Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-21
PARADE PREPARATION
Plans for the Great Feature Of Ma
tional Dewey Reception.
THE COMMITTEE WILL MEET TODAY
Suggestions Made Which viii
Probably Be Carried Out.
OTHER COMMITTEE WORK

Suggestions concerning appropriate fea
lures for the national reception at Washing
ton to Admiral George Dewey have beer
plentiful ever since the Commissioners OF
the District of Columbia selected a COM
mittee Of one hundred to represent the
citizens of the District in this responsible
undertaking. Vast interest has been taken
not only by the representative men active
ly engaged in behalf of the project. but by
the public at large, here and throughout
the country, and the substantial outcome
of it all is beginning to take definite shape
The admirable rapidity with which the
committee on medals and badges took up
and virtually completed the matters given
into it's charge is a promising precursor of
how the other bodies will accomplish their
share of the preparations, and one of the
most important of these, the committee on
parade, has been called to meet at 4
o'clock this afternoon, at the Ames build
ing, by Chairman w. H. Rapley.
Probable Course of business.
W lille no meeting of this committee has
been yet held. it's officers and members have
been busily engaged in consultation. They
will consequently gather today with very
definite plans in view
These include the formation of an execu-
tive committee consisting of a leading mar
in each of the various military, naval, civic
patriotic, secret, bicycle and labor organiza-
lions of the District. The grand marshal
ship of the parade will be rendered, 1t is I'M
derstood, to Gen. Nelson A. Miles, COM
manding the United States army. Major
Burton r. Ross will be rendered the posi-
ton of adjutant general
subcommittee will be created to take
charge of the various sections of the par
ade. as military and naval organizations
veterans organizations, patriotic and mis-
cellaneous societies, labor organizations, bi-
cycle section. equipment and parade illumi-
nation and music. The creation of the lat
ter subcommittee will eliminate any neces-
sity for appointing a standing committee
on music, as was contemplated recently.
Invitations to BE Sent Out.
The meeting this afternoon will also draw
up an invitation, which will be sent to every
organized body in the District, asking it to
participate in the parade in honor of Adj
miral Dewey. In each invitation will be in
closed a blank for a reply, to be filled out
and returned to the parade committee not
later than September IL. In this blank the
organizations can state the number of men
each will have in the parade, If they accept
the invitation the uniform to be worn, if
any; the character of the Illumination they
present and whether they will march
to music, and if so. its character
1t is also expected that an invitation will
be extended to the adiutant general of Yer
mont, Dewey's native state, to. send the
Vermont militia to take part in the parade,
while the governors of every state and ter
ritory in the Union will also be invited to
be present with their staffs, or if personal
attendance is impossible. to be officially rep
resented at Washington on Dewey day.
1t will be seen from the above that the
preliminaries for the parade, which will
be such a great feature of the ma atoms re-
to a Iyr,t- IN 1,a,r,f
preached with the discretion generally
characteristic of the representatives of the
nations capital.
The Olympia Crew.
No doubt is now felt at the Navy De-
partment that it will be possible to have a
delegation of the crew of the Olympia pres
ent during the celebration here, and 1t is
also believed by the committee that it
may be possible to carry out the sug-
gestion recently made to have these brave
boys carry Paul Jones original flag of free
dom and pull the guns now at the National
Museum. which were captured at Manila
IN the parade Some people have it is
true, pointed out that it would be q bad
precedent for such precious possessions to
be allowed to leave their places in the mu-
scum, but this is offset by the fact that
the occasion will be peculiarly a national
one. Then, again, it is commended the Lib
erty bell was taken to Chicago and such a
precedent would be sufficient to allow the
permission under consideration when every
thing is weighed wisely.
Other Committee MeetInxs,
The committee on transportation, of
which Mr.. Z. ]. Stellwagen Is chairman,
will meet tomorrow night at o'clock in
the red parlor of the Ebbitt House. and
the committee on printing, presided over
by Chairman Emil G. Schafer, will meet at
Clock Wednesday afternoon at the Ames
building, No 1410 G street
These committees also have well defined
plans and purposes already outlined, and
will put them into substantial shape when
they gather and organize
The expected early return of Mr. F.
Southard Parker, chairman of the finance
committee, will be followed by meeting
of this important body, when plans for
securing the funds requisite to make the
event worthy of Washington the nation
and the guest of honor, will be drawn up
and carried forward with activity
There seems to be a considerable differ
ence of opinion as to the amount of money
1t Will be necessary to raise by voluntary
and popular subscription to meet the eX-
penses of the celebration, but no matter
now large the sum may be no question
Is raised over the readiness of Washing
ton to provide it,
While there will be no tendency toward
extravaganza, it is stated neither will there
be any disposition in the direction of mig
gardllness, so that this part of Washing
tons responsibility will doubtless be as
generously and enthusiastically met as the