McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1918-07-12
representing forty-two nations, .

f0NAiNNtSNNit AAtNAS
along Fifth Avenue, and more than
ten hours were taken up in passing
the reviewing stand at Forty Second
street, where my wife and | watched
them until we got tired. Here were
the Persians in their long robes; East
Indians with round turbans, little
Japanese with their broad black eyes
and firm step: slant eyed Chinese shuf-
fling along, but upholding thu Stars
and Stripes as high as anybody; Fill
pinos with their pompadour hair and
swarthy faces, proud to be nephews
Of Uncle Sam; Porto Ricans. Argen-
tiuians, Brazllians, Venezuelans, Ecua-
dorians, Peruvians, Chileans, people
from Cuba, Panama, Bolivia. Switzer-
land, Australia, New Zealand, Siam,
lndo-China, far-off Borneo. Java, Cey-
Ion, Canada, and Italy, as we'll as Bal
garia, Turkey, Russia, Roumania, Pal
estine, and every nook you ever heard
of and lots more you never dreamed
Of. You never heard Of Zoroastri-
an, did you? Well you could see him
there, big as Ike.' and when this
chap wants to pray he does not wor-
ship God, but builds a fire and wor-
ships that, because he says it is the
symbol of life and death. There
were ten thousand Italians in line
alone, and it looked there was no end
to their lodge banners and floats; Jews
from all over Europe were in line,
and what they said about the Kaise-
and his meanness on their banners
was plenty. And then came a big
detachment of Germans loyal to the
United States, "The Friends of Ger
man Democracy" with their historical
floats and their banners, one Of which
had the inscription: Born in Germany
but made in America and one ban
ner said The Grown Prince and the
Hun. we've got them on the run" If
the Kaiser could have seen that pa
rade, and the news that came in of
the celebration of the day in Paris,
London, and in many other parts of
the world, he would have retired
with the sick headache.
AT night, in the immense stadium
Of the City Of New York, wife and I
saw another magnificent celebration.
In the half-circle of raised seats ten
thousand people sat and heard the
orations and the sweet music, and
saw the drilling Of companies of
marines, and the singing of patriotic
songs. The marines came up within
twenty feet Of where we sat, and it
! was thrilling to watch those splendid
young fellows going over the top
and swinging in perfect time through
aheir evolutions, while MIR. Josephus
Daniels, the Secretary of the Navy,
looked ON with admiration. Mr.. Dan
i iels made speech that set the mul-
titude afre with enthusiasm. especially
when he told Of the launching, that
| day, Of more than one hundred new
ships, and of the transportation to
France Of more than million men
with the loss Of not one. The Kaiser
said it couldnot be done, but Josephus
said II had been done. He told us
| that there are now over four hundred
\ thousand men in our Navy. and every
| mothers son of them wants to 90 to
| France.
1 A wonderful sight it was when the
parade of Poland went around the
y circle. all natives of Poland and
dressed in their native costumes, rep
resenting kings, princes. knights,
4 warriors, etc. There were stern, sad
! faces among those tall, slender men.
No doubt they were thinking of what
the cruel Hun had done to their dear
! ones back in that distant homeland,
where it is said there are no longer
any children under seven years of
age, Oar national hymns were sung
by the world-famous singer, Madame
Schumann-Heink; a Japanese prima-
donna, Nine. Hakimura, sang the ma
tional hymn of Japan, strange song
that began and ended on second note,
French officer sang the "Marse,
illsise" in French so that be could be
heard mile; many other exercises,
such as the marching of Colonial
Danes representing the original Thir-
teen States. and natives representing
all the British colonies, made up a
: program that made one proud that
he is an American. Well, it's about
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