Evening star., 1939-04-14
Washington Accepted
Office 10 Cope With
Crisis, Says Roosevelt
Bowed to Peoples Wish,
He Asserts in Launching
Anniversary Observance

bowed to the demand that he be-
come the first President.
It was April ID, 1889 that Charles
Thomson. secretary of the Con-
tinental Congress, rode into Mount
Vernon with an official notification
of Washington's election by the
Congress.
Washington rightly" must have
felt, Mr.. Roosevelt declared, that he
was entitled to rest. that "he had
rounded out his contribution to the
public veal"
The soldier-patriot would have
refused the call to the presidency
Mr.. Roosevelt said he had always
believed, had it not come lin a time
of real crisis" for the republic
Mr.. Roosevelt, recalling Gen
Washington's often-expressed love
for his comfortable Potomac River
home, added:
That cannot have been a happy
day for Gen. and Mrs. George WASH
ington on the l4th of April, 1854
day of torn emotions, day of many
regrets.
The decision had been made. We,
their successors, are thankful for
that decision and proud of it,"
Man of the Earth"
The first President, said Mr.
Roosevelt, was essentially a man
of the earth"
Here his heart was planted for all
time. Here he could talk with his
neighbors about the improvement OF
navigation on the river, about grlst
mills on the creeks. about the i'm
proving of highways about the
dream of a canal to the Western
country, about saw mills and rota-
ton of crops, about the top soil,
which even then had begun to run
off to the sea; about the planting
OF trees, new varieties Of food and
fodder crops, new breeds of horses
and cattle and sheep.
Rightly he must have felt that
his labors in the service of his state
and of his nation had rounded Out
his contribution to the public veal
Rightly he felt that he had earned
the privilege of returning for all
time to the private life which had
been his dream
That Washington would have re-
fused public service if the call had
been a normal one has always been
my belief. But the summon to the
presidency had come to him in
time of real crisis and deep emerg-
ency. The dangers that beset the
young republic were as real as
though the very independence
Washington had won for it had
been threatened once more by for
eign foes.
he put from him the life he loved
so we'll and took upon himself the
presidency
Mr.. Roosevelt's s speech was to be
made at ceremonies sponsored by
the United States Constitution
Sesquicentennial Commission and
the Mount Vernon Ladies Associa-
ton of the Union.
Welcome Address.
The program included a welcome
address by Mrs. Horace Mann Town
er, regent of the ladies association.
and the reading by Representative
Sol Bloom of Thomson's message to
Washington and the first Presidents
reply.
Music was furnished by the United
States Marine Band and Conrad
Thibault sang several patriotic songs.
The address by Mr. Roosevelt is
the forerunner of a re-enactment of
the Inauguration of Gen. Washing
ton Sunday.
Sundays re-enactment will depict
Washingtons journey with several
official receptions scheduled for the
presidential party" along the route
to New York.
A coach, furnished by the Frank
lin Institute of Philadelphia, and
built in 1870, has been furnished for
the trip. Officers at Fort Hunt were
today breaking horses for the tour.
The team of four horses will be
changed at four points along the
route. A blacksmith and harness
maker is scheduled to 60 along with
the party.
AhC III ITcSlucuLldl fdTly.
The presidential party itself will
consist of three persons, represent
ing President Washington, Mr..
Thomson and Col. David Humph-
ries, an intimate friend of WASH
ington. 1t was these three that
made the original trip.
Denys Workman, artist and car
fnNYiSt r.
Sons of the American Revolution to
portray Washington. He was chosen
because of his resemblance to the
first President and his knowledge
of Revolutionary history.
Representative Bloom. director
general of the United States Sesqui-
centennial Commission, will portray
Mr. Thomson.
The coach will leave Mount Ver-
non about II am. Sunday and will
bring the party to Alexandria for
lunch. The party will go to Wise's
Tavern, at Cameron and Fairfax
streets, now the Anne Lee Memorial
Home, in Alexandria. where Mayor
Richard Ruffner of Alexandria will
receive the delegation at the tavern,
but lunch will be served in nearby
Gadsby's Tavern, where Washing
ton was a frequent visitor. After a
visit to Christ Church. the party will
continue to Washington where it is
scheduled to arrive in front of the
District Building at about 4:30 pm.
The District Commissioners will re-
ceive the presidential delegation.
The party will continue to 1927 Six
teenth street, the national headquar-
ters of the Sons of the American
Revolution, wnere it will spend the
night.
To Visit White House.
Tentative plans for the rest of the
trip include visit to the White
House and historic Dumbarton
House in Georgetown, on Monday.
A dinner will be given the party at
the Metropolitan Club at pm by
the Sons of the Revolution and Sons