Mexico Missouri message., 1918-07-11
independence Day
Gloriously Celebrated


Dressing Unit, and the War Savings
Division, followed in procession.
Boats with representatives of the
Allied nations, floated across the
Lake to the scene. Col. e. Y. Bur-
ton as President Wilson, with L. NJ.
White as Secretary Baker, Father
O'Sullivan as Secretary Daniels, C.
c. Rozelle as Secretary McAdoo, and
]. T. Stewart as Administrator Her
bert Hoover appeared to welcome
the nations. Miss Priscilla Same
beck represented England, Miss
Ruth Cauthorn in the costume of
jeanne of Arc was France, and Miss
Effe johnson, Italy. A. H. Whitney
as Uncle Sam also welcomed the Wis
itors, and, over the boat landing,
Miss Polly Miller made an impress
sive statue as the Goddess of Liber-
ty. With the appearance of Justice
the torch in her hand famed into a
bright light
Miss Helen Heizer took the part
of Freedom and guided the various
nations across the Lake to the Land
of Humanity, represented by the
United States.
Then the entire assemblage
marched to the steps of the Academy
Administration Building where Col.
Burton read a message from Wood
row Wilson, who asked that July 4,
1918, mark the declaration of the
independence of the entire world
from autocracy.
The message proved a telling
speech and was forcefully delivered
and stirred every heart who heard
it. We give it here in full:
-Four Minute Message From Presi-
dent Wilson.
You are met, my fellow citizens,
to commemorate the signing of that
Declaration of independence which
marked the awakening of new
spirit in the lives of nations. Since
the birth of our Republic, we have
seen this spirit grow. We have
heard the demand and watched the
stuggle for self-government spread
and triumph among many peoples.
We have come to regard the right
to political liberty as the common
right of humankind. Year after
year, within the security of our bor-
ders, we have continued to rejoice
in the peaceful increase of freedom
and democracy thruout the world.
And yet now, suddenly, we are con-
fronted with a menace which endan-
gers everything that we have won
and everything that the world has
won.
In all its insolence, with its an
cient cruelty and injustice, military
autocracy has again armed itself
against the pacific hopes of men.
Having suppressed self-government
among its own people by an organ
ization maintained in part by false
hood and treachery, it has set out
to impose upon it's neighbors and
upon us. One by one, it has com
PEELED every civilized nation in the
world either to fOrego its aspirations
or to declare war in their defense.
We find ourselves fighting again for
our national existence. We are face
to face with the necessity of assert
ing anew the fundamental right of
free men to make their own laws
and choose their own allegiance. or
else permit humanity to become the
victim OF a ruthless ambition that is
determined to destroy what it can
not master.
Against its threat the liberty
loving people of the world have ris-
en- and allied themselves. No fear
has deferred them, and no bribe of
material well-being has held them
back. They have made sacrifices
such as the world has never known
before, and their resistance in the
face of death and suffering has prov