The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-06-29

Numerous NationaIities Join With
the United States in the
Celebration of Their
Independence.

ties, beginning with the morning rain
that threatens to spoil the day, but
never does, and ending with the glori-
GUS fireworks at night, write Frederic
]. Haskin In the Chicago Daily News.
Nor are the orator and the creased
pig conspicuousSby their absence. This
Is an old, old story here at home, but
how our independence day is cele-
brated abroad, in many different
lands, Is story that is seldom told.
Wherever Americans go they take
their Fourth of July with them 1t is
not too much to say that the strange
folk among whom we carry our ma
tional custom soon learn to watch for
the day with a great deal more inter
est than they do the holidays of the
other countries, their own holidays
excepted, of course. Even under this
head, however, 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.
Foreigners Are Friendly
Most foreigners are utterly indiffer-
ent to the comings and goings of ether
nations, they who should be their
brothers, or else they exhibit only con-
tempt 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 spontaneous enthu-
siasm.
This is interesting in the light of
the fact that SO many other lands
have their own independence days.
With the possible exception of
Frances, however, they attract no
attention outside of their own coun-
try. Norway has two independence
days, May II and June 5. The French
date is July IA, which commentaries
the fall of the Bastille in their great
revolution. Other independence days
are:
Brazil, September T.; Mexico, Sep
TENDER 16; Uruguay, May %; Chile,
September 18; Colombia, July 20;
Haiti, January 1; Cuba, February "a.
The Cubans also look to our indepen-
dence 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 Venezuela,
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
livia was new state carved out of
what had been royalist Peru and so
named in honor of Bolivar, who was
also it's president. His birthday serves
as an additional national festival in
Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia and is
generally observed in more or less
official way all over Central and South
America
Fourth Marked in China.
Perhaps China is the foreign coun.
try where the American Fourth of
July Is more generally observed than
anywhere else abroad. In the cosmo-
politan 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 Pekin, 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 dress parade by the Shanghai
volunteer corps, composed of British,
Germans, Americans, ETC., help to
make the day lively and the good old
fireworks are not omitted.
For several years 1t has been the
custom in some treaty ports of China
for the British and Americans jointly
to celebrate the Fourth OF July. This
may sound strange to ears that are
not cosmopolitan. And in a CONNER
cial sense it really Is unusual, for II
there is any nation upon whose adj
vancement in the far East the in
trenched Briton looks with misgivings
it is the American. Nevertheless,
there always are enough liberal minds
on both sides to bring about mutual
rejoicing. In these celebrations the
Americans acknowledge England as
their mother and the British express
their unbounded pleasure over the
wonderful progress and mighty growth
| of Britannia's slusty offspring.
Since China became a republic the
Chinese people themselves have de-
| yeloped a keen curiosity over Nell
| can mans merrymaking. They know
| that their government came to them
from this country, through students
who were educated in our colleges and
taught~the true spirit of democracy.
An exceedingly graceful compliment
| was paid to America and Americans
| last Fourth of July in Picking. by Presi-
dent Yuan Shin Kai, who drove per
| sonally to the American legation to
| congratulate the American representa-
tive, E. T. Williams, on the birth OF
the nation and to lay stress upon the
debt China owes the United States for
her fast friendship and good example
| In the past In several cities leading
Chinese requested the privilege of par