New-York tribune., 1918-11-29
Flags of 27 Nations
Wave Before AItor at
St. Johns Cathedral

Ihe colors of twenty-seven nations
gleaned against the white marble
altar Of the Cathedral of st. John the
Divine yesterday morning, while a
great congregation knelt to give
thanks for the blessings of peace.
They symboized the Thanksgiving Of
peoples all over the world, from
France and Belgium, whose flags float
to-day over desecrated altars, to the
far-distant nations which made COM
preserve the freedom of the world.
Sailors of the United States navy
carried the Stars and Stripes and the
flags of twenty-six Allies and nations
which declared their sympathy with
the Allies to the chancel at the end
of the choir professional. There
they stood during the greater part of
the service, their brilliant colors flash
ing with the flickering of the altar
candles and the rich light glowing in
the stained glass windows Overhead
in the shadowy arches of the gray
marble dome, the bright colors we're
caught up again in a string of flags
that swayed in the slow air currents
The colors at the altar stood in the
order Of their entrance into the war
France and Great Britain and Rus
sia- After the sermon the flags were
dipped toward the altar as the great
congregation rose and sang "The Star
Spangled Banner" and the hymn of
Thanksgiving, Sir George Martins
"Te Deum."
Distinguished diplomats and officers
of the armies and navies of the Allies
occupied several seats of honor, and
| the khaki and blue Of the United
States service were sprinkled literally
through the crowd Mayor Hylan was
there and Franklin D. Roosevelt, AS
Admiral Usher and Rear Admiral
Gleaves representing the navy, and
Colanel Simpson----and Lieutenant
Colonel Henderson, from Governors
Island, the army.
Alfredo Gonzales, former President
of Costa Rica; Edouard de Willy, High
Commissioner of France; Admiral
Grout, commander Of the Division of
the Atlantic Of the French navy;
| Clive Bayley consul general in New
Yorx, representing the British Am
bassador, and the consuls Of all other
Allied countries were present as we'll
| as representatives of the American Red
Cross and many other military and
civic organizations.
The Thanksgiving sermons were de-
livered by the Right Rev. David Hum.
nell Greer, Bishop Of New York, and
the Right Rev. Arthur Selden Lloyd
president of the Board of Foreign Mis-
sions of the Protestant Episcopal
Church. Bishop Greer said:
"On this Thanksgiving Day how nat
ural and how right it is, from every
point Of view, that, ar the representa-
tives of different national groups, We
should gather here in this Christian
BILE thanks to God for what He has
done-albcit through the agency of the
Allied peoples, yet what he has done
to rescue and redeem the world from
the hard and cruel force of tyranny
and wrong, and to make it free. 1t is
as l have said, meet that we should Dc
this, lest in the noise and tumult o.
the common joy, so natural, SO human
we forget the things which our eye:
have seen.
eve have seen this-that God is no
distant and absentee God, as we arc
wont to think Him, but that He is s
factor in human affairs with whom W,
must reckon, not only in some othe,
world, but here and now in this, ant
that no weapon forged against Him
however great and strong or howsoeve
reinforced with human wit and kultu
or scientific skill. cunning and device
that no weapon forged against Him cal
prosper.
"Our eyes have seen it, and so o,
Thanksgiving Day, appointed by boil
Church and State, we gather here t,
render our devout and humble thank
to God for the blessings He has give,
us and the lesson He has taught as, I,
take heed to ourselves, lest we forge
the things that our eyes have seen.
Great changes In human nature ar
not generally brought about by mira
clcs, and 80, while we look Sorwar,
hopefully to an ara If progfess. O
enlightenment and brotHerly cohsidera
ton. one for another, We must bowar,
still Of sclhshnsss, that canker i,
which lies the germ of danger to tn,
peace Of men and of nations"