Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-24
OBSERVE=CERMAN DAY
ConVentionoHall Made to Re-
semble Old Nuremberg.
OPENED BY PRESIDENT
HE PRESSEDY A BUTTON AND
STARTED THE FESTIVAL.
United German Societies Celebrate An
niversary of the Landing Of Their
First Colonists.
OPENED BY PRESIDENT

| The President of the United States. at
| 7.15 O'Clock last evening, pressed button
at the White House and lighted Inn
| mense Christmas tree and thousands of
electric lamps at Convention Hall, and ''Alt
Deutschland" had been formally opened.
| This celebration was planned by the United
| German Societies of the District of Column
bia as a fitting observance of German
day." which this year marks the 22oth an
niversary of the landing of the first Ger
man colonists in America. The festival will
continue throughout the week. with special
| entertaining features each evening. This
! afternoon Is flag matinee the guests OF
| honor being the school children and the
| children from. the several orphan asylums
| of the District. There will be another matt
ness Thursday. This evening has been set
apart for the Odd Fellows and Elks,
Wednesday for the Masons. Thursday for
| Baltimoreans and other Marylanders. FRI
| day for the Knights OF Pythias and Satur-
| day for the Knights of the Golden Eagle
| and the Red Men.
| German day. celebrated by Americans Of
| German birth and extraction throughout
| the country, Is a patriotic American dem
onstra ton. The German-American did not
/ select the day of the battle OF Sedan for
| his celebration. nor the day on which the
German empire WAS PROGRAMMED, as q
patriotic American, he celebrates the an
niversary of the landing of the little band
of German pilgrims who reached the shores
of Delaware in 1888, whore the city of Phil
| adelphia now stands. Its 20Oth anniversary
| brought forth a gigantic celebration in
| Philadelphia October 9, 1888. and on that
occasion German day" was inaugurated.
German-Americans celebrate German day
| to commemorate an historic event, and to
spread German social customs and &C.
muethlichkeit-referred to as "that I'M
translatable. IL not untransplantable. senti-
ment of whole-souled and innocent express
sion of altrusm and genuine enjoyment of
lIfe."
"Old Nuremberg
In honor Of the occasion. and at great ex-
pense. the United German Societies of the
District have transformed Convention Hall
into a reproduction of Old Nuremberg.
Around the town a country fair is in prog
ress, with its typical features and with
peasants in costume. There are beer gar
6ens, 1.-The sausage bell" sounded to an
nOunce that sausage Is ready for purchas-
ers; an orchestra, directed by Prof. Donch,
located in the branches Of a tree adjoining
| dance pavilion: coffee garden. a wind
mill. fortune tellers, bowling alley. a city
hall. any numberrof German delicatessen
booths and many other attractions, includ-
ing midway" The idea has been to
show the uninitfated- just what a German
town looks like, and. 1t is declared, the fes-
tival Is giveni with no idea of making
money. If there, should be any profits they
will be turned over to German charitable
organizations aG,z r. ,Pohl, the architect
created the plans and designs of Alt
Deutschiapd.s Y IEs-
The Opening Exercises
A few moments AFTER the food of electric
light spread throughout the immense hall
the sounding Of aIssge gong attracted the
asse nibage tostheSpaee in front of open
stage at the soutTehd of the auditorium
On the stage were Kurt Voelckner presi-
dent, and other eficers Of the United Ger
man Societies of the District of Columbia
and the speakers Of the evening Herr
Voeickner began the exercises by saying
1.-THE President of the United States has
opened ALT Deutschland" I welcome you
and thank you for your attendance DR.. C.
]. Hexamer. president of the National Ger
man-American Alliance, will now address
you in English
Dr. Hexamer was greeted with applause.
He spoke of the American citizen of Ger
man blood and repeated what. he said,
has been frequently pointed out, that pre-
ceding the first successful colony which
| arrived at Philadelphia October 6. 1888,
from which German colonization in this
land Is usually dated, many Germans had
visited these shores 1t was added that
the man who made the maps for Lord Bal
timore was German. According to the
speaker, Germany has furnished about 80
per cent of the so-called foreign population
VI Souutiy tLuSddlIu dDOuC IL per
cent The Germans, too, have always
shown good common sense and just ap-
probation OF the personal rights of others.
DR.. Hexamer went on to declare that a
German erected the first paper mill in
America, and that prior to the revolution
Germans in Pennsylvania operated more
printing presses and published more books
than the whole Of New England. Ger
man colOnists were not lacking in their de-
votion to the cause Of freedom, 1t was as
serted, for after the war was entered upon
they were the first to take up arms and the
last to lay them down. -.....
FITTING reference was made by the speak
err to Baron de Kalb Baron Won Steuben
and others equally as well known. He said
1t Is admitted that Germans saved Mis-
souri, for the Union Continuing. DR.. Hex
amer explained that in every department
of human Industry the results Of the knowl-
edge Of the Germans and Of their patient
assiduous toll are apparent and that to
the Germans the country owes the beau
tiful festivals of Easter and Christmas
In conclusion. the speaker said: TT is our
duty as patriotic Americans that we hold
fast and cultivate the noble gifts be-
| queathed to us by our ancestors The Ger
man. with his culture. brings to this new
home sturdy integrity and a pure and hap
py family life"
Representative Bartholdt's Address.
After the rendition by the United Singers
of Washington of Mendelsshon's Der Jae-
ger Abschied,'' Mr. Richard Bartholdt rep
resentative in Congress from Missouri, was
introduced. He asked the indulgence of
those present who did not understand the
German language. for, he said, he had
promised to make an address in German
and intended to keep his word. Represent
ative Bartholdt theIEpreeeeded to speak in
his mother tongue ta}e remarks, translated,
being in substaaeesat follows:
Seven general fops4ar we passed away since
the first German EDbnists settled at Ger
mantown, 220 yeara ago The history of
this country Is real 81 modern but in it the
German citizen ha sspiayed an important
| part Many GeriIfan came over here with
only stick and a bundle at the end of it.
This country has given him an opportunity
of developing and earning a living. Amer,
| lea has done great deal for Germany,
but German citizens have likewise done
much for America by their rugged hon
esty, Joyous views of life and love of rnu-
sic By this festival Germans are trying