Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-17
TWO ARMIES HONOR
YORKTOWN V|CTORS
War and Navy Secretaries,
Gen. Pershing and Petain
Attend Rites.
BY stan Correspondent of The Star

4
YORKTOWN, Va, October IT.
Amid the martial pomp Of two nations,
| world famous military leaders today
paid tribute to the little Army which
$50 years ago was bringing to a close
the siege Of CORVALLIS British Army
and heralding the birth of new mem
Der Of the family of nations.
While a stiff breeze swept the sur
render field. whipping the yellow
| guldons of the Cavalry guard Of honor,
the Secretaries of War and Navy, Gen.
John j. Pershing and Marshal Henri
retain were escorted to the court Of
J honor overlooking the historic battle
held. there to call the Nation and man.
KIND TO fresh conservation to ideals
OF liberty, which their predecessors
fought to gain on this ground a CEN
fury and half ago.
Payne Opens Ceremonies.
In opening the ceremonies, which
VIII wind up with vivid pageant, CALL
ing into action in reproduction Of in
cidents Of the battle leading up to the
surrender some $500 troops, Frederick
II. Payne. Acting Secretary of War, de-
clared that the passing of $50 years
! since Yorktown has served to prove
to the world that a nation dedicated
TO the principles of freedom and gov
erned in the interests of an entire peo-
PIE not only can stand, but can raise
itself to world power and influence"
Gen. Pershing paid warm tribute to
the gallantry of the French soldier. who
fought beside the American Armies at
Yorktown and beside whom Americans
fought in France The French nation,
he declared, has proved her friendship
by sending to the Yorktown celebration
her greatest soldier Marshal Petain,
commander in chief of her armies dur
ing the World War
Pershing then introduced Marshal
Petain, who, in horizon blue, scarlet
and gold, stood overlooking the field on
which his countrymen, Lafayette,
Rochambeau and their officers and men,
fought for American freedom and de-
clared that America had paid her debt
on the soil Of France
Petain Follows Lafayette.
Following the trail blazed at York.
town by Lafayette and Rochambeau,
Petain said, Americas armies in
international theory according to which
II should no longer be the selfish inter-
eSts OF one country, but a higher ideal
OF justice and mutual respect which
should prevail among civilized nations"
1t Will be to the eternal honor Of
America and France" he said, that
they fought side by side for the sake
Of freedom and, the conflict over, had
put one desire. that of bringing free
dom more fully to mankind"
Following the exercises at the court
OF honor. Marshal Petain, Gen. Persh-
ing and other guests Of honor were
rendered an official luncheon by the
United States Yorktown sesouicenten-
NAL Commission.
Secretary Of the Navy Adams will
preside and speak IT the afternoon
exercises today, the ceremony. which
promises to be one Of the most colorful
OF the celebration, including the pres
entation OF European guests of the
United States descended from or repre-.
senting officers who served at the siege
Of Yorktown.
This will lead to exhibition drills by
crack Army Infantry, Cavalry and
Artillery units and to the combined
military and naval pageant, depicting
through historical scenes the planning
and execution of the Yorktown cam
paign, including some of its preliminary
battles.
v. NJ. I. Cadets Win
With the Regulars all-around, In
fantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Marines,
sailors and crack National Guard regi.
ments in a bewildering array Of uni.
forms. 1t remained for a regiment Of
Virginia Military Institute cadets to
SohbO1C dL LIE opening
spectacle of the celebration yesterday
afternoon. Seven hundred strong, the
| cadets, in blue-gray. with scarlet-lined
cloakS and white cross straps, put on
parade and review at sunset which
had a real West Point flavor
The Regular Army, however. evened
the count last night when the famous
10th Field Artillery and Sd Cavalry,
from Fort Myer, Va, put on their bat.
terry and coSSack drills. Their demon.
STATIONS was on famous Surrender
Field. into which the British army
marched $50 years ago to lay down its
arms. That occasion was marked by
the most brilliant example of military
ceremony the worn troops of both
armies could produce
1t is said that, during the siege Of
yorktown, SO keen were the French and
american Armies for upholding the
best military traditions that they
marched behind bands, with flags flying.
when posting reliefs and moving de-
tachments about behind the trenches.
II that is true, the old traditions are
being fully upheld, for there Is march,
ing and counter-marching, with and
without bands, wherever one chooses to
look.
Planes Mar Ceremonies,
An afternoon Of pageantry, in which
| more than 1000 residents of the Vir-
glnla peninsula participated, was mar
red only by. the noise of two aircraft,
one an autogiro. which circled overhead
IN violation of all the rules of the Army,
Navy. Department of Commerce and
the Continental Congress, which was
ABOUT to assemble for the final episode
| OF the pageant. The commission an
| nounced that efforts are being made to
learn who flew the planes so that some
OF the wrath which overlook the un-
fortunate British $50 years ago NAV be
visited upon them today
Despite the non-political character OF
the celebration, there was an element
OF politics injected during the cere-
mony Of welcoming the Governors or
representatives Of the Governors of the
10 original States yesterday afternoon.
| Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt of New
York, especially was the center of an
informal reception, which has been
seized upon as political capital by some.
The venerable old college of William
and Mary at Williamsburg. home of the
first law teacher in America, will come
into the picture Monday afternoon.
when law degrees will be conferred upon
President Hoover, Gen. John j. Pershing
and Marshal Henri Petain. The time
mellowed group of college buildings
forms one of the major points of inter-
! est in the Colonial National Monument.
dedicated As a mart Of this celehro% io,