Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-19
North and South, ReConciIed,
Share Industrial Progress,
He Declares.
GREETED BY CROWDS
AT FREDERICKSBURG
Dedicates Virginia Battlefelds at
Memorial Ground. Breaking
Ceremonies.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

FtIEL)EFIICkSBURG va, OctOOeI
19.-In country now tranquil and in
spring in its beauty, but once the scene
of five of the bloodiest and most des-
perately fought battles of the Civil War
President Coolidge this afternoon, in an
address delivered to huge gathering a
short distance from this historic city
extolled the greatness, the progress and
the prosperity of the United States.
Mr.. Coolidge declared that as result
of all this the American standards OF
living have reached levels never before
experienced by any people in human
history. He added that during these
remarkable strides the door of opportu-
nifty has been open to all the inhabi-
tants and that the benefits of the Ma
tons prosperity has been widely dis
triouted among the great mass of the
people.
Emphasizes Industries.
In emphasizing the industrial ad-
vancement and the general prosperity
of this country Mr. Coolidge gave no
indication that his utterances were
prompted by political reasons. He
traced this prosperity to the union
which the Civil War preserved and saw
in today's ceremonies sign that re-
sentiment between the North and South
was being forgotten and that recon-
ciliation is becoming complete.
Such wonderful record of pros
perity, the President contended, would
be of little avail, if it had not been
accompanied by evidences of the great
moral power of the Nation. In this
connection he cited the increase in edu-
cation, lavish charities, the promotion
of science and the actions of this Gov
ernment in behalf of limitation of naval
armaments and the negotiations in be-
half of promoting world peace.
The occasion for Mr.. Coolidge's ad-
dress was the breaking of ground cere-
monies for the National Battlefields
Memorial, which is in the form of a
national park created by an act of
Congress and which will include the
battleflelds of Fredericksburg, the Will
derness, Spottsylvania and Chancellors-
vile. The ceremonies, which were
highly patriotic and impressive in their
nature, were held amid a picturesque
setting in front of Mansfield Hall, now
the home of country club. but for
merly private home which survived
those days of bitter fighting.
Travels on Special Train.
Several thousand persons. among
State officers. and men and women
prominent in official and social life III
the Old Dominion, had assembled to
participate in these ceremonies and to
hear the President of the Nation de-
liver the dedicatory address.
Mr. Coolidge made the journey to
Fredericksburg from Washington on a
special train of the Richmond, Fred
ericksburg & Potomac Railroad.
Virginia's governor and members of his
staff, and members of the Battle Park
Association we're at the station at
Fredericksburg to formally receive the
party and escort them to MannSfield
Hall three miles out of town.
Besides Mrs. Coolidge, the President
was accompanied by Senator Claude A.
Swanson of Virginia and Mrs. Swanson,
Admiral Charles F. Hughes, chief of
Naval Operations; Maj. Gen. John A.
Lejeune, commandant of Marines: Brig.
Gen. Briant H. Wells, acting chief of
staff of the Army; c. Bascom Slemp,
and formerly secretary to the President;
Everett Sanders, the Presidents secre-
tary; Col. Osman Latrobe, military aide !;
Capt. Wilson Brown, naval aide; DR..
James Coupal presidential physician,
and Erwin G. GeiSser, personal Stenog-
rapher to the President
Greeted by Crowds.
The motor ride to the scene of the
dedication ceremonies was highly i'm
pressive and interesting. Besides the
throng in the vicinity of the railroad
station. which cheered the distin-
guished party as it detrained and en-
tered the caravan of motor cars, there
were dense crowds along the curbs of
the streets Of Fredericksburg through
which the party passed. The journey
was made in leisurely fashion in order
that the members of the party might
have an opportunity to look upon the
many places of historic interest in this
famous old Virginia town.
These included the quaint house in
which Mary Washington, the mother
of George Washington, lived for 81
years and where the latter so frequently
visited; the little frame house in which
John Paul Jones lived four years; the
Rising Sun Tavern, where Washington
and others prominent in the early his
tory of the section were won't to gather
and Kenmore" the home of Washing
tons sister.
AS the party passed through the town
and upon reaching the open country
they had pointed out to them the posi-
tions of the combating forces and the
various scenes of the fighting in that
section. AS the President reached the
Continued on Page 2, Column 81