Evening star., 1926-04-11
OFFICIALS CH|DED
At GR|D|RON DINNER
Shades of Colonial Fathers
Return to Thrust BarbS
at 1926 Americans.

George Washington, Thomas Jeffer-
son, John Marshall and Alexander
Hamilton stepped last night from
their golden frames in history TO
chide present.day Americans.
Portraits of the four outstanding
figures of the cradle days" OF the
republic became animated at the an
nual Spring dinner of the Grfdiron
Club. They selected popular airs Of
1926 as the medium for their critical
counsel to the America of this, t''a
sesquicentennial year, when all eyes
are turned anew to Philadelphia.
The gist of their tuneful shafts
was that the Nation had sacrificed
much of what they had gained for it
and that to them the colonial days
appeared to be truly the good old
days."
Club Accepts Challenge.
The Gridiron Club accepted the
challenge of the founders. 1t under
took to demonstrate that it was able.
through its good-natured raillery Of
melody and satire, to smile as broadly
as they at the foibles of the states
men of 1926 and to hold up the mirror
to the shortcomings of cotemporary
America.
If Washington, Jefferson. Marshall
and Hamilton were present in the
spirit last night among the large
group of distinguished guests, includ-
ing the Vice President, the cabinet,
diplomats, Senators, jurists. artists.
financial and professional leaders. and
journalists Of Pan-Amer1ca, tney
heard the Gridiron's scorching satire
of the prohibition debate, the bi-
partisan coalition in the Senate. the
Democratic search for campaign
issues, the White House spokesman,
the bill" Borah--"Jim" Reed anti
world court crusade, a reading of the
diary and memoirs" Of Frank w.
Stearns and numerous jibes at the
Vice President.
The Gridiron March.
The musical Tilt of the dinner was
heightened by the presence of John
Philip Sousa, a limited member OF
the club, who had composed for the
occasion the "Gridiron March" which
he expects to rank high among his
famous airs. The March King OF the
world conducted the Marine Band in
introducing his new production, its
premiere presentation. Lieut.. Sousa
had worked for months on the Grid
iron March" He Cancelled concert
engagements to dedicate it personally
to the club. The march will be a
feature of all subsequent dinners.
In honor of the Inauguration of
Clifford X. Bergman, cartoonist of
The Star, as president OF the club, the
first non.writing member ever to at
tain to that office, 10 OF the leading
artists of the country were present
as guests of the president to give
display, of another art. Their per-
sonal conceptions of President Cool
idge and Vice President Dawes were
thrown on a screen while the artists
were made to stand in the glare of
the spotlight.
Many Artists Present.
The artists present included Her
bert Johnson of the Saturday Evening
Post. Rollin Kirby of the New York
World, c.. H. Sykes, Philadelphia
Public Ledger; Edwin Marcus, New
York Times; w. A. Rogers, Washing
ton Post; BILLY" Ireland, Columbus
Despatch; J. H. Dopahey. Cleveland
Plain Dealer; D. r. Fitzpatrick, st.
Louis Post.Dispatch, and John L. De
Mar, Philadelphia Record.
. The inauguration Of President Ber
ryman was engaged further for some
sharp sallies at the white House
spokesman" A group of reporters
demanded an interview with the pres
ident of the club, and Mr.. Bergman
averred he was the presidents spokes-
man. The spokesman" revealed
himself as adept at evasive reply as
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