Ohio History Journal

280      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

sition at the head of the municipality of Put-in-Bay

through the period of celebrations incident to the cen-

tennial celebration of Perry's victory on Lake Erie.

Secretary Galbreath called attention to a large pho-

tograph of the "Old Sculptor" T. D. Jones, which had

been contributed to the museum by Mr. Claude Meeker.

The masterpiece of Mr. Jones, the "Lincoln Memorial,"

which stood for many years in the rotunda of the State

House at Columbus, is now at the head of the stairway

between the Senate chamber and the State Library.

A vote of thanks was tendered Mr. Meeker for the

gift. On motion the morning session adjourned to meet

in the afternoon.

President Johnson: "We have now come to an im-

portant point in our program. We took it upon our-

selves to send an invitation to a distinguished son of

Ohio to deliver the annual address. The speaker of the

day is a renowned lecturer and educator, a distinguished

statesman, and a beloved neighbor from Yellow Springs.

I ask General Orton to escort to the platform United

States Senator Simeon D. Fess.

 

SENATOR SIMEON D. FESS

spoke as follows:

"Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: I was considerably

abashed a moment ago, when the Chairman refreshed my memory

-- that I am to deliver the annual address. I recall now that

when the Secretary asked me whether it would be possible for

me to reach this place today, and invited me to address you, that

he did mention something about the annual address. I cannot

express to you my perturbation. I do not like to make an apol-

ogy for being present in a place like this, which represents such

a very important work for the state and nation, and with an un-

usual type of audience, with so slight preparation to do what I

have been announced to do. I say this with a deep desire that

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Fortieth Annual Meeting              281

 

you may understand the situation. The truth about the matter

is we have been living a rather strenuous life ever since, and be-

fore, I received the invitation.

"I just completed a trip down the Ohio from Pittsburgh to

Cincinnati, that occupied three days of the most pleasurable time

imaginable, and in a large measure most instructive. My im-

pressions just now, not suddenly made but the result of what

I saw, is that I doubt whether there is any waterway in any

section of the country that is more beautiful and magnificent

than the Ohio from its headwaters at Pittsburgh to the Queen

City of Cincinnati (Applause).

"The two Senators from this state were invited to join

that inspection tour to examine the locks, now all completed

from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati save one, the thirty-second, which

will be completed by next season at least. My colleague, the

senior Senator, was able to be with us the first day, then he

had to leave the boat  I continued with the touring delegation

until the end of the journey. The cheering we received all along

the river, the upper part of which was actually jammed with

convoys, the heavy congestion incident to the business of the

Pittsburgh district, the ringing of bells, the blowing of whistles,

the shouting of the people, the gathering of assemblies at every

point along the river, gave a suggestion that there is a deep in-

terest in the possibilities of a commerce which at one time was

greater than now and at some future time will again be greater

than it is now. That is one thing which, to my mind, illustrates

the value to the state of the early historic settlements which were

made along the river.

"Many romances were told and retold upon the boat, about

the early history of Ohio. The story of Blennerhasset was re-

told, and of course one of the things I was most anxious to see

was the lower end of the island where his famous mansion stood

in other days. The story was repeated by some one who was

well acquainted with the early history of our state. Then some

one told about the land, how dense the forests were, what forts

were built, the efforts to persuade people to come into this won-

derful Scioto valley where the river empties into the Ohio -- a

iand as fertile today as any that lies out of doors. Some one told

the story of Bathsheba Rouse, and since she is said to be buried

at Yellow Springs, where I live, I took particular interest in it

-- I could repeat that story, but I think most of it is fiction, and

therefore it is not in place here. But is there any place in Ohio,

either interior or border, of greater local historic interest than

along the beautiful river that flows to the south of us? I am

glad that we have an organization in this state that has as its

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282      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

chief purpose the preservation of the history which gives the

beginnings of our great state."

Reverting to present day issues that are engaging the

attention of the administrative and legislative branches

of the national government, Senator Fess expressed

faith that the conference on the limitation of arma-

ments, which had ended with a large measure of suc-

cess, would be followed by another conference of sim-

ilar character in Washington with prospects for another

advance in the direction of a permanent peace among

civilized nations.

Senator Fess also spoke in favor of the World

Court. He pointed out that a large portion of the ex-

penditures of the national government are due to wars

and the support of an army. He favored the establish-

ment of a World Court for the settlement of interna-

tional difficulties. "The next step," said he, "is to cre-

ate a judicial body to which we may submit international

issues. I know there are objections to the proposal to

establish an international court, but I know that Amer-

ica cannot do anything better. And when the interna-

tional court is considered in the December meeting of

Congress, take it from me, the measure will be over-

whelmingly approved."

Senator Fess in conclusion praised the work of the

Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society and

expressed the great disappointment that came to him

when he learned that the Rickenbacker airplane, which

he was seeking to have transferred to the museum of

the Society, had been destroyed. On this subject he said:

"Some time ago I received a letter from your secretary, ask-

ing if I could procure for your museum the plane that had been

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Fortieth Annual Meeting              283

 

brought down by Rickenbacker, and which had been brought to

this country. I made some investigation and found that the

plane was at the Wilbur Wright field. I immediately introduced

a resolution to place it in your care. I thought it so desirable

that it should be in Columbus, on this college campus, and under

the protection of this particular Society, that I introduced the

resolution.

"Now we have always had the practice before passing a reso-

lution affecting the army or navy, of sending the resolution to

the member of the cabinet in control, so I sent a copy of this

resolution to Secretary Weeks. Secretary Weeks wrote me a

formal letter, in which he said they could not make any disposi-

tion of the war relics until the people on the hill pass a general

law for the distribution of the same. That kind of letter is so

common -- that is the kind of letter I have written myself some-

times.

"I was greatly disappointed. I was talking to several mem-

bers of Congress about it, and all said it must be placed on the

Ohio State University grounds. In the meantime I went to see

President Harding about another matter, and when I asked

him about doing a certain thing he said, 'Senator, take that up

with Secretary Weeks.' I said, 'No, I won't.' He asked why,

and I told him I had had experience with Secretary Weeks, and

told him about this plane.

"The President said, 'What, would he not agree to let that

plane be sent up for permanent preservation by that Society?'

and I said, 'No, he wrote me a mere formal letter saying that he

could not distribute the war relics until the people on the hill

pass a general law to govern the matter.' President Harding

at that moment began to write -- he wrote an order to John

Leach to declare that plane surplus and put a price on it, and he

(President Harding) would buy it and send it to you. I felt

fine about that. Then I received a letter from this authority stat-

ing to me that some time before the plane had been declared

rubbish and had been burnt. Now I cannot say anything more

-- it won't do, because I would say something I should not say.

But you see that is the kind of thing this Society is trying to, pre-

serve -- a relic of great value, which to some other people was

rubbish." (Applause).

A rising vote of thanks was tendered Senator Fess

for his able address.

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