Evening star., 1924-09-17
PERSH|NG FAVORS
VOTE FOR DISTRICT
General Tells Chamber of
Commerce He Will Make
Home in Washington.

Announcing to the members of the
Washington Chamber of Commerce
at the opening Fall meeting of the
organization at the Willard Hotel last
night that he intended to live in
Washington and to become a citizen
here, Gen. Pershing declared the Dis
trict ought to have vote and that
he could not understand why the
citizens should not have a voice in
their own affairs.
Gen. Pershing was elected an hon
orary member OF the chamber, which
body unanimously indorsed a resoIu-
tion to constitute a committee of
rs to urge upon Congress that. in the
name OF the Nation, it make some suit
able recognition of Gen. Pershing's
service to the country.
Il am Washingtonian and l stand
for Washington" declared Gen.
Pershing. L think. now that I. am
eligible to vote. Washington ought to
have a vote. it ought to run it's own
affairs. Now that am voter"
smiled the general amid "A thunderous
pplause, why should Congress die
late to US what we are to do. Now
that am voter. this is a bitter pill
and We must take some action. l am
for you-nyself as WELL" he de-
ciAred.
Joins In Spirit.
II am familiar with the generous
hospitality of the city and | am not
surprised that you want to speak for
yourselves and to be able to offer
hospitality in your own names to the
country and the world at large. Now
that I am a member of your organ
ization ] shall aspire to occupy the
of1oe held by Mr.. Cans, the president,
one day"
Gen. Pershing declared that he had
been in the Army all his life and that
there were many opinions of his
methods. and he jokingly declared that
il he had been able to run the Army
IS Isaac Cans. president of the cham
Der, ran that organization, he would
not have been retired.
Gen Charles Martin, assistant chief
of stan. in praising the aNtional Capt.
tai, declared; "If the people of the
country saw this audience here to-
night that would change their views
that Washington is just the home of
the President and of government
clerks. The people do not realize what
this city is
Rockenbach Praises Patrio t1sm.
Praising the city for it's fine demon
stration on Defense day, Gen. Rokcen-
bach, commander of the Washington
district, declared: The parade was a
fine demonstration of the spirit of
Preparedness. Through the Commits
sioners IL was learned that in the time
of war there will be a defense COM
mittee: they will receive and allocate
troops, who will be submitted to the
unit commanders, who have plans for
feeding. equipping and housing the
men. We can go to war as calmly as
going to a fire"
II thank you business men for the
work you did. The soldiers will have
10 fight and the business men will
have to pay in war time: they should
get together" declared the general
who predicted that next Defense day
would be a larger demonstration.
Other speakers on the program
were John Barton Payne, chairman of
the American Red Cross: Brig. Gen.
Amos A. Fries, chief of the Chemical
Warfare Service, and Lieut.. Col G. G.
Reininger.
4 letter from Bishop James Z.
Freeman. regretting his absence. was
read Bishop Freeman's letter con-
tained high praise for Gen. Pershing.
regretting that the former leader of
the Army was forced to retire under