New Britain herald., 1924-09-13
CITY TURNS OUT
 FOR DEFENSE DAY
Thousands See Parade and At.
 tend Exercises at Park

Defense Day was observed here yesterday in impressive fashion, a parade through the center of the city being followed by patriotic ex- ercises and sham battle in Walnut Hill park. Thousands of people, re- leased by the early closing of factor ies and stores, lined the streets to watch the parade and then hastened to the park to hear and watch what went on there.
 The parade, which took eight min utes to pass given point, started from Franklin square shortly after o'clock. It contained several novel features The first division consist ed of Companies H and I and Head quarters Co.,, 169th Infantry, march, ing to the music of the Philharmonic band. Behind them came the local veterans organizations. preceded by the Eddy-Glover post band in its new and distinctive blue and gold uniforms. A body of nurses and in- ternes made a pleasing appearance in their white uniforms, the nurses being set off by blue capes turned back to reveal the scarlet Things.
 Members of the police and fire de- partments marched in the third division, led by the Y. M. T. A. & B. drum corps. A postal delivery truck appropriately inscribed brought up the rear of this section.
 The Girl Scout fife, drum and buge corps led the last division and was followed by the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. The Boys club fife and drum corps, making its first local appearance, furnished music for groups of children from the junior high schools and the parochial schools, many of whom were decked out in paper hats.
 The route of the parade was from Franklin square to Main, up the east side of Central park, out West Main and through the Court of Honor to the bandstand in Walnut Hill park Here the marching organizations gathered and took part in the exer- cises which followed.
 Former Chief of Police William J Rawlings, presided at the exercises which were opened with an invoca- ton by Rev. Sapuel Sutcliffe, pastor of St. Marks Episcopal church. Thd assembled crowd sang America" and recited the pledge to the Flag lied by Rev. Henry w. Maier, pastor of the First Congregational church
 Mayor Paonessa Speaks
 Mayor Angelo M. Paonessa deliv- cred an address in which he upheld the principle of service. He spoke as follows:
 While we must appreciate that the object of Defense Day is to mobilize for one day the country's man power and its resources, l be- Ilieve we can reap lasting benefits by embodying in our daily life the principle that makes such demon stration as this possible-that is tho principle of service.
 There is not among you, l be lieve, a single man who wants to set another war. There is no one Wht wants to see the nations of the earth renew the hostilities whicl have already cost thousands of live' and billions of dollars. Yet you ar' all here to signify your willingness to answer your country's call should the need arise. What, then, is tn, moving spirit behind all this. Th' ! answer can be nothing but service. r We hope there will never be an other war. We hope our countr will not have occasion to call l. arms these thousands of cligibl men, and it is not in anticipation o such call that we are here. We ep preciate that ohr country may nee t our services in many channels an l we, by our presence here, proclaim <, ourselves ready to serve.
 Standing here Today let us dedi cate ourselves to the service of ou n country and of our fellow men. Le :. us resolve to exert our best effort . for civic bettermen:. This is a tru
 service to our country.