Evening star., 1942-10-25
Capital SideIights
By Will P. Kennedy.

The 161st anniversary of the British
surrender at Yorktown, to the Gay and
hour-the day the independence of this
Nation was won-Was brought to the at
tention of the House on October 10 by
Representative Schuyler Otis Bland, rep
resenting that district in Congress. Ee
described vividly the signing of the
articles Of surrender by George WASH
ington in the trenches told how Corn
wallis and his army became prisoners of
war, and explained how the British
troops walked out to lay down their
arms-to the tune of an Cd British
march, more peculiarly appropriate to-
day than then-''The World Turned Up
side Down." They marched between two
lines-the American Army on one side
with Washington at their head and the
French on the other side headed by
Rochambeau
The surrender was six years and six
months after the "embattled farmers
stood" at Concord "and fired the shot
heard round the world
Representa- tive Bland gave the answer
Of Americans today to the challenge of
Patrick Henry, saying: Upon this hal
lowed day let us catch the vision of the
past, and with no less fervor devote our
lives, our fortunes, all that we are and
all that we hope to be, to the preserva-
tion of liberty, to the maintenance of
freedom, to the destruction of tyranny, to
the perpetuation of democracy, to the
overthrow of all of the enemies of human
freedom now and forever. Let us live
the faith of our fathers
Masonry is giving conspicuous service
in this World War, as pointed out by
Maj. Charles S. Coulter, director of well
fare of the Masonic Service Association
The President, Vice President. at least
three members of the cabinet, half the
members of the Supreme Court, IS of the
48 State Governors, most of the military
leaders-Gens. Marshall, Macarthur,
Lear Arnold, Kruger, De Witt, the two
Patches and all the commanders over
seas; Admiral King and many other
naval leaders, and at least 10 per cent
of the officers and men of the armed
forces are Master Masons. In Congress
there is majority of or Masons in
the Senate and of approximately Is in
the House.
Senator Harry Truman of Missouri is
the outstanding Blue Lodge Mason in
| Congress. He was grand master of
Missouri two years ago, the highest Of
| flee that a Mason in the Blue Lodge line
| can reach.
ITO the glory of the fraternity and the
quality Of its membership" testifies Maj.
| Coulter, while Masons have been in the
majority of both houses Of Congress
since the foundation of the Republic, no
special Masonic measure supporting
Masonry as such has ever been intro
duced." He also emphasizes that: Ma
sonry is never mentioned except at Ma
sonic meetings in the armed services and
| frequently officers are unaware that
men serving under their command are
brother Masons. Preferment or ad-
vancement is based on military efficiency
and not on membership in a fraternity"
| He explains that the Masonic Service
Association. an organization Of Grand
Lodges, has established Masonic service
centers throughout the country, where
every serviceman is welcomed without
question. These are supported by the
! Grand Lodges and other Masonic bodies.
The Welfare Advisory Committee of
Senators is composed of Messrs. Chand-
Ter, Kentucky; Vandenberg, Michigan;
Truman, Missouri; Burton, Ohio, and
| Austin, Vermont, while the House COM
! mittee includes Messrs. Jarman, Ala
bama: Arnold, Illinois; Treadway, Mas
sachusetts; Bloom, New York, and Lam
ham, Texas.
The House lost recently It's second
MEMBER through resignation 70 enter
the armed forces. The first was Repre-
sentative Robert T. Secrest of Ohio,
chairman Of the Library Committee.
The second was Representative Albert
D. Baumhart. Republican, Of Ohio, who
has been serving his first term in Con-
gress They both received commissions
a. Reserve officers In the Navy. Mr..
| Baumhart is "a years Of age, was rep
resentative Of = publishing house and
served three years in the State Legis-