The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-23
FATHER OF OUR
 COUNTRY LAUDED
 BY PRESIDENT
elf-Sacrificing Spirit Of Washington Keynote
 Of Address
PAYS TRIBUTE TO HIGH
 QUALITIES OF CHARACTER
Says Leaders Greatness Lay In Ability To Call Countrymen
 To Sense Of Higher Duties

NoyS A~ouSA . UACothCSo Lay AN
 Ability To Call Countrymen
 To Sense Of Higher Duties
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-(By As- sociated Press. s.)--President Coolidge, in radio address delivered tonight from the White House, combined with a trib- ute to Washington an appeal to the American people to accept the respon- abilities and continue the sacrifices necessary to make enduring the insti- tutions which Washington founded.
 MT. Coolidge described the part played by Washington in founding the American government and declared he accomplished the results "by accepting great responsibilities and making great sacrifices"
 If we are to maintain the institu- tions which he founded, if we are to improve what he created, we must be like-minded with him; we must con- tinue to accept responsibilities, we must continue to make sacrifices" the President said. Under all the laws of God and man there is no other way"
 Address Delivered From White House.
 The address was delivered by the President in his study in the White House and was made by invitation of the International Rotary clubs, mem bers of which recently asked that the President deliver an address today in anniverSpry of the founding of Rota- rianism.
 Each year the birthday of George Washington gains wider acceptance as being of more national significance" Mir. Coolidge said. 'In far off lands people are observing this day by talk ing thought of the qualities that gave Washington this foremost place among the truly great. They are drawn to this man by his calm and clear judg- ment, by his abounding courage and his unselfish devotion. Beyond that which was ever accorded to any other mortal, he holds rank as a soldier, a statesman and patriot. Others may have excelled him in some of these qualities, but DO one ever excelled him in this threefold greatness. Yet Wash ington, the man, seems to stand above them all. =. We can best estimate him by not identifying him with some high place but by thinking him as one of ourselves. When all detailed de scriptions fail, it is enough to say he was great man.
 Had Supreme Endowment Of Character
 He had supreme endowment of character.
 No one can think of America with out thinking of Washington. When we look back over the course of history before his day, it seems as though it had all been preparation for him and his time. Whan we consider events since then ssra can see sa steady esswtli and development of the ideals which he represented and the institutions which he founded worldwide in extent The principles which he fought to establish have become axioms of civilization. It might almost be said that the progress which peoples have made is measured by the degree with which they have ac- cepted the great policies which he rep resented.
 Ut is not possible to compress . great life into single sentence. We look upon Washington as the exponent of the rights of man. We think of him as having established the independence of America. We associate. his name with liberty and freedom. We say that he was great influence in the adoption of the Constitution of the United States. All these are centered around the principle, of self-government. But when we examine the meaning of independence, of constitutional liberty and of self-gOvernment, we do not find that they are simple rights which so- ciety can bestow upon us. They are very complex. They have to be earned. They have to be paid for. They arise only from the discharge of our obliga- tions one to another.
 Called Countrymen To Higher Duties
 Washington did not, could not, give anything to his countrymen. His great ness lies in the fact that he was sue cessful in calling them to the perform ance of higher duty. He showed them how to have greater liberty by earn ing it. All that any society can do, all that any government can do, is to at tempt to guarantee to the individual the social, economic and political re- wards of his own effort and industry. The America, which Washingt ton found- ed, does not mean we shall have every thing done for us, but that we shall have every opportunity to do every thing for ourselves. This is liberty, but it is liberty only through the ac- ceptance of responsibility.
 Tt cannot fail to be worthwhile to recall some of the activities of Wash ingtOn and some of the men of his day
 Before we complain too much about hardships in these luxurious days, be- lore we lose faith in the power of the people by relying on themselves best to serve themselves, it is well to consider the early beginnings of this republic.
 "Self-gOvernment does not purge us of all our faults, but there are very few students of the affairs of mankind who would deny that the theory, upon which our institutions proceed, gives the best results that have ever been given to any people. When there is q failure it is not because the system has failed but because we have failed For the purpose of insuring liberty, for enactment of sound legislation, for the administration of handed jus tice, for the execution of the law, no have ever given greater promise or more worthy performance than those which are represented by the name of Washington. Idea Of Seif-GOvernment Is Unchanged
 We have changed our constitution