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Show PRESIDENT TAFT'S REAllTjyST 5S! Chief Executive Makes Four Speeches, Pitches in Game of Ball, and Other Stunts. PREACHES FROM PULPIT OF JEWISH TABERNACLE Takes Occasion to Praise Hebrew He-brew Hearers for Their Spirit of Americanism. PITTSBURG, May 20. President Taft made four speeches today, rode many miles by automobile and special train, pitched in a, game of ball at: the Allegheny Country club and sat through the eleven innings of the contest between be-tween the Pittsburg and Chicago teams of the National league. The president assisted at the dedication dedica-tion of a fountain in Arsenal park, attended at-tended a business meeting of the Associated As-sociated "Western Yale clubs, had luncheon lunch-eon at Sowickly Heights, fourteen miles font of the city- aud tonight was the principal spealtcr at the banquet that brought lo a close the annual sessions of the Western Vale clubs. ! The ball game was a departure from the original programme, which caused some disappointment to the Vale men, but which brought .juy to the J 5,000 Pittsburg "fans." Proves Genuine "Fan." "Willi the president were Secretary Knox, a staunch supporter of tho Pittsburg Pitts-burg team, and Charles P. Taft, principal prin-cipal owner of I he Chicago team. Consequently Con-sequently the chief executive was torn' by conllicting emotions. lie wanted both teams to win and was happiest when the score was a tie. Secretary Knox and the president's brother had great fnu in wagering on the contest and appealed in turn for the president 's support. "No, sir," replied the president, "J insist upon maintaining a judicial attitude atti-tude on this matter." The president's assistance to the Pittsburg rooters in the seventh resulted result-ed in the local team t icing the score. With "the score still tied at the end of the eighth, the pre.s-ideut exclaimed: "X hope it goes beyond the ninth, then we will get more i'or our money." Prefers Game to Banquet. It was suggested to the president that if ho remained for the finish he would be late for tho banquet, .lie replied ho could get a dinner "most any old lime," but seldom could see a better , game. The president made, his debut on the diamoud at tho Allegheui Cou'nlry club. Two teams of resident and visiting Vale alumni were matched in a. ball game and the president pitched tho first two balls for the visitors, lie had little or no speed and no control, but was taken out of the box before much damage was done. The two balls that the president presi-dent threw hit the home base aud hit the catcher on the first bounce. The president's first public, appearance appear-ance was at the Kodeph Shalom .lewish tabernacle, where he spoke briefly. Next there was a quick automobile trip lo Arsenal park and another short, address. ad-dress. Following this came the meeting meet-ing of the Yale clubs, where the president presi-dent paid a tribute to yale and to the Yale spirit. The president was then escorted to the Union station, where he look a special train to Hewickly, all the Vale visitors accompanying him. Then came the baseball games, the return lo town and the banquet tonight. Taft in Jewish Pulpit. A day as fair as Pittsburg has over known marked tho first visit of President Presi-dent Taft into the central west since his occupancy of the "Whito House. From the moment of his arrival at the Fast Liberty street station on tho outskirts out-skirts of the city early this morning, through a varied programme which carried car-ried him into tli pulpit of a .lewish tabernacle, into the heart of the prettiest pret-tiest city park in the country, through a business meeting of the Associated Western Vale clubs and Gnnlly out to the Allegheny Country- club, where he was to spend the entire afternoon, the president's way led him through streets, that were fairly choked with humanity and filled his ears with deafening cheers. The president's day was a continuous ovation. "T never have claimed to conform strictly to religious services." said the president, at Temple liodolph .Sheloui, where he made his first address of the dav to Rabbi Levy's congregation, "and it has remained for Pittsburg lo bring me to church both on Saturday and prospectively on Sunday. U is a great privilege, l'feel, to appear before this intelligent and patriotic audience a I ihe instance of your lender, your Rabbi, who was a elope friend of my predecessor and who l believe has transferred that friendship for the time to me. At Home in Synagogue, "1 do not feel altogether out of place in a Jewish tabernacle, for the church I attended in Cincinnati during my bovhood and early manhood was next door to the tabernacle of Rev. Br. Wise and there was often times a change of pulpits between the two churches. "I am glad to bo here on this beautiful beau-tiful morning to show if possible, by my presence, how much ours is a government govern-ment of all the people and how wise was the constitutional provision that, no religious requirement or qualification should be necessary in this country. In this .lewish tabernacle as president of tho United Status, t feel as much at home and feci as much support as I would in any other church in the whole eountrv. The prayr to which we have just listened, ho full of love aud human kindness, should make us feel ashamed of all narrowness and bigotry. Never in the history of the country, in any crisis'or under any conditions, have the .Jewish citizeus failed to live up to the highest standard of patriot fem. T am uot a preacher and not in the habit of appearing in pulpits. I never had done so until I went to the Philippines, where X stood first in a Proabytorian Continued on Page Two. 9 PRESIDENT TAFT'S REALLY BUSY DAY Continued from Page Ono. pulpit and then in nn Episcopalian. Returning Re-turning to this country, I havo appeared in the pulpit or my own church, tho Unitarian, and now I am in a Jewish tabernacle. That is a round which I think justifies mo in saying that I hopo to bo tho president ot all tho people and hopo to havo your support, as you havo given it. to my predecessors, without with-out stint and with every desire to mako this a' truly good and great country." Helps Dedicate Fountain. From the temple tho president was escorted to Arsenal park, where he participated par-ticipated in tho dedication of a fountain foun-tain presented to the city by tho Daughters of 1812. Hero the president in a briof address dwelt upon tho necessity ne-cessity of parks for all great cities. During tho morning the president wns the guest of tho stato and tho city. At noon he was turned over to tho Yale enthusiasts. en-thusiasts. President Taffc decided to leavo tho Alloghcny Country club nt 3 o'clock this afternoon in order to got to tho Na tional league baseball grounds in time to soe the Pittsburg-Chicago baseball "ame. The official programme placed tue president at tho Country club until late this afternoon, but when he learned of tho ball gamo he decided to sec it. Immediately special reservations were made for him. With this exception the programme for the day was not altered. |
