Evening star., 1934-05-28
COL0RS MASSED
ON MT.ST. ALbANS
Record Crowd of $4,000 As.
SembIeS for Exercises
at Cathedral.

The seventh annual massing of the
colors service at Washington Cathe-
dral yesterday afternoon was attend
ed by the largest crowd ever assem-
bled on Mount st. Alban for COM
memorative occasion. 1t was esti-
mated that there were 10000 people
in the amphitheater on the south
slope of the hill when the program
began.
Nearly 1000 flags were carried in
the procession from st. Adams
Church down the pilgrim steps to the
Veterans. patriotic, fraternal, civic
and educational organizations to the
number of 100 were represented in
the line.
The congregation stood at salute
while the parade of bearers marched
to the foot of cross of gold wreathed
with poppies under the trees of the
amphitheater grove. Five drum and
bugle corps led the way, and the
United States Marine Band, Capt.
Taylor Branson conducting, played
martial airs. The opening hymn was
Onward, Christian Soldiers" sung by
the full Cathedral choir, directed by
Edgar Priest.
Col. Brasted Reads Lesson.
Col Alva Brasted read the lessons,
Canon Anson Phelps Stokes pro-
nounced the prayers for the President,
the Nation, the flag and the people.
and Capt. Arlington A. McCallum gave
the commemoration prayer.
The climax of the service came
when Second Leader Arthur Whit
comb, U. S. M. c., sounded taps for
the heroic dead. Complete silence
reigned as the final notes died away.
Then the Marine Band played THE
Star Spangled Banner" while the
congregation remained standing.
Admiral William H. Standley, chief
OF naval operations U. S. NJ, paying
tribute to the memory of the patriots
OF land and sea, in a short address
said in part:
In all ages there hao been an
urgent need for clear thinking as well
as courageous ard wise leadership in
order to defeat disintegrating ten
dencles and to carry forward the
banner of liberty, stability and prog
resS. In this, force has ever been an
indispensable ally Both spiritual and
physical force have been found es-
sential. Our forefathers on this con-
tlnent put their trust in God and
kept their powder dry. Their arms
and religion together have made and
kept us Nation"
Bishop Freeman breaches.
The annual memorial sermon was
preached by Right Rev. James E.
Freeman, Bishop of Washington. Each
generation, he declared, must face its
own new tasks and problems, and
courage is an Imperative necessity for
the solution of national and social ills.
Those whom We affectionately think
OF today may be in truth forgotten
men," he said, unless we hold to
those high principles for which they
gave the last full measure of devo-
ton
I'VE shall hardly through legislation
alone recover our poise or our pros
perity. Apart from all material losses,
great as they are, we have shown q
serious decline in morale, in the recog-
milton OF those spiritual values that
issue from religious convictions and
practices. Irreverence, disrespect for
law and departure from the wholesome
ways Of our fathers have been con-
spicuous in our modern life. Crime. in
daring and more insidious and malig-
nant forms. has cast it's sinister
shadow across our pathway. En-
boldened by the failure of constituted
authorities 70 detect and punish their
nefarious ways and their indulgence
IN the basest of crimes, a profession
OF criminals. numbering, it is esti-
mated, 100000. has grown up among
us. and secretly and maliciously they
plot against our peace and brazenly
invade the sanctity of our homes.
"The record of these more recent
years is one that gives us a distinction
among the nations of the world that
Is far from enviable. ="
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and Mrs.
William Howard Taft occupied places
near the pulpit, and members of Con-
gress and of the diplomatic corps had
reserved seats nearby Approximately
1:ooo ofhcers of the Army, Navy, Ma
r1ne Corps and Coast Guard were
present.