Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-26
THANKSGIVING IN LONDON
American COLONY Fittingly Remembers It's
0Ountry's Popular Holiday,
CORDIAL LETTER READ faoM TIL: QUEEN
Three Hundred Guests Sit ut the Table
and Ambassador Hay Makes
a Felicitous
speech,

LONDON, Nov. 25.-Over 900 American
men and women and few English persons
celebrated Thanksgiving day by a dinner at
the Hotel Cecil tonight The party in
cluded John Hay the United States ambas-
sador, and his wife and daughter; Henry
White, secretary of the United States en-
bassy; ]. X. Carter, second secretary of the
embassy; Lord Strathcone and Mount Royal
Of Canada; Archdeacon Sinclair. Louis Astor
Chanler end william Fuich, United States
minister to Uruguay.
The menu, which was especially designed
for the occasion, was ornamented with
American and British flags, and over the
seat of the chairman was an enormous
eagle. The list of toasts was long. The
health of Qeen Victoria was proposed by the
chairman, who read a letter, dated Windsor
Castle from Sir Arthur John Biggs, private
secretary to her majesty, saying:
QUEEN EXPRESSES THANKS.
1.-The queen desires me to beg that the
American ambassador will be so good as to
convey to the members of the American
society in London the expression Of her mai
esty's sincere thanks for the beautifully
Illuminated address of congratulations she
| received from that body. l have further to
assure your excellency how deeply the
sympathy with the enthusiasm of her own
subjects on the eixtieth anniversary of her
| accession to the throne which was contained
| in this address from citizens Of the United
| States"
| Hen. Sir John Garel Barnes of the high
court of justice proposed the health of Am
! bassador Hay, dwelling upon the great
frendineas that he believed exists between
| England and the United States, and saying:
| "'If the two countries will only put their
backs together they can rule the destines OF
| the world"
Ambassador Hay responded with a bright
| speech. He sketched the origin of the day
which began he said, "in that pathetic thank
| Offering of our forefathers when they were
keeping alight the spark of freedom which
was destined to kindle into such a beacon
| blaze, enlightening and administering to the
world. Some of our peculiar institutions, "
continued Mr. Hay "thank heaven we have
/ lost. The worst passed away in the tempest
| of the war it caused, but this, the most
| unquestionable popularity of all, we can
| trust to abide with us forever. This is one
of the few things we can do that offends no.
| body, threatens no one, and competes with
no one There can never be too much graft
tude in the world. Seventy millions of voices
| praising God together would not justify the
addition of one ironclad to any navy on earth
TALK OF LITTLE THINGS.
Tonight we can hardly be said to be in
| a foreign land. A French statesman said
| the other day: Where there is one French.
man there is France We have 300 good
| American citizens here tonight who believe
we are in America and may be pardoned fol
| speaking of some little things that we care
| about"
! Mr.. Hay then paid tribute to the un
| known nameless artist, who in the days o.
| early New England first brought to sigh
| the pumpkin pie" HE added the suggestion
| that the turkey should be the national EN-
blem instead of the eagle, who with aris
tocratic profile. loud voice and predatory
disposition, hardly commends himself as the
, emblem of modest industrious and consci
! entious democracy; while the turkey, lik,
| a true altruist, exists only for the good o
| others and perishes by thousands yearly TO
| the public welfare"
| Continuing his speech Mr.. Hay enumer
| ated the causes for thankfulness and said
we are thankful that we speak English
| or If our friends on this side of the oceal
think that is boasting that we talk United
! States, which answers equally as we'll TO
| telling the truth
Mr.. Hay, closing his reply, said: 9Th
great body Of the people of the two countrie
| are friends. We are the fortunate heir
to English law and liberty, which bot
| nations respect"
Lord Strathcone and Mount Royal, re
spending to "Our Next Door Neighbors,
said that Canada, while loyal to the queer
and to Great Britain, had the fullest feelinj
of friendship for the United States, and h
was satisfied that If either country woul
get into difficulties, the other would he'll
its neighbor
Archdeacon Sinclair proposed the toast
'The Ladie@' which was responded to b,
Miss Genevieye Ward the actress