Evening star., 1925-06-08
Pot in u. S. Is Example
For Fused World, Coolidge Says
Experience of This Nation Proof of
brotherhood of Races, President De-
cI0res at Morse merican Centennial.

when the hour OF trial came, il would
nave meant disaster to us and to the
world. But instead of crumbling into
Il chaos of discordant elements.
America proved its truly national
unity. 1t demonstrated conclusively
that there is Il spiritual quality
shared by all races and conditions OF
men which is their universal heritage
and common nature. Powerful enough
10 hold this people to high ideal in
time OF supreme trial, why may we
not hope that the same influence will
at length reach men and women
Wherever they are found on earth
Ii fraternity and corporation are
possible on rke scale of this continent
among people so widely diverse. why
not on the scale of a world? 1t is not
d new thought. but ii is a profoundly
engaging one. firmly believe IL is
more than Chimera. | feel it is pos
slble of realization. l am convinced
that our national story might some
what help to guide mankind toward
such goal Therefore | urge the
deeply thoughtful study and teaching
Of our history.
All History Ours.
No country has a history which
starts with its discovery or at its
boundaries. For the real beginning of
any people we must go back to the
beginnings of all peoples. From the
tombs OF Egypt and the sands Of
MeSopotamia men are now unearth-
ing the records of civilizations so an
clent that by comparison we think of
the recovered wonders of Carthage as
almost modern. But all that we shall
learn from the glyphs of Ur. the
tn h.. Of I, l.,
uments of Crete and Carthage is part
of our own history. illumination for
our todays, guidepoSts on the way to
our tomorrows. All the past lives in
the present. All the works and
thoughts OF those who have gone be-
fore have left their mark on what we
think and do.
These Norsemen whose beginnings
in the United States we here cele-
brate have exercised a great infiu-
ence upon our modern history and
Western civilization WHICH 1t is diff
hcult TO match among any other like
number of people. In many ways their
influence upon Northern and Western
Europe may be compared TO that of
the Greek states upon the civilization
OF the Mediterranean. They We're the
hrst deep-Se navigators. They pio-
neered the migrationS which boldly
struck across the Western waters
They were at once the terrors of the
w Western Roman empire and the guar
dians of the Eastern. The medieval
M was happy hunting
ground for them. They branded their
name upon French Normandy, and
from il descended upon Britain in the
Norman conquest from which there
was the beginning of modern English
history.
First Found New World.
But even before William of Nor
mandy had conquered at Hastings.
Lief, the son of Erik, near 500 years
before Columbus appears to have
found the new world. Indeed, there
seems little doubt that several CEN
turies before Columbus saw the light
of da-- there was born upon American
soil of Morse parents, a boy who after
ward became so great a mathemati-
can and astronomer that his studies
may have contributed much to the
fund of knowledge which helped CO.
lumbus formulate his vision of the
world as we know 1t. Among the fas-
chapters in the history of the
dark ages is the story of Iceland. As
a little Morse Republic it maintained
itself for several centuries a S one of
the real repositories of ancient cul-
ture in world whose lamp of learn
ing seemed near to Pickering out. We
nave long known of the noble Ice.
landlc literature which was produced
during those generations of the intel
lectual twilight: but we know too little
of the part which Iceland performed
as an outpost of the sturdy northern
culture in bridging over the gulf of
darkness between the ancient and
modern eras of history.
These sons of Thor and Odin and
the great free north shape themselves
In the minds eye as very princes of
high and hardy adventure, From
Norway to Iceland, from Iceland TO
Greenland, from Greenland to the
mainland, step by step they worked
their way across the north Atlantic
1hey round the western ocean, and it
was Norseman who first traversed
Bering Strait and demonstrated that
there was no land connection between
Asia and North America One won
ders whittier these Mortimer would
turn for adventure if the earth should
ever be so completely charted that ex-
ploration ofrered no more CHALLENGES
Within very few years one of them
f1rst traversed the northwest passa go
from Atlantic to Pacific, and the same
one, Amundsen, carried the flag of
Norway to the South Pole: and now
within few days past. he has been
the first to make large explorations
in the region of the North Pole in
an airplane, tempting a fate which.
as write, is unknown.
Voyage of Restaurationen.
One likes to linger over these tales
OF adventure and exploration. One of
them has special significance in con.
nection with this celebra ton which
entities 1t to more particular refer.
ence. This, of course, Is the VOYAGE
CT the little sloop Restaurationen
which in 1925 brought the first or.
ganized party of Norwegian imni-
grants to this country. One reared on
the New England tradition of the
Mayflower will find all the materials
for new legend of pioneering in the
voyage OF the Restaurationen. She
was sloop of As tons, whereas tha
MaynoWer was rated as 18O tons. The
sailed from Stavan.
ger Norway, on July 4, 1925. with a
desperately heavy cargo of iron and
d party OF 52 people. She came safely
INTO the port of New York after a
voyage or IA weeks, which compares
Win weeks required for the historic
passage of the Mayfower.
The arrival of the Restsuration.,
created sensation among thnsa
Injured to the sea. 1t was claimed
that she was the smallest vessel tbst
had ever made the transatlantic
crossing. The New York AUTHORITIES
threatened to deny her the privileges
OF the port on the ground that sba