Evening star., 1940-05-31
Memorial Ddy
Orators Plead
For Peace
But Most Stress
Prevention Of War
By Preparedness


Prayers that American blood
might never again be spilled on
foreign soil mingled with calls for
preparedness as the Nation paid
Memorial Day homage yesterday to
the men who died in its wars.
While the President and Congress
Cancelled their customary holiday to
speed the national defense program,
throughout the country orators
pleaded for peace based on pre-
paredness.
At Arlington, as rain pattered
down on the flower-strewn graves Of
the war dead, Federal Security Ad-
ministrator Paul v. McNutt prom
ised that the United States would
build the greatest military, naval
and aerial defenses the world has
ever SEEN"
Gov. James at Gettysburg.
On the battlefield of Gettysburg
Gov. Arthur H. James of Pennsyl-
vania declared:
Peace can be attained, if at all,
first by preparing to defend our
selves; second, by tending to our
own business and tending to it prop
erly, and third, by setting as our
goal the vision of an America which
can be rock of liberty in a sea Of
anarchy and dissolution"
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, speak,
ing at Fernclif1 Cemetery, Ardsley,
N. Y, warned that I'VE must keep
our Nation still firm in the way we
have believed was the democratic
way of life-none of us know from
day to day what may happen"
Gov. O'Conor Speaks.
Gov. O'Conor of Maryland, speak,
Ing at services at Antietam Battle
field where hundreds of soldiers fell
in the Civil War, said:
If we have either reverence or
gratitude for those men to whom
Memorial Day is dedicated, then we
owe them the pledge of prepared
ness"
At London. the Associated Press
reported that Ambassador Joseph
P. Kennedy and other Americans
attended services for the soldiers of
the United States buried in Britain
cemeteries. After placing a wreath
at the tomb of Englands Unknown
Soldier, the Ambassador was told
by the subdean of Westminster ABB
hey, I'VE know your prayers are
with this nation, and that you stand
for the same things we do"
Kline Sends Message.
Missing from the Memorial Dav
parade here and the annual exer-
clses at Battle Ground National
Cemetery was G. A. r. Department
Comdr. John M. Kline, Department
OF the Potomac, who sent a message
which was read by John Clagett
Proctor, who presided. =
I'm brief span of time, If God
spares me" wrote Col. Kline, II shall
have reached the age of SO years, and
at last realize that I must con.
serve my eDbing strength and put
OH the inevitable as long as possi-
BILE. This precaution I deem owe to
you, my many friends, to my fam
lily and to myself.
I'm my boyhood days, when the
clouds of war hung over our coun-
try, I gave it the best there was in
me, and throughout my life I have
served it with fidelity and loyalty.
Now that have reached venerable
and inactive age, and being one of a
comparatively few survivors of the
Grand Army of the Republic, would
still have you feel that there Is
nothing nearer and dearer to me
than my country and my flag. God
bless Old Glory and long live the
Republic"
Service Follows Custom.
The services at Battle Ground Ma
tlonal Cemetery were held jointly by
the Brightwood Citizens Association
and the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie. following a custom of many
years.
A detachment of Secret Service
agents laid a wreath on the grave
of one of the heroes of the service
at Arlington. He was Robert K.
Webster, who was killed in 1927
during a sea battle in the Atlantic
Ocean with members of q counter
felt gang. The gang members were
being chased by a Coast Guard
cutter and were captured of the
Bahama Islands.
While Memorial Day orators
throughout the country made fire.
quent mention of war, the joys of a
country at peace on a holiday did
not go unappreciated. The Worlds
Fair at New York entertained 3l6, ,899
visitors, record for paid attendance
A total of 237,828 fans crowded into
baseball parks for the seven big
league games of the day. The annual
auto classic at the Indianapolis
Speedway attracted $4,000, and
l79,35s customers jammed five race