Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-04-08
Great Parade In Afternoon Surpasses Any
thing OF Like Nature Ever Held In This
Section OF State And Thrills Thou
sands Who Lined The Streets

1t was great day for Martinsburg-a day that will
live long in the history of the old town And those who
planned and executed the big demonstration Saturday
afternoon may well feel pardonable pride in the COM
Epete success Of their efforts
There was every reason to believe that the demon
straon in honor OF the first anniversary of Americas
entrance into the war and the opening of the third liberty
loan campaign would be success but believed that
it would be so hugely completely and overwhelmingly
successful It was the biggest thing by far pulled
off in this end of West Virginia and when it was over
everybody who had anything to do with 1.-THE commit
tees that worked up the event. those who took an active
part in it. and those who looked and applauded felt
glow of satisfaction that Martnsburg could thus do
herself proud and send out to the world such message
as that which the demonstration meant. s5
5000 Take Part In Parade
While there We're number of people who choose to
lie onlookers rather than take active part in the pa
rade is conservatively estimated that there were
about 5000 marchers.
And the demonstration was indeed an inspiring one
There were handsome floats that would have been a
credit in any pageant there were bodies of men repre-
sentative of the best bone and sneW of the ctys indus
trial fe there were many business and professional men
who desired to show their hearty accord with the spirit
Of the affair." there hundreds of women engaged in
various forms Of activities for the welfare of the boys at
the front and the folk left behind there cergymen
to show that the religion of God enlisted in the cause
Of freedom and last and probably greatest Of all there
hundreds and hundreds of school children, from
big sturdy boys tiny totshe hope and prop of Amer
lea in the years to come-all marching in view of the
people the sidewalk with but one idea-to show
their patriotism their love of country their belief in
american luealS ana Cnelf 10 SLanQ De-
hind the government in its efforts to forever crush the
forces of evil that would make Of free people slaves
of force and of free nations footstoo for tyranny
Primary Object Splendidly Accomplished. n
The chief object of the demonstration splendid
~ accomplished 1t mattered little that the parade
longer than the route mapped out for and became
congesed at time; it mattered little that many
the sidewalk instead of in the parade matered little
that the people of the county failed to assist in the dem
onstraton and show that they back Of the Govt All
these things of minor consideration in the light of
the big fact that it demonstration the like of
which was never before witnessed in this section, and
that was outpourng of the spirit and patriotism Of
our people in this crisis of the worlds affairs that win
live long in the memory of those who planned it, those
who carried it to such splendid conclusion and those
who had the good fortune to witness it.
And when it is remembered that all over the land
from ocean to ocean, from lakes to guf-there were
thousands of like demonstrationsa with the end
in vew-one must contemplate such an exhibition of
patriotism with feeling of awe and wonder-withla
feeling that the people last becoming aroused and
that this awakening of the spirit of America that
liberty and freedom and civilization shall be preserved
and continue to live even against the utmost forces
which the powers Of evil and darkness may bring aga.
inst it, -. n