Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-07-04
WORLDWIDE FESTIVITIES.
The Glorious Fourth Is Celebrate
Over the Whole World

The Glorious Fourth Is Celebrated
Over the Whole World.
The glorious Fourth is celebrated the
world over. 1t is not confined to the
United States alone, by any means. 1t is
often said that the sun never sets upon the
British empire. 1t is equally true that 1t
never sets upon the American Fourth of
July: Even beyond our territorial limits
the day is honored all over the world,
wherever there is an American consular
officer or naval ship. The latter particu-
larry are the scenes of celebration well up
to the Importance Of the great holiday.
Early in the morning the ship is dressed
with many colored flags, all unnecessary
work is stopped, national salutes are fired
at noon, and the day is largely devoted to
athletic sports, such as rowing or sailing
Matches games of baseball, ETC., on shore,
II practicable. and to the men as well as
officers it is day of good cheer, the ia
bles being spread with as bounteous re.
pasts, fore and aft, as the markets will
afford. The naval regulations are relaxed
and 1t is generally day of enjoyment
eQualled by no other day of the year save
Christmas.
Whenever ships of foreign nations are
in port ut the same time as the American
they are officially notified of the coming
holiday, and requested to participate in
its celebration. This they invariably do,
decorating and saluting with the Ameri-
can vessels. In this connection may be
mentioned curious thing, we'll known to
all navy men. AS may easily be imagined,
the day is not one calculated to give sen.
sations Of unalloyed pleasure to the Brit
ish. as 1t celebrates the declaration of in
dependence from the British yoke. Still,
1t would be very discourteous for English
men, now that they are on friendly terms
with the United States, to refuse to par
ticipate in the gayeties of the day, so, to
obviate all embarrassment, in nearly every
case 1t is customary for British ships to
contriye to be away from ports where
there is an American warship on the
Fourth of July. Ordinarily, this can be
managed by adjusting the vessels move
ments to this end, but when. as often hap
pens, the American ship happens in un-
awares, the British ship makes an excuse
for being away that day, as, for example,
on the pretext of going out to sea for tar
get practice. 1t very seldom has happened
that British ship has had to join the
celebrations of the Fourth, but when they
have done so, it has been with good grace.
Similar honors to the day are paid at
every military post Of the United States.
The day is given over to amusements,
sports and formal ceremonies, such as
salutes, parades, etc. Soldiers, though,
do not as rule get so much unauthorized
pleasure out of the day us sailors, as one
Of the time-honored traditions of the day
Is long parade, which is anything but
pleasurable in the hot July weather, espe-
cially when, as is often the case, the
paraders have to stand for long periods
and listen to the words Of the orators, be-
fore taking up the hot, dusty, wearisome
march homeward.
In most of the large cities of the earth
there is goodly American colony, and
these always unite in their Difference to
the day. This is especially so in London,
Berlin and Paris, where the American
colonies are both large and influential The
American legation or embassy is the scene
Of banquet In the evening, upon which
occasion the sentiments of the anniversary
are ever extolled, and patriotism ID the
yslguiag emotion Of ths aceAsloa,