Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-23
GRANDFoRhsHE 4. lpls
NORW|ECl|A||NlS|
DISCUSS MAY
18th PLANS
American Patriotic Demon
stration e Be Held Next
Month.

|. =. EA.tItEs- ~ - sNt-E pE.w tHxfrE,L 81 ~. n. -
Plans for the American patriotic
demonstration to be held on Norways
national holiday, May II, :byis Nor
wegianf societies OF this city, Are now:
being perfected, and the central CONT
n1ittee,, representing the Warden
lodge the Nofdmandsforbund, the
Norwegian club, and the, Skafdia or
g%anisation.. is preparing the details of
the plan: VI
h For reasons not.stated the Bjarne
singing society has declined the invi-,
tation to Join in the celebration At.
"a meeting last, night II" was decided;
that the Bjarne singers would, not be
officially : represented, but that they
would be willing to send delegatestto
the central committee after the csle-
The principal speakers Of the day
will s John 9. Hai!and Of Farso;and
probably Attorney J.TF. T. O'Connorj
u In 1"' View ss Of the fact thai some. no dis
cussion has arisen as to the prppr!ety
Of arranging the demonstration. It
was pointed out today that the state
department. AT Washington u few
months ago advised other Scandinavt-
an societies that the government had:
ton. Of national holidays, proytdsd
that. the American flag be displayed
simultaneously with that Of the ma
%tionality arranging the celebration.
The announcement of the. state de
partment, was made through William
Phillips, then third assistant secretary
of state. In this connection attention
was called to the fact that Norwegian
societies in tbs country even IN time
of peace always display the American
Sag conspicuously.
Want to Help. Win the War
Attorney u! A. Alphson.. chairman
OF the central committed, today. is
sued. statement in which he ernpha-.
sized that although the celebration.
PLANNED WILL take place on NorwaX's
constitutional. day, it will assume the
character of IN essentially American
patriotic gathering.
Mr.. Alphson said in his statement:
THE ain Of the Morse societies in
America is to keep alive Morse .tradl-
tions. to keep h old root alive until
it has sprouted and thoroughly taken
hold in the new soil. but whatever It's
purpose has been in the past or will
be in the future. the only and posi-
BILE. aim for the present is and must
be-tos win the war. Accordingly.
when our. committee met. it was aft
ton. had been thoroughly discussed,
decided that although a handful OF
people. were concerned and directly
benefited in the happenings that
brought about the 18th OF May, neV-
ertheless the spirit that it has come
to represent to the world is the same
that u boys are yin the trenches
fighting for today.
''The last message from those boys
to the people at home was for us to
do all we can, and they will do their
part. The Red Gross. whose excellent
work We all recognize. is badly i'll
(need of more funds. and here we have
an excellent opportunity to help. 1t
Is perhaps mot the biggest. thing we
could do. but as our committee con-
ceived it, it is the giving Of another
widows mite to the cause.
"a meeting for those chiefly of
Morse heritage must necessarily come
on the 18th. 1t has been our custom
to meet on that. date, 1t is in full
accord with the administrations de-
sire of having as little break as pos
siblc In the usual run OF things, and
what. better time to inocuIate the ar
dor of the crusaders Of old into our
mel and women than. to meet on a
day which. Is one OF the earliest land
marks in history marking the prog
ress Of democracy. to again conse-
crate ourselves to the work at hand,
the greatest Of all struggles for hui
man freedom and equality. and that
when victory is won. we, shall have
another and final landmark. or. the
onward path of a liberty. loving peo-
pie when 1t may be truly said that
the world has been made fit for a de-
nioeracy. -
"For these and other reasons the
committee found that a patriotic
demonstration on the 18th OF May
would be both fitting and proper"
Similar celebrations ara being
planned in Winnipeg. Minneapolis, st
Paul. Duluth, New York. Chicago and
several cities on the Pacific coast.