Evening star., 1936-05-31
PLEAS FOR PEACE
MARK MEMORIAL
DAY EXERCISES
President Heads Arlington
Program, Pershing and
Roper Speaking.
UNDERSTANDING NEED
URGED IN ADDRESSES
Nations Soldier Dead Remem-
bered, With Distinguished Gath
ering and Parade.

While President Roosevelt and the
civil and military leaders of the Ma
ton listened. grave-faced, one of the
greatest soldiers the Nation has pro-
duced and the head of the largest
non-military executive department
joined in impressive pleas for peace
at the Memorial day services yester-
day afternoon in the Amphitheater at
Arlington National Cemetery.
Gen. John j. Pershing, who led to
France the greatest army ever mus
tered by this Nation, erect and square
shouldered in the uniform of the
Army from which he was retired sew
eral years ago, was solemn as he
sounded the warning that civiliza-
ton itself is endangered by present
threats to world peace.
A few moments later, Secretary OF
Commerce Roper. in identical mood.
called on the nations of the world for
a peace which he described as the
only alternative to another catastro-
phe."
Veterans Parade on Avenue.
The Arlington services were the
climax of a day of observances in all
parts of the city, including the an
nual Memorial day parade along
Pennsylvania avenue, in which the
survivors of the Nations wars followed
the armed forces of the military
establishments of today.
Pershing and Roper spoke before
a crowd which jammed the cleaning
marble amphitheater some listeners
perching insecurely even on the marble
balustrades. Outside the living bar
rier surrounding the speakers lay A
900 of the Nations military dead, with
small United States flags at every
headstone and flowers on nearly every
grave. The networks of the two ma
jor broadcasting systems carried the
services to the country.
With the whole world apprehensive
as the great powers engage in the
greatest armament race in history,
yesterdays services were among the
most solemn in the long succession
of Arlington Memorial day observ-
ances. Pershing and Roper, the one
a soldier from early manhood. the
other a man of wide training, were one
in their insistence that in their arma-
ment programs the nations are
nourishing the storm which may de-
stroy civilization.
With his plea for international
peace, Gen. Pershing coupled call
for jealous safeguarding of traditional
ideals of democracy in government.
He warned his listeners that in the
clamorings of unreasonable minorities,
may be heard the threat of Dictator
ship.
Vigilance Essential.
"a free government can be achieved
and maintained only by constant Wig
ilance," the general said. 1T is a
time when only true Americans should
be placed on guard.
'It is almost automatic to say that
a people who complaisantly submit
to unreasonable demands of clamor-
Gus minority will certainly become the
prey of a dictator. 1t is likewise axio-
matte that there can be no perma-
only selfish interest in its welfare;
and again that people who fail to
govern themselves are destined one
day to become subject people"
Deprecating war as an instrument
Of national policy, Gen. Pershing said:
yet the danger of its recurrence
and the fear of its consequences are
causing the utmost unrest, and even
now, less than score of years after
the World War, armies and arma-
ments are being rapidly multiplied
until in many countries the burden
seems wholly unbearable."
Confronted by conditions so threat
ening to world peace, it is obvious
that, unless some definite understand
ing among the leading nations can be
brought about, we may well look to
the future with dismay, lest our civ
ilization reach a point where it will
destroy itself
THE solution of this very serious
situation, in an effort to avoid |
most delicate handling on the part
of statesmen.
1T Is essential first Of all that we
Americans should apply ourselves as.
siduously and unselfishly, without re-
gard to political faith, to putting our
own house in order. Only as a strong |
Nation, supported by the people, with |
Government based upon a reign of |
law under true democratic ideals, can
America exert her greatest influence"
Secretary Roper declared that, de-
spite action for the settlement of in.
ternational relations, mot enough has
been accomplished toward preventing
the use of force and aggression" The
vital question facing the world today,
he said, is: will there be another
more tragic armed confiict?"
1T should be our purpose" he said,
ito dedicate our individual attitude
and combined efforts to the cause of
peace with the same spirit Of sacri-
fee, that these men and women we
H. To- =