Evening star., 1938-02-23
PATR|ARCHS MARK
WASHINGTON DAY
Summers Addresses Oldest
Inhabitants at Birthday
Celebration.

Declaring that the Government es-
eablished by Washington in this
country was mot self-perpetue Ting
thing-not fool-proof thing" Chair
man Summers of the House judiciary
Committee yesterday pointed to its
widespread adoption throughout the
world, but warned that under the
present sweep of international events.
1t was disappearing from the earth"
Il think We'll be able in this country
to avoid dictatorship, and I don't
think any one here wants to be a
~dictator," he told the Association of
Oldest Inhabitants of the District of
Columbia in their George Washington
anniversary celebration yesterday at
Old Union Engine House.
But the supreme test of capacity to
rule themselves" he charged, now
faces the American people, in this
tragic hour of human history" The
speaker emphasized he was not re-
ferring specifically to the admins
tration now in power.
Mr.. Summers stirred his capacity
audience to rounds of applause when,
after painting a direful picture of the
rate OF representative government in
the world today, he predicted:
The American people here are de-
termlned that free government such
as Washington helped to establish shall
not disappear from the face of the
earth
Message From Mr.. Noyes.
Theodore w. Noyes, president of the
ASSOCIATION, sent a message to the
meeting to regret his unavoidable alb
sence, and to describe this city as
envlsioned by President Washington
its population clothed with all Ameri-
can rights not absolutely inconsistent
with the fostering control by the Ma
ton OF the Nations Capital" Mr..
Noyes called for fulfillment of WASH
ington's dream
John Clagett Proctor, vice president
OF the association, who presided. read
an original poem in tribute to WASH
1ngton. The farewell address of
Washington was read by Harry G
Meem, president of the Washington
Loan & Trust Co. A business meeting
preceded the traditional patriotic
ceremony
Representative Summers traced the
Else and decline of representative gov
ernment throughout the world-de-
clared the future of such government
rested in the hands of the people
= themselves.
People who would be free" he
warned, ARE compelled to answer with
the capacity to be free.
Nature has no other way, if they
sail, than to send them to school and
make them pay the tuition. If we
don't take advantage of the expert
snce OF Europe, we'll have to pay
This is serious hour" warned
:he speaker. "a high peak in history.
the most fascinating time I've ever
examined
Nations Called to Judgment"
"There come times when the balance
sheets are struck, when nations of
the earth are called to Judgment.
This may sound mystical, but it's a
fact
THE parable of the talents is being
applied. Our Constitution-this Gov
ernment-we've got to preserve them
IN this tragic hour in human history.
Only great people can do it. Only
the greatest generation that ever lived
can do the job
mo civilization was ever greater
than the difficulties it had to over
come.
I'VE have only this one choice.
We've got to prove to be the greatest
generation, or we've got to record the
most tragic failure.
Governments are not absolute.
They are provided for in the great
economy. We must have government"
Constitutional government as known
to this country was not so much orig
mated by Washington and his con-
temporaries, Mr.. Summers said, as it
was rooted in the concepts of the
people Its beginnings he traced back
to the migrations to this country from
England, where the Magma Charta
had already established certain rights.
He traced it further back to early
Germany, the beginnings of self-rule.
Tribute to Washington.
Paying tribute to Washington and
his co-workers in the Constitutional
Convention, the speaker nevertheless