals bent on adventure or actuated
by personal hate. That is why the
charge he makes against the Ameri-
Gates that he does not realize his
situation.
X X xx
There Is a famous Lincoln highway,
/ Lee highway and a Roosevelt high
way. It is now proposed by Charles
Lathrop Pack, president of the Ameri-
| should be a Harding highway, to be
lined with shade trees.
He points to the fact that President
Harding was a lover and planter of
trees, hence the appropriateness of a
ltree-embowered highway in his honor
James Limo of the Aurora (ll.)
Automobile Club suggests that the
Cannonball trail be changed to the
Harding trail. for Mr.. Harding was
nominated in Chicago and died in
California, hence his career would
be measured by such a trail.
~ x
Aside from the desirability of COM
memorating President Harding by a
great highway, the idea of having it
lined with trees, as it runs from
the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean.
appeals both to the esthetic and the
utilitarian. The culture of forestry
Is one of the prime needs of America.
Within a fortnight Of his death Presi-
dent Harding had decided the Alaska
dispute as to the control of it's for
ests in favor Of the conservationists,
thus showing his sympathy in the
protection Of trees.
\ \ X
Senator CumminA President pro
Tempora Of the Senate. and Senator
Harris. veteran democrat from Geor-
gia, agree that there should be con-
stitutional amendment limiting Presi-
dents to one term Of six years. Sena-
tor Harris introduced a bill at the
last term to propose such an amend
ment, but no progress was made with
Ii. Now he will reintroduce 1t, with
the assurance that 1t will be given
vigorous bipartisan support.