Evening star., 1943-05-24
Price Of Final Victory
Cannot Be Measured
byAfrica, Bard Warns
Severe Life Toll May
Yet Be Token in Asia
And Europe. He Says
By JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
A throng Of $4,000, assembled in
the amphitheater of Washington
Cathedral at Mount Saint Alban
yesterday afternoon, listened in
solemn silence while Assistant Sec
retary of the Navy Ralph A. Bard
warned against expectation of easy
victory over the Axis powers.
The occasion was the annual
Massing of Colors service in COM
memoration of the heroic dead.
Program arrangements were in the
hands Of officers of the Military
Order of the World War, and men,
bers Of more than $50 patriotic Or
ganizations marched in the process
sion through the Cathedral grounds
to the sylvan altar on the south
slope Of the hill.
Mr.. Bard discussed the purposes
OF societies dedicated to the preser-
vation OF national ideals. Then,
speaking In slow, impressive tones,
he said:
I'm the immediate future, we
shall need all Of our strength of
character and our national courage,
for the days of our worst tribula-
tlons are ahead of us = We are
approaching ever closer to the
period which, in all probability, will
exact a heavy toll Of human sac
rif1ce =
No Detours to Victory.
Inc probabilities are that we
Shall be sorely tried in the raging
Inferno that will light our pathway
to the inner citadels of the enemy
In Europe and in Asia. We have no
choice. There are no detours and
no short cuts. There is only spend
Ing, building, fighting and dying
But we can pray that a compassion
ate Providence will minimize the
price OF ultimate victory for all man.
kind"
The recent triumph over the SUI
permen' in North Africa, Mr.. Bard
cautioned his hearers. may contain
"a grave danger. 1t has even been
suggested that Hitler knowing
that we would win in Africa sooner
or later decided to make it ap-
pear lot easier than it actually
was. Whether or not this was part
OF a deliberate design, none of us
can doubt the harm that would be
worked to our cause by overconfi-
dence and the feeling on our home
front that the worst already has
been passed. And nothing could be
further from the actual truth"
Mr.. Bard stressed his confidence
that we are now winning this war"
but insisted III we prolong it through
overconf1dence or because we under
estimate the enemy we will
needlessly sacrifice the lives of
many brave men who might other
wise have lived to enjoy the fruits
Of victory
He paid homage to Admiral
George Dewey and President Wood
row Wilson, buried in the Cathedral
fabric, and repeated that the spirit
which motivated them in the past
will be needed Ito bouy us up in
the dark currents and the dangerous
shoals" OF the future.
Bishop Freeman Absent.
Mr.. Bard was introduced by Brig.
Gen. Albert L. Cox. who explained
that. for the first time in 16 years,
the Right Rev. James E. Freeman.
Bishop of Washington, was absent
from the annual Colors service be-
cause of illness Chaplain Harry
Lee Virden OF the Army Chief OF
Chaplains' Office offered prayers, in
cluding petition for Bishop Adna
Wright Leonard. Methodist bishop
of the Washington area: Col. Frank
L. Miller and Maj. Robert H. Hum
phrey, both of the Army Chaplains
force, killed in an airplane accident
in Iceland May 3.
The lesson was read by Navy
Chaplain Stanton w. Salisbury.
Others participating in the sacred
program were Capt Robert D.
Workman, Navy chief Of chaplains;
Canon w. Curtis Draper: Brig. Gen
Richard H. Jordan, district COM
mander of the Military Order of the
World War; 1t. Col Edwin S. Bet
telheim. jr.; Capt. E. H. Forrestel,
and 1t. Welbourn Kelley, U. S. N.
Approximately 1000 men, women
and children marched in the process
sion. Every branch of the defense
establishment of the Nation was
represented including WAACS,
WAVES and SPARS. The parade
passed Bishop Freeman's house both
at the start and at the end of the
service. Music was furnished by the
United States Marine Band, con-
Quoted by Capt. William F. Santel-
mann, and the Cathedral Choir.