Evening star., 1925-07-05
THOUSANDS WATCH
HISTORIC PAGEANTS.
Central High Community
Celebration Leads City's
Observance of Fourth.

cred fQT patriotic exercises. including
public addresses and a pageant. under
auspices of the Community Center De
partment of the public schools.
Significance of the Nations birthday
and also of Defense day was stressed
in the addresses of the evening. The
pageant in several episodes went back
TO the cradle of America and brought
its history down to date in spectacular
fashion, with cast totaling about
275 persons.
One of the impressive features of
the occasion was the taking of the
oath of allegiance to the flag by a
group of about 25 men and women, in
the presence of the great gathering.
An elaborate display of fireworks
closed the program.
Brilliant Spectacle.
officials Of the Community Center
Department were enthusiastic over
the success of their patriotic and col
orful celebration, and announced it
was the first of what they hoped to
make a series of outstanding public
events in the future history of the
Nations Capital.
Flashing brilliance from a powerful
candlepower anti-aircraft searchlight
of the Army Engineers on a portable
mount swept the stadium during the
occasion and focused itself frequently
on the Capitol and the Washington
Monument. Searchlights from the sta
dium lighted the greensward, red fire
was used freely, and the speeches and
pageant pictureSquely were punctuat-
ed from time TO time by bootleg fire
crackers and torpedoes, which had
been spirited into the stadium and ex-
ploded in violation of the District
code.
Speakers of the evening were: Ed
gar c. Snyder, Brig. Gen. George
Richards, United States Marine Corps;
Isaac Cans and Brig. Gen. S. D. Rock
enbach, commanding the District of
Washington. The pageant was under
direction of Mrs. Marie Moore For
rest, assisted by Mrs. Ida f. Kebler,
chief marshal of all personnel.
Marine Band Plays.
The program was opened by a pa
triotfc concert by the United States
Marine Band. conducted by the sec
ond leader, Taylor BranSon, which
also furnished an appropriately color
ful musical setting for the pageant.
Edgar c. Snyder, as chairman of
the evening, in his opening address de-
clared America stood today 'in the
second century of constitutional gov
ernment with no clouds overhead, at
peace with all nations, and with no
convulsions beneath our feet"
We reverently return thanks to
Almighty God for the past" said
the speaker "and with confident and
hopeful promise march upon sure
ground toward the future"
Paying tribute to the Community
Center Department and the number
less patriotic societies, representative
citizens associations and civic organi-
zations," which had co-operated in
the occasion. Mr.. Snyder said 1t was
hoped the ceremonies instituted last
night will grow in dignity and inn
pressiveness through the years with
the broadening influences of the Re
public
25 Take Oath.
Impressive and effective was the
simple ceremony of giving the oath
of allegiance to the flag TO the group
of about 25 persons. A color guard
from the Washington Boys Independ-
ent Band. consisting of d. w Win
ters, jr.; John E. Winters, Ray Boyd,
Kenneth Burgess, and Ushers Edward
Brugger and Leon Lamp, participated.
The group of new citizens marched
out in front of the flag as presented
and repeated the oath after Gen. Rich
ards. They were then presented with
copies of the Constitution of the
United, States by Jesse c. Suter, presi-
Associations.
Message From Rudolph
Gen. Richards read a message from
President Cuno II. Rudolph of the
Board of Commissioners. in which Mr..
Rudolph said the service which Amer
lea was best suited TO render the world
was opportunity. Not all persons
who come to America, the Commits
sioner wrote, could hope to become dis
tinguished or wealthy, but all might
acquire ''all the needful comforts of
life
The protection of people in the
ownership of property" wrote Mr..
Rudolph, lis the very basis of a benefi-
cent civilization. Hence it is the duty
of all to aid that protection by sus-
tanning government by laws that will
give such protection"
Isaac Cans, who was chairman of
the Defense day committee for the
District of Columbia, outlined the ad-
vantages to the Nation from the OBJ
Servance of Defense day.
mo true American wants war" said
Mr.. Cans, 'and we are in no sense a
n1ilftaristic Nation, but we must GER
tainly realize that war is not beyond
the realm of possibility and we must
never again be a victim of overconfi-
dence or of Indifference"
Praises Defense Test.
The defense test last year Mr.. Cans
pronounced as very successful" The
speaker outlined five principal advan-
tages from Defense day, and said it
was hoped that the observance of
the second defense test will serve as
reminder to all Americans and tend to
encourage their support in maintain
ing.an adequate national defense"
Gen. Rockenbach expressed the ap-
probation of the War Department for
the cooperation of the public in the
defense test, and the recognition it
received at the exercises last night
Owing to the preparations now under
way, and the aid of Defense day, Gen.
Rockenbach told the assembled par
ents that never again would it be nee
essary to send boys to war under
Incompetent and unframed men,"
The general also said it was the duty
of every man of military age to find
out his rating m the event of war.
AS a conclusion to the first part of
the program, the great assemblage
rose, and lead by Rollin Bond, in colo
ntal costume, sang two verses of
America
Pageant Is Given.
The pageant represented both yes
tefday and today. It opened with the
March of Yesterday" including all
the personnel in five scenes from a
radd on the Indian frontier in 1775 to
the. inauguration of Gen. Washington
as, President.
Rhe March of Today" in honor of
the flag, was led by Mrs. Maud Howell
Saith. representing the District of
Columbia, and United States troops
from the Army. Navy and Marine
Corps