Show MARYLAND continued from last week baltimore the convention city I 1 I 1 the weatherman had cooperated with u us across the country and even this city which we found to tie be almost unbearably hot a week later was cool here wo ave met and listened to governor mckeldin a busy man campaigning pai gning tor foi reelection election re he was malting making so many speeches every j iday day that lie he became confused cont used and I 1 gava the same speech to us its on tha th e two occasions that he met inet with our group Goi Gocr critor nor mckeldin Is the man who made the nominating speech for or eisenhower Elsen hower at the republican convention in chicago ile he laughingly told of telling those who asked him to make the nomination that he considered himself a candidate for the presidency I 1 was interested te when he told us how the time was so short that he had to call in a couple to help him compose the speech he chose a catholic and a jew to assist himself a protestant now I 1 wish I 1 could remember that speech later on oil at annapolis I 1 walked out of carvel hall just in time to be invited to ride with the governor to the state capitol it tick eld me when he like any ol 01 janitor took keys out of his pocket unlocked a door and turned on the lights of a very famous room and invited us its in this room was where george washington resigned from the continental army to become first president of the united states in an all adjoining room was the flag which was first designated as old glory during our visit to frederick we learned that only two years ago this city completed payment on oil bonds floated during civil war days to obtain money to bribe the confederate army to bypass by pass frederick in fit the fighting which was all around the town thus this beautiful historic maryland town was saved fiam the ravages of war it was also at frederick that I 1 viewed the grave of francis scott key and as I 1 saw old glory flying over his final resting place I 1 was reminded that within the past tour months I 1 would have seen the four places where the nag flag flies night and day here at frederick at taos N M and the two at the national capitol washington by the time we reached this place I 1 was so steeped in history my head was so full of famous names and incidents that my heart was almost bursting with pride and love for my country only such a dominating factor would justify standing in the sun tor for a full hour in fit 94 degree weather to visit the willie white house several hours and a quart or two of perspiration later my ardor was only slightly melted by the terrific heat and we found ourselves oui selves in the national capitol here my balloon was pricked tor for a bored young man in front of the senate gallery planted his broad shoulders in front of the door and refused me a peek at the senators at work mind you I 1 asked to go eo inside the gallery I 1 just wanted to look when the door was opened to allow some lucky individual with a pass to go inside the only thing which restrained me from licking kicking that young man mail in the shins was that I 1 want to end up tip in the brig for that night I 1 was to shake hands hand s with president El benhower later in it tile the evening senator dennett bennett tried to console me by saying that I 1 bably ably looked and talked like EL a puerto rican im for or every precaution to safeguard the lives of our congress Jo ness knows the mere living in washington Is hazard enough but I 1 wink it is a little sad aad and regrettable that so many citizens are being denied the right to see their congressmen at of course passes can be obtained by seeing ones delegation but that takes time and the know how to ride a certain subway and that afternoon I 1 had bad neither except for the presidents dinner im afraid lly visit to washington was a dud for in addition to suffering from the heat beat I 1 almost had pneumonia air conditioning and tile the extreme heat was too much so I 1 ended up by going to the presidents president Is dinner with a red nose and sw swollen eyes and in my strapless model too this dinner was really something I 1 will never forget although I 1 would have enjoyed it much more it if I 1 could li h ave watched from the sidelines not that I 1 was at all important to its success but because I 1 was almost alino sst overcome over come by the ure pre ence of so 0 o marly many dignitaries cven the dignitaries were sni lm pressed sed and like at al bald haild later i hi aln of fh newspaper publisher and had been invited there because al Is the senior member on the board of directors of 0 we were in the receiving line to greet the president when he came into the hotel we were told to be in a certain place at exactly and as we stood there we saw the president drive up in an open car and that Is when things began to happen flashlights blazed people scurried and within a short time the president was inside the hotel and shaking our hands in the fleeting moment when I 1 had the lionor honor I 1 noted that he Is the kind who looks you straight in the eye his handclasp Is firm and when he says its a pleasure you know lie he means it we were flattered to have as our guests at the dinner senator and mrs wallace F bennett senator and mrs arthur V watkins and congressman and mrs william A dawson dear bear with me gentle readers im going to end this article next week ats als the only member of out our family trying to win a prize for giving the convention the best news coverage |