Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25
Inaugural Event Is CO0lidgeS Eighth in Nine Yea

Harding, the incoming President, de-
sired for economic reasons that the
ceremonies be made simple
possible. Nevertheless, Pennsylvania
avenue was profusely decorated with
flags, and lined with spectators, in
Guiding numerous original Harding
marching clubs and campaign or
ganizations, which cheered vocifer-
ously at each appearance of the presi-
Dental party. The Harding Coolidge
Club of Washington, accompanied Ky
the Boy Scout band, was stationed at
First and B streets northwest.
1t was an exceptionally orderly
crowd The police had little else TO
do but keep the overzealous ones
back of the wire ropes that were
stretched along the curbstones.
The weather was so good and I'M
usual for an inauguration day in
Washington that The Star commented
on it editorially: In almost every
respect it is ideal day for the
great national occasion. The skies
are bright and the air is just bracing
cool. Few inauguration days have
been better in any particular. Many
of them have been far worse for
public comfort"
The Vice President-eIect and Mrs.
Coolidge arose early and had break
lard with Mr.. Coglidge's father. Col.
| John c. Coolidge, their two boys and
several personal friends
X =
| 4 SkED how he felt on the morning
of his Inauguration day, Coolidge
| said he did not feel as important as
| he did on the occasion of his gradua-
| ton from high school.
AT 1890 o'clock the inaugural COM
| mittee called at the hotel and es-
| corted the President elect and Vice
| elect to the White House.
| There, after a short wait, President
| Wilson appeared. Secret Service men
| helped the retiring President into
| the first automobile, which he shared
| with President Harding, Senator
| Knox and Representative Cannon. In
| the second car were Mrs. Wilson and
Mrs. Harding. The third car carried
| Vice Presidents Coolidge and Mar
/ shall. and Mrs. Coolidge and Mrs.
| Marshall rode in the fourth machine.
| Members of the inaugural committee,
who were in other automobiles, and
four troops of cavalry from Fort
| Myer, riding with drawn sabers, COM
pleted the procession which ac-
companied the executive party to and
from the Capitol
President Wilson smiled in ac-
| which greeted him all along the Ave
| nue. Arriving at the Capitol. he en-
tered the building by a Unlicensed
| door, but did not remain for the cere-
monies. After a short interview with
his friends and leaders of Congress
he returned to his car and was driven
| to his private residence. on street.
| A touch of pathos was added by
the half masted flags flying over the
Senate and House office buildings in
| honor of Champ Clark. the veteran
| Democratic leader and personal friend
| OF President Harding, who had died
| on the I'd of March
| Vice President Coolidge's inaugural
| ceremonies were performed in the
Senate chamber OF the Capitol, in the
presence of President-elect Harding
| and members of the incoming cabinet,
| the members of President Wilson's
cabinet, the Senators and Members
| or Congress, the justices of the Su-
preme Court and the foreign diplo-
mats, headed by Ambassador Jules
| JusSerand Of France, dean of the
corps. Gems. Pershing and Marsh,
Maj Gen. Iejeune and Rear Admiral
CoontZ were also on the floor of the
! Senate, while in the galleries were
Mrs. Coolidge, Col Coolidge Mrs
| Harding, DR.. Harding the Presidents
! father; Mrs. Wilson and other dis
tinguished guests, Mr.. Coolidge took
a seat on the right of Mr.. Marshall
and the spectators applauded s they
| shook hands.
After the customary opening exer-
| cises, which in this instance included
| turning the hands of the clock back
several times so that the ceremonies
began promptly at noon, Coolidge
was inaugurated Vice President. The
| oath of office was administered bv
| IL -
states Supreme Court. The new Vice
| PRESIDENT then delivered a short in
augural address, in which he pledged
to maintain the Senate as the citadel
OF the peoples liberty.
| x X x x
COOL1DGE'S first official act was 10
| convene the Senate in extraordi-
nary session, after which he admins
tered the oath of office TO 80 Senator's
whose terms began with the new
Congress.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies
| IN the Senate chamber the executive
party adjourned to the east portico Of
the capitol, where Warren G. Har-
| dlng became the twenty-eighth Pres
| ldent OF the United States before an
immense crowd which had been wait
| ing several hours. To this vast audi
ence, which was estimated at 1O0. 600.
the PRESIDENT presented his inaugural
| ADDRESS, which was made audible IN
| every person present by means Of
the loud-speaktng devices being used
| there for the first time.
IN the evening, in place of the ~oId
cme inaugural ball a child-welfare
oance was held at the Willard. Vice
fresloent Coolidge slipped quietly into
I me pailroom about midnight almost I'M
] observed. Mrs. Coolidge arrived later
nio1
direct with the Vice President to the
central box, where they were greeted by
the guests.
simple and strange as this inaugural
seemed to residents of Washington
Coohdge's inauguration as President
oelng an emergency one-was SIMMER
and stranger still As almost every one
recalls, it was solemnly performed in
ms fathers farmhouse near Plymouth
VI, where the Vice President had gone
for his Summers vacation.
The Coolidge family was asleen short
~ after midnight August 5, 1923, when
messenger aroused them with the
news that President Harding had died
several hours before in San Francisco
telephone wire was hastily installed
and Coolidge talked with Secretary
Hughes in Washington, who notified
MN to take the oath of office and start
for Washington.
Arrangements We're quickly made for
the PRESIDENTS father, Col John c..
Coolidge, who is n notary, to give his
son the oath of office. Then in the pres
ence of his wife, his secretary, his
chauffeur and few neighbors the for
mer Vermont farm boy raised his right
t hand and swore to defend the Consti-
tuition of the United States Having
! thus become Americas twenty-ninth
President at 2:47 am. on the morning