Evening star., 1946-05-27
Royal Leads Tribute
To Dead in Cathedral
Massing Of Co|ors

A call to America to preserve
the peace realistically by being
strong militarily was voiced by I'm
dersecretary of War Kenneth c.
Royal yesterday at the massing of
the colors ceremony in WASHINGTON
Cathedral
The colorful event, usually held
outdoors in the amphitheater on
the Cathedral grounds. was forced
inside by the rain. Here the flags
were massed beneath the vaulted
interior of the Cathedral. The an
nual tribute to the Nations war dead
was sponsored by the Military Or
der OF the World Wars, with Col.
Edwin S. Bethlehem, jr., directing
the ceremony
The Right Rev. Angus Dun, Bishop
Of Washington, also formally desig-
mated the unfinished Patriots Tran
sept as memorial to those who
served in the armed forces. Parti-
cipating in the ceremony, which
took place after the massing of the
colors, were the Very Rev. John
Wallace Suter, dean of the Cathe-
dral; the Rev. Merritt F. Williams,
associate chairman Of the current
Washington Cathedral National
Building Fund campaign, and C. F.
r. Ogilbay, secretary of the Cathe-
dral Chapter
$50 Groups Represented.
A total of $50 individual military
veterans and patriotic organizations,
divided into four main groups, took
part in the massing of the colors
ceremony. The parade was led by
the grand marshal, Col. Walter S.
Welsh, with 1t. Col. Bertram H.
White of the Military Order Of the
World Wars serving as master of
ceremonies.
In his address, Undersecretary
Royal declared 100000 American
boys gave their lives in combat with
the enemy" Many of these deaths
would not have come, If America
had prepared for war, had shown
the world her strength" and had
not sought the easy way merely in
order to avoid the dangerous real
tiles of potential world aggression
from unprincipled nations he
added.
The speaker declared these dead
expect our country to face the world
with IAN olive branch of peace" in
one hand and shield in the other
representing the power which will
in itself discourage any aggressor
nation"
$50 Cemeteries Cared For.
Warning that We must not "let
the picture of war and even the
memory of these brave men become
dim as if 1t were all frightful
dream which We would like to for
get" Mr.. Royal said the country is
taking loving care of the $50 Amer
lean cemeteries of the past war
located in 80 different countries. He
also said constant reminders of the
struggle will be the more than a
million casualties among us, boys
who will carry with them Though
their remaining days ineradicable
evidences of their sacrifice
The ceremony designating the
Patriots Transept was the first off,
cial step made by the Cathedral
toward resuming construction of the
incomplete edifice. The transept
when finished will have within it
the War Memorial Chapel, deco
rated with military insignia designs,
including those of famous Army,
Navy, Marine Corps and Coast
Guard units. Books of remem-
brance, containing the honor roll of
names of service men and women,
will be enshrined in the chapel.
Construction of the Patriots
Transept and five additional bays
Iof the nave is the immediate goal
of the current Washington Cathe-
dral national building fund cam
paign for $5,000,000. The District
quota of the drive is $375,0OO, of
which $l59, 400 has been raised.