Evening star., 1927-07-05
$1,000 OUT TO SEE
I. PATRIOTIC DISPLAY.
Concluding Exercises in Gel
ebration of Nations Birth
day Marked by Thrills.

f 151st anniversary of Independence
day ended in glory last night when a
throng of so 900 persons blanketed the
slopes at the foot of the Washing
ton Monument to witness patriotic
pageantry.
A concert by the United States Ma
rine Band, a new Commissioners ini'
tial greeting to the city, the reading
of the Declaration of independence
and a swirling array of flags and BAN
ners. constituted the exercises held in
Sylvan Theater, the leafy dell Just
south of the Monument. While thou.
sands stood quietly during this formal
celebration, even more thouSdtus
swarmed the north slopes OF the
mound waiting impatiently Tor tne
darkness and the accompanying pyio'
technic display which followed the
Sylvan presentation.
Crowd Gathers Early.
Arriving first by the score ana 'tleI'
hy the hundred. the crowd began as
sen1hling on the mound even oeloie
sunset, and while they busleu thein'
selves with the selection OF vantage
noints. the United States Marine Band,
nnder the leadership Of Taylor Bran
son played in concert from 1:So CLOCK
until o'clock. AS darkness fell, pat
teries of 6O.inch searchlights. station
ed at four compass points some us
tance from the base Of the Monument,
slowly roved the full height or the
shaft, weaving soft mantle that H.
Illuminated the whole grounds. An
other powerful light set up at the
west end of the Lincoln Memorial re-
fecting pool. slowly rose end fell from
the mirror surface of the basin to the
marble sides of the shaft, Nooding the
grounds with its light.
Here and there in the midst or the
vast throng varicolored liRht bombs
were set off by the impatient folks
who had brought their own" From
a distance the Monument grounds.
with the fitful flares and the TovfNg
light shafts that played upon tina rls'
ing columns of smoke resemblso
vast pyre built for the celebration
Sylvan Theater Program.
Promptly at o'clock. the lesSsr
thousands assembled in Sylvan Thea
ter, sang America" to the pitch OF
the Marine Band-and the formal eX'
ercises were begun. Following the
song, a silence settled over the crowd
and from the bottom of the dell.
which forms the theater, a voice rose
to the outer slopes in the rendition
of the Declaration of independence
1t was Charles z. CaruSi, preSldene
of the Board of Education, who reao
the historic document, and although
the vast out-of-doors presented q
handicap for any human voice TO
overcome, the big assemblage was
ouieted while it strained to eaten
every word that was read. AT the con-
cIusion of the reading, tremendous
ovation rose on the hillside.
Following the reading of the Decla-
ration, Isaac Cans, chairman or tne
community celebration commlttee, IN
troduced Col William B. Ladue, En-
gineer Commissioner of the District.
Ladue Is introduced.
The flood lights which emulated the
footlights of other theaters did thelr
cleaning best, but to the thousands
mounted on the receding slope their
new Commissioner was merely an
other figure in the center OF the stage.
Col. Ladue's address waa brief ana
/ pointed. and little more than a greet
ing to the citizenry, but he took tlme
to fire a verbal broadslde at militant
radicals, the defeat of whose purpose
he declared depended upon upright
citizens the length and breadth OF the
country. In calling upon the Nations
Ladue pledged his own service to the
District of Columbia and its people.
Following Col. Ladue's address the
massing Of the colorS was staged.
Flags born by the veterans of all the
wars whose fighters still survive, rail-
lied to the stage while the band played.
AS each banner was marched briskly
in from the leafy wings" Of the
{ stage it swirled and coiled as thing
alive in the weird light. A detach-
ment of soldiers lead the massing
ceremonies, and this color guard was
brought up closely by guards of sailors
and marines.
National Flag in Evidence.
With the national flag, borne on
many staffs, the banners of patriotic
organizations, including the Daughters
of the American Revolution and the
American Red Cross, fioated in the
breeze. Another banner, neither
patriotic nor national, but withal
human, fairly cleaned in the light
rays. 1t was the community center
banner telling with bold black letters:
10000 Children Play in Safety on
Your Fairgrounds"
With all flags and banners aloft In a
colorful mass, Judge Mary O'Toole
led the crowd in the recitation of the
oath Of allegiance to the flag. after
which the whole assemblage sang
America the Beautiful The formal
exercises were over and the uniformed
and costumed principals from the
sylvan stage marched up the slope to
the Monument base to witness the
aerial fire display. The beginning of
that march was signal for a swarm
ing exodus over the top of the mound
to the north slope. After considerable
delay in setting off the fireworks, dur
ing which a Navy airplane, piloted by
Lieut.. Comdr. w. w. Davis and Avia-
ton Pilot S. H. Bushong, circied over
head displaying it's running lights, the
display began.
Rocket Wins Applause.
Suddenly, while the throng was get
ting more and more impatient, a
rocket hurtled skyward and burst with
happy bang that brought forth the
first of many rounds of applause.
When the annual Good Night"
burned its sputtering message the
thousands slowly drifted in all direc.
tions from the hillsides.
Mg0MhM hD0I 0Hi7EC