Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-27

America finds no way of celebrating
the anniversary of Yorktown without
depicting the surrender of Cornwallls
as the chief object of the observance.
A suggestion that parade OF women
in Colonial costumes be substituted is
received with no trace OF approval.
Contrary to the attitude of the COM
mittee on the Yorktown event. it Is
proposed that the British be induced to
take part in the depletion of the sur
render.
will it be all right to mention, de-
scribe, depict or enact the event that
is being celebrated, when Americans
gather at Yorktown to celebrate the
l50th anniversary Of the surrender
there of the British Army under LORD
Cornwallis?" asks the Cleveland News.
to the point of Stiffness" The Spring
field (Mass.) Republican believes that
the British Empire can endure one
more surrender at yorktown, its official
representatives enjoying the occasion"
That paper adds that the old war Is
over" with the 1auery, What matters
it how the pageant dispute termi-
nates?"
by all means depict the surrender"
says the Columbus Ohio State journal,
pointing out that the statesmen ana
the citizenry of the day when Yorktown
fell are gone and only in musty archives
and sketchy school histories does the
aftermath remain" The st. Paul Pho
neer Press asks if $50 years is not re
mote enough in time for a nation to
forget the humiliation" The Charles
ton IS c. Evening Post contends: BY
all means let us have the surrender
pageant with all the trimmings. and II
the British don't want to take part In
11nr ThnrA
enough Americans who would be happy
to strut in the red coats Of Cornwallis
army to make flrst-clasS show
"IfN CORVALLIS surrender is to be de-
leted, it would be better to abolish the
surrender" thinks the Charleston
wv. Va) Daily Mail, while the Char
lotte Observer remarks: III British
feelings are to be hurt at this late day.
and if avoidance of circumstances OF
that kind is the question at issue, then
the proposed sesquicentennial might as
we'll be Cancelled. But why this sud
ings on part of the State Department?
There was the celebration at the Kings
Mountain battle-ground last october,
participated in by the President OF the
United States, and at which the BRUSH
government was officially represented
and by mighty good fellow, by the
way. President Hoover made speech
in which he glorified the deeds at Kings
Mountain as leading up to the fnal
scene at Yorktown"
"It has been seriously proposed" OBJ
serves the Providence Journal that
the historic episode be deleted from the
program and that very beautiful
parade of ladies in Colonial costumes
be substituted. That such a parade
with all the Virginia talent to draw
from, would indeed be beautiful one
we cannot for moment doubt. But Il
would have no more historical slgnl-
ficance than a Boardwalk procession al
Atlantic City
A feeling that Representative So
Bloom of New York. associate director
of the George Washington Ricentennia
Commission, properly resents the effor'
to delete the surrender" is voiced by the
. Milwaukee Sentinel, with the further
comment: Our own opinion Is that the
objections to the proposed scene in the
pageant are silly and trivial, and If we
have to omit decisive events from oul
historical pageants because we are
afraid it will hurt somebody's feeling:
we'd better transform the pageant intt
a carnival or bathing beauty exposi'
ton"
The Danbury Evening News com
ments: And what is suggested in it!
place? Believe it or not, this: "A YER
beautiful parade Of ladies in Colonia
costume!' Now this is enough to MAKE
a wooden image laugh-or weep, de.
pending upon the images state of mine
when he heard it."
AFTER all, the British did surrender,
states the Worcester Evening Gazette
that Ito discard the episode l. aizaos