Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-04
THE DAY We CELE
BRATE.
By Frederic J. Haskin,

The Fourth Of July is here again, with
the usual round Of festivities. Nor are
the orator and the creased pig conspicu-
Gus by their absence. This is an old old
story here at home, but how our indie
pendence day is celebrated abroad, in
many different lands, Is a story that is
seldom told
Wherever Americans 20 thew take
their Fourth OF July with them. It is
not too much to say that the strange
folk among whom We carry our ma
uonal custom soon learn to watch for
the day with a great deal more interest
than they do the holidays of the other
countries. their own holidays excepted.
OF course. Even under this head, how
ever. our day completes with their own
time-honored Qualifications. for the simple
reason that many Of the countries have
no Independence day" of their own.
Most foreigners are utterly Indifferent
to the comings and goings Of other ma
tons, they who should be their broth
ers, or else they exhibit only contempt
for everything that does not conform to
their own peculiar way Of doing things.
This is not so OF the American Fourth
OF july. They all seem to have for our
great event Of the year a feeling that
varies from kindly tolerance to spontan-
eous enthusiasm.
This is interesting in the light of the
fact that SO many other lands have their
own Fourths
Other Nations of July. With
Independence Days. 100, possible ne
Frances. however. they attract no at
tention outside of their own country.
Norway has two independence days, May
II and June 8. The French day is July
IA, which commentaries the fall Of the
Bastile in their great revolution. Other
independence days are:
Brazil. September I; Mexico. Septem-
Der 16; Uruguay, May %; Chile. Sep
TENDER Is; Colombia. July 20; Haiti. jan
uary /: Cuba, February "a. The CG3ans
also look to our Independence day as
theirs in sense. since we are the givers
and guardians of their liberty. July 20.
the day on which Colombia makes
merry, is the birthday of Gen. Simon
Bolivar, the Venezuelan who freed Vene-
zuela. New Granada, Peru and Bolivia
from the yoke of Spain.
Bolivar united Venezuela and New
Granada under the name OF Colombia,
of which nation he was president for
nine years, until his death in 1880. Bolivia
vas d new Sldle CdTNeu OUT Ol WIdl
been royalist Peru. and SO named in
honor of Bolivar, who was also its presi
dent. His birthday serves as an addition
al national festival in Venezuela, Peru
and Bolivia, and is generally observed in
a more or less official way all over
Central and South America.
Perhaps, China is the foreign country
where the American Fourth of July iSmore
generally observed than anywhere else
abroad. In the cosmopolitan city of
Shanghai our natal day is the cause of
an International fete. A big reception is
held by our consul general. and the
American judge for China, who ranks
next to the American minister at Picking,
and other prominent American residents
keep open house for all their friends.
regardless of nationality. An GRAFTON
is delivered as rule. the Stars and
Stripes fly in all parts Of the foreign
settlement, and the city generally is in
a gala mood. A program of sports and
a dress parade by the Shanghai Volun
teer Corps, composed of Britishers. Ger
mans, Americans. etc. help to make the
day lively. and the good old fireworks
are not omitted