Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-06-27
MASONS Give THE
ALLIES BIG OVATION
Wonderful Patriotic Demonstration
Marked the Opening of the
Grand Lodge Session at
Waterloo.
ELOQUENT TRIBUTE PAID
BY DAVENPORT ATTORNEY
Iowa's Oldest Mason Was Present, as
Well as IOwa's Newest Mason,
And the Meeting Was
Most Enthusiastic.

AS the flags of the entente allies
were marshaled at the opening ses-
sion of the Iowa Masonic grand lodge
at Waterloo last week, the 1000
spectators in Waterloo theatre went
wild with enthusiasm.
Iowa Masonry never before wit
messed such demonstration.
y The Mt. Hermon triple quartet Of
Cedar Rapids sang "Rule, Bril-
tanIia," the "Marseillaise' and
"The Star Spangled Banner" As
each was sung a little girl dressed
in white marched slowly down the
aisle bearing the Union Jack, the
tricolor and the American flag.
Louis Block of Davenport, whose
father lies buried in German soil.
took each ensign and paid eloquent
tribute to the lands which they rep
Presented. In each, he said, were
the red, white and blue. In the Ger
man flag, missing from this occasion,
he explained, the black represents
militarism-a monster which would
destroy the beautiful daughter of
liberty.
At the close of this demonstration
another equally as emphatic occur
red as huge American flag was
dropped from the rear of the stage
while the quartet and audience, am
plified by an orchestra, sang Amer
lea"
All the opening exercises were
permeated by a spirit of patriotism.
The ensigns Of the allies occupied
prominent places on the stage.
Louis Block, one OF the most elo-
quent of Iowa attorneys, never was
more eloquent than at the impress
sive moment when the little girls in
white placed in his hand the flags
of the lands which are fighting for
human Liberties. The flag of Great
Britain he praised because it repre-
sents government that is salutary
to all its subjects and because it
protected crushed and bleeding Bel
gium.
AS he was handed the French
flag. Mr.. Block said: This is the red,
white and blue, the flag OF the sun
ny land Of France, our sister repdb-
lie. It is needless for me to say
that no flag is so welcome to us as
the tricolor OF France. This is the
standard of people that has shown
to the world that freedom shall not
perish from the earth. Face to face
with the mightiest military nation
of the earth, the gallant, heroic, mo-
BILE sons Of France gave good ac-
count of themselves. Under Father
Joffre, the Gen. Grant OF France, q
man beloved by the people of that
nation and of the United States as
we'll, stemmed the onrush of the
German military machine. In this.
the dark hour of France, the Ameri-
can people are rushing to her aid
Just as Lafayette, Rochambeau and
other French patriots came to our
help in the time of our stress"
The first note of THE Star Spang-
led Banner" brought every one in
the theatre to his feet. AS Dorothy
Fac Martin advanced down the aisle
with the starry ensign, members OF
the triple quartet saluted its stars
and stripes. When 1t was placed in
his hands, Mr.. Block slowly waved 1t
and the Masons went wild with en-
! ithusiasm.
eff at any time in my life l have
been lost for words to express my
feeling it is low," said the speaker,
with emotion. Il have no language
of my own suitable to set forth my
love, my reverence, my devotion for
this starry banner. The poets can
best express my sentiments"
Mr.. Block quoted stalza from
the national hymn and choice bits OF
verse from other authors-ail pay
ing tribute to the beauty. the glory,
the inspiration which the flag In
spires.
Nothing is so beautiful as the
love of a mother for her babe, moth
ing is so inspiring as the devotion or
stalwart son for his gray-haired
father, nothing is so uplifting as the
spirit of fraternity which we see
manifested among these brethren.
All of these sentiments merged i1to
one give some inkling of my love,
my reverence. for the stars and