Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1920-02-26
HEROES OF WORl )
WAR H0N0REJ ssY
FRENCH REl &BLIC
Impressive Exercises Under
the Auspices Of the Ameri-
can Legion Accompany
Presentation Of Honorary
Certificates at Opera House
Sunday.

=
Sunday.
The thirty-fve Stutsman county
young men who gave their all in the
great struggle for democracy were
very httingly honored at impressive
exercises held at the opera house un-
der the auspices of the Earnest De-
Nault Robertson Post OF the Amer
ican Legion Sunday afternoon, the
one hundred eighty-eighth anniver-
sary of the birthday of George Wash
ington, the first president of the
United States and lovingly known by
all peoples as the Father of His
Country" The opera house was
packed to its utmost capacity sew
eral minutes before the hour set for
the beginning of the exercises and
many were forced to stand in the
aisles and at the back Of the room.
The program opened with the
playing of several French compost
tions BY the orchestra, this being fol-
lowed by the opening remarks Of
George Blewett, the commander of
the local post Of the American Le-
gion and one who saw active service
at the front during the World War
being wounded in action. Mr.. Ble-
wett explained how the French gov
ernment. thru the French High Com
mission. was showing the apprecia-
ton Of the Frenc' people for the
e.,vtce Of lea. the World War
by ,resen - 70 the nearest of kin
of every soldier Of the United States
who made the supreme sacrifice a
cert feate from. the French agoYerns,
mont. The commander Of the local
legion post prefaced his remarks
with the statement that those who
suffer and sacrifice most feel most
and that France today feels most as
she had suffered most in the great
conflict. He declared that it was fit
ting that the French government
should present these certificates thru
the American Legion as the legion
stands for the principles Of liberty,
fraternity and Justice.
Rev. Ward F. Boyd of the Presby-
terian church read the ninety-frst,
and the forty-sixth Psalms, the read
ing being followed by a prayer by
Rev. c. H. Phillips.
The stage from which. the program
was given was appropriately decor
ated with two large American and
French flags, stacked rifles and a
regulation shelter or pup" tent and
several steel helmets, the decorations
serving as fitting background for
the pageant which followed the adj
dress Of Alfred Steel.
Mr.. Steel's Address.
Mr.. Steel said that he was i'm
pressed with two things in connec-
ton with the exercises, first, that
they were being held on the anniver-
sary Of the birthday Of George Wash
ington, the Father of His Country,
and second, that they we're being
held on Sunday. The speaker told
Of a visit to the tomb of Washington
in the city Of Washington and. told
something Of the things that passed
thru his mind as he stood within a
few feet of remains Of the living body
Of the great American. He told or
the majesty of the simple brick
structure which marks the grave and
the simpleness of the Inscriptions,
and expressed the wish. that had
passed thru his mind at that time,
every person in North Dakota could
visit the tomb. Mr.. Steel said hs
wished that every North Dakota cit
izen could visit the tomb Of George
Washington because he felt sure that.
it would be impossible for anyone
to stand in the shadow Of that struc-
ture without catching something OF
the spirit Of the greatness Of the
character Of the first president Of the
United States. He said that he felt
that they would then perhaps speak
. little more carefully, little more
lovingly. q little more respectfully o.
the great document which that era
produced.
The speaker quoted from judge
epalding In explaining Why he felt
<hof S,,nf3av ~oa q n annrnnria at0 d8y5