Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-05
FOURTH OBSERVED
BY HUGE THRONG
ON MONUMENT SITE
$1,000 Gather to Hear Pa
triotic Speech and Wit
ness Display.
SENATOR PAT HARRISON
DELIVERS MAIN ADDRESS
National Guard Units Turn Bat.
teries on Planes Stimulating
Air Attack.

While three brilliantly illuminated
Army planes outlined a great circle
against a cloudless sky, more than
$4,000 persons witnessed a colorful OBJ
servance Of Independence day on the
Monument grounds last night.
Formal exercises were held at the
| Sylvan Theater. A crowd of 1000 who
assembled to hear Senator Pat Harrison
of Mississippi deliver the principal ad-
| dress was augmented by other thousands
who peopled the slopes and bases of all
monuments and statues in the area
The Monument stood out a brilliant
white against sky that was blue long
after night had fallen. When the Dis
tr1ct National Guard turned its anti
| aircraft batteries on planes Stimulating
an air attack the guns belched fire, and
smoke from the explosions turned bril-
llant red against the background of
flares set out to mark path for parad-
ing organizations.
Concert Opens Ceremonies.
The ceremonies, arranged under au-
thority OF the District Commissioners
by citizens committee, of which E. F.
Coliaday was chairman, began at 1880
O'Clock with concert of patriotic music
by the United States Marine Band Rev.
Hugh 7. Stevenson, pastor of Bethany
Baptist Church, offered an invocation,
ana the audience gathered at the base
OF the Monument sang America"
An impressive moment then, as Rabbi
Abram Simon of the Washington
Hebrew Congregation, In resonant voice,
read the text of the Declaration of In
dependence. Amplifyers carried the i'm
mortal phrases beyond the illumined
theater to the dark slopes beyond where
the thousands were gathered. Mr.. COL
Iaoay then introduced Senator Harrison.
Llkening the Nations beginning to a
little bark set sail upon the turbulent
waters OF international existence, en-
countering shoals and weathering
storms, Senator Harrison suggested that
sounding be taken, that we may see
II the same rules and regulations upon
which the voyage was planned are still
employed; that we may see if the same
chart that was drawn by the fathers
now charters her course"
AS Government, if we are to carly
on as those mighty leaders desired, We
cannot adjust ourselves to meet every
Whlm and fashion of the hour, but our
department shuold be constant and re-
SponslVe to our system and theory of
government.
"Favoritism and discrimination were
tmbers refused by the illustrious build
ers OF this great structure: and we
should In the administration of gov
eminent see to it that every class of our
people and every section of our broad
land be treated justly and alike.
Senator Harrison expressed gratifica-
ton that 153 years after warning with
Great Britain, their people and our
people have felt such a fine feeling of
friendship and common interest that
the new leader Of that great govern
ment Is preparing to come TO our land,
merely as an expression Of renewed
good feeling and better understanding.
While this Government should mann
tain an adequate Army and Navy for
its safety and protection" he said, "it
does not relieve it of the obligation to
bring about common understandings
providing for reduction of ornaments
to the lowest point possible among all
the nations of the world"
ColOrs Are Massed.
AT the conclusion of the address, the
Marine Band played Sousas Stars and
Stripes Forever" while color guards and
bearers of about 80 patriotic organiza-
lions marched along the aisle to the
stage, there to mass the colors in brief,
impressive ceremony. The audience
then sang 1.-THE Star Spangled Banner
and the Right Rev. c. S. Thomas pro-
nounced the benediction.
The strains of music were succeeded
by the drone of an airplane's motor
and as the thousands gathered around
the Monument dispersed, the better to
view a fireworks display, five brilliant
streams of light swept out across the
sky to spot the plane. The Signal Corps
had set up the Searchlights in the great
circle of trees fringing the Monument.
The plane, its green and red port and
starboard lights cleaning, was picked
out by one of the searchlights and in
stantly all five conferred on it, pinning
it like golden insect against the blue
black sky. The ground shook as the
District National Guard turned two bat
teries on it and the plane finally faded
beyond the reach Of the lights. Two
other planes came over and each time
the five lights nailed them against the
sky while the guns blazed away.
PyrOtechnics Brilliant.
When the guns were silenced-the
defense of the Capital q SUGGESTIVE
first rocket in a spectacular display OF
pyrotechnics was thrown in the air
| Streamers of green and red fire, bursts
of white that gave of blue and gold in
successive explosions, each marked by
| terrific burst that bounced out of the
sky seconds after the fire. had died,
entertained the large crowd. Various
designs we're sketched In fire on the
ground, including the outline of the
bust of George Washington and furled
flag in colors.
Throughout the display, the three
planes that had taken part in the cat
tack" plowed through the night in a
great circle about the grounds. Each
was illuminated by lights stretched
along the wings and undercarriage and
flying in Information and wing to wing
they were a pretty picture.
Fifteen minutes after the last ex-
plosion, the grounds were cleared with
out incident. Maj. Henry G. Pratt
superintendent of police; Col. U. s.
| Grant, Sd, director of Public Buildings
and Public Parks, and E. w. Brown
superintendent of police in charge OF
the Traffic Bureau. praised the work
of city and park police in taking care
of the crowd. No incident occurred to
detract from the ceremony.