Evening star., 1923-07-18

There Is new movement making
headway In the District ofTColum-
bia. 1t is a BIT pusziing to one who
has not yet been let into the secret
of the big idea" -
Some one proposes to haveythe Dis
trict of Columbia adopt the forget
me-not as its fiower-emblem of all
that the capital and the, District stand
for. ES-1
Doubtless It would be appropriate
If District committees should present
TO every member OF Congress d mod
est cluster of these pretty flowers.
upon the day Congress convenes. next
December. Let committees from all
civic bodies proceed to grow them
throughout the summer. In anticipa-
ton. for there Is more Joy in antici-
patton than ever comes through real
ization. .fs g..
&*E
The suggestion of adopting the
flower Is enthusiastically indorsed by
the Anthony League. and Its presi-
dent gives the reasons for that COM
mitment. Among them Is the fact
that this splendid nation-splendid
in potentiality rather than achieve
ment-was the first Of all to break
away from that imperial domination
which ruled the earth. The forget
me-not would remind US OF that
fact"
Sometimes one ties a string around
a finger. and later forgets what 1t
reminds him Of. Would the tiny blue
flower be sure OF remind us of the
Declaration of Independence? Com
mare ii with the sunf1ower. Which
looks most independent and self-as-
sertive?
Again." says the champion OF the
dainty little blue blossom, I'VE should
not be allowed to forget the tremen-
dous energy and unselfish love Of
freedom that enabled the founders
OF the republic to institute demo-
cratic government of the people. by
the people and for the people OF this
new world"
n John Adams. Alexander Hamilton,
Thomas Jefferson and George Wash
ington beat Lincoln to that Kind of
government. 1t isn't a forget-me-
not that will best typify the deed: It's
2 daisy, for they kept it secret until
Lincoln let it be known.
X
Again" reiterates the forget-me-
not champion. I'VE should be reminded
that this country has been the asylum
for the oppressed. the field OF oppor-
tunity and the great hope of the fu-
ture OF the nations Of the old world"
Maybe so-mayhe so-in the past
But now that we have restricted I'M
migration. how about -four o'clocks."
which close up early?
Great hope OF the nations?" Rather
the snapdraeon. according to the pres-
ent conception of the United States
by the European nations, jealous Of
our accumulated wealth. Could we
convince Europe that modesty Is our
middle name. even with the p-"ttv
ard diminutiva forRet-me-not? They
conceive this country as r. fiycatch"~
IL not narcissus, dying from self
admiration. .+
Besides. forget-me-nnts grow best
in very moist soil. and we tell the
world that the United States Ia the
"drvAst" soil on eartH-then try to
tvpify IL with a flower Of the swamp,
True. there is an Alpine variety.
which has learned to stop drinking.
but that is a sport" or at least not
an original 'forget-me-not.
There is. another reason why the
good ladies' will go slow before COM
mitting themselves to the forget-me-
Iots. but perhaps it would be cruel
to tell it. If only we could confine the
variety to the kind which shines out
on the fiag-wiiich Freedom from her
mountain height used, when she tore
TIE azure robe OF night. and set tho
stars OF glory there" II would be all
right. for Longfellow says:
silently, one by one. in the infinite
meadows OF heaven
Blossom the lovely stars, the forget
me-nots OF the angels
* =
However, that is not the kind which,
blooms in our swamPs and well wa
tered gardens. This kind. indorsed
and championed by the ladies of An
thony League. Is known. botanically
as "myosotis." and that name will
cause a scampering. for it is derived
from mus" mouse, and "otos," an
ear in allusion to the resemblance of
the shape of the leaf to a mouse's ear.