Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-07-04
!. A. R. VETERANS
HELP TO START
PATRIOTIC RITES

A sprinkling of gray-bearded men
in parade-it's smaller sprinkling
every year-or little knot Of the
G. A. r. veterans, watching a Fourth
of July celebration with intent faces;
odd. how 1t strums on the heart
strings. It's bit different this year,
of course. Europe accounts for that.
But, even in this war fretted 1915,
you have to see the men who fought
in 81 to remember what they did,
Or isn't that the object of Fourth
Of July celebrations? There's been
lots doing the past three days in Ho-
quiam Splash and other commemora-
tions of the glorious Fourth; but.
down at the bottom, after spending
several mighty enjoyable hours in
Hoquiam. must one not realize that
the whole blessed program of festivi-
ties, from fireworks to the most ex.
citing Of the logging contests. is Who'll
ly to keep alive. in the minds Of the
young. '76 and 1912 and 1S47 and 1898,
and 81?
1t does do that. too. The Hoquiam
Splash has been real Fourth of July
Properly, the Fourth started last
Tuesday evening in Aberdeen, when
G. A. R. and Spanish war veterans
sat down with the Grays Harbor mill
tia companies at bountiful chicken
dinner served by the Women's Relief
Corps. Ladies of the G. A. r., and
other patriotic organizations cement
ed recently into one patriotic asso-
citation by Carl Springer, who was
master of ceremonies at the Tuesday
banquet and meeting.
q. A. r. Manuel Of Arms
Up on the top floor of the armory,
C. P. L. Roberts and other G. A. r.
veterans took turns in going through
the manuel of arms with Company
G's cunningly bayoneted guns, un-
dreamed of when they shouldered arms
In deadly earnest half century ago.
1t was the militia younglings who
watched, then.
After the banquet, at the speech
making in the armory hall, the vet
erans sat in a corner by themselves;
and Mayor J. M. Phillips, who de-
clared that President Woodrow viii.
sons note to Germany entitled him
to rank as "the prince Of rulers" that
he had shown, in that note. the high
est intellectual and patriotic develop
ment attainable to man;-Mayor Phil
lips, as he made his periods. let his
eyes stray, perhaps unconsciously but
as II for appreciation, to the corner
where sat the graybeards. So 1t was
with Congressman Albert Johnson.
II agree with your mayor" said
Mr.. Johnson, land I had, before, had
the same thought: that it would be
strange II there were needed in Am.
erica a day set apart for an Ameri-
can president"
Each speaker expressed his disappro-
baton Of Wilson day; and each
spoke to- the representatives Of the
Americanism of 81. II Congressman
Johnson, in urging the need Of q
greater army than the less than 100..
900 men scattered from Porto Rico
to the Philippines" played also to
the younger generation, there was. at
least, no apparent Political note to
the rest of his address.
Capt. H. A. Comeau, Company G.
Second Infantry, w. N. g.. and Lon
Lewis of the Fourth Division, Naval
Militia. made appropriate addresses.
to wind up a ceremonial which, as
planned by the local military and pa
triotic organizations, 10 to be semi
annual occurrence.
The formal Grays Harbor splssh
started at Hoquiam. with : spirit that
was maintained 10 the end. ON Thurs
day. Z. Z. .....s.,. s. :,