The Washington herald., 1918-06-24
4TH FIREWORKS
CERTAIN UNDER
|U. S. DIRECTION
War Department Supervises
Making and Sale Of
Noise-Makers.

The glory Of the old-time Fourth
Of July with firecrackers, roman
candles and torpedoes galore. will
herald American patriotism to every
corner Of the land on Independence
Day. 1918.
The war has not curtailed the sup
ply Of fireworks, but Ii has caused
the enactment OF the explosives regu-
lation law, which provides for the
licensing of all manufacturers and
purchasers who deal in explosives,
and the fireworks regulations Will De
enforced this year by the Bureau OF
Mines of the Department Of the In
terror. But the law had in mind the
Fourth of July celebration and the
tine-honored Chinese firecracker may
be purchased along with other pyro-
technic delights without necessity OF
a license when the explosive article
does not cost more than 10 cents
package.
Prohibited NoIsemakers-
Fireworks will be available in
most Of their usual forms. with the
exception of the huge cannon crack
eTs and high power rockets These
dangerous toys have been dropped
from the list for safety's sake. both
10 prevent accidents due to care
lessness and to keep such powerful
explosive from the easy reach OF
German agents. The biggest crack
er permitted this year must not be
more than three-quarters of an inch
in diameter.
Roman candles must not contain
more than twenty balls for this
years display sand the soaring
rocket which in former years
sprang through the heavens like a
comet, must not weigh more than
three pounds, which is ample size
for the most patriotic devotee.
The schoolboy can revel this
fourth in the old squizzers and
snakes and crackers and sparklers
and doubtless thousands of rounds
of tin cans will be pressed into ser
vice to rise above the street after
an explosion of the five-inch fire.
cracker. Wheels of all kinds will
be manufactured and railroad fuses,
.coIored lights and safety signals
will be available for the nighttime.
The vesuvius and ''Son of a gun"
torpedoes will boom and bang, as
usual along the streets. and the
jack-in-the-box, mines. lances and
paper caps will provide din and di-
version in celebration of the ma
tion's birth
War once Probes.
For the fiery glories that break in
brilliant clusters in the skies the
large colored shells will suffice, though
the detonating bombs will not be
part OF the aerial performance. The
War Department has found that the
IL, ~ AII1
is not consumed in large enough
quantities to warrant any curtailment
in manufacture. and the gunpowder
used in fireworks was likewise dis
covered to be Of an inferior grade.
and therefore of little value in max
ing ammunition.
The law permits the use of some
fireworks which have been in stock
and says that all rockets and roman
candles of greater size than named in
the regulations. and sal shells up to
six inches in diameter which had been
manufactured prior to November Is,
.l9i7. and are now stored in factories
or in the hands of jobbers or retailers,
may be sold under license
The use of star shells by the armies
in France has increased the need for
illuminating devices similar to a glo-
rified sky rocket. but development of
this kind of protection has advanced
so that the ingredients form spo
cialized product. and the light pow
ders used by the American-made fire.
works have been permitted to be
manufactured. as usual, for the pyro-
technic shells.
The government will keep a strict
watch over the vast quantity Of ex-
plosives consumed on Independence
Day Persons buying more than the
stipulated amounts will be required
to have q license, and to enforce the
regulations the President has ap-
pointed an explosives inspector for
every State