Evening star., 1934-05-27
bLAR|NG BANDS
OPEN WORLD FAIR
City, State and Fair Officials
Address Gathering in
Lagoon Theaters.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, May 26.-Blaring bands
and marching troops swung down the
avenue Of flags today In the gay and
gala premiere of the 1884 Worlds
Fair.
Thousands lined the main artery Of
Century Of Progress Exposition as
the colorful procession proceeded to
the Lagoon Theater to hear addresses
Of welcome from city. State and fair
omciaas
Maj. Gen. r. D. Keehn, grand mar.
shall. led the extensive parade down
Michigan boulevard. The picturesque
Black Horse Troop. regiments Of in
fantry, cavalry and artillery, and naval
contingents tramped Sehind 1im as
an escort to Gov. Henry Horler Of
Illinois. Mayor Edward J. Kelly of Chi
cago. President Rufus Dawes OF the
fair and other dignitaries. Tanks and
caissons rumbled along ahead of Units
of American Legion. G. A. r., and
Spanish American War veterans and
representatives of Polish, 3elgien,
French, Italian, British fighting forces.
Cadets from st. Johns Military rcad-
emy conveyed the comely queen Of the
big show and her glittering court. The
Notre Dame University and Chicago
High School Orchestras were in the
line Of 10000 participants.
May0r Gives Address.
A benign sun shone upon the audi
ence assembled in The crescent-shaped
amphitheater when the speakers sp-
peared on the stage Of the Lagoon
Theater..
Chicago stands at the doorway of
another epochal event in its civic his
tory" Mayor Kelly told auditors who
had registered from every State in the
Union. This years fair Is repeated
by request and is still more gigan-
tic spectacle than last years exposi-
ton.
There Is no question but condi-
tions are better from an economic
viewpoint. We should praise God that
we have q leader Of such worth at
the head of our Government. Presi-
dent Roosevelt, through his wisdom
and will-to-do, has piloted us long
way out of our difficulties. ! pause
to pay grateful respects to him.
when President Roosevelt. through
q talking picture, opens this Century
of Progress, he is opening an event
which will be reflected throughout
the world. This project Is so big that
every individual will feel. directly or
indirectly. its part in further increas-
ing our prosperity and advancement"
Dawes Extends Welcome.
Rufus Dawes extended a welcome
and called attention to the feat OF
Col. Roscoe Turner in establishing a
new record for flight between Pitts
burg and Chicago. He had greeted
the famous pilot a few hours earlier
upon the completion of his 430-mile
fight in / hour and "A minutes. He
linked the swift trip with the epochal
Journey of the Burlington Railroads
new steel train, the Zephyr. which
started from Denver at 6:04 an,
Central standard time. in an attempt
to establish a new mark in a race
over LOTT miles of rail to Chicago.
The 20,556 patrons who had passed
through the gates at noon scattered
through the 80 miles Of exhibits to
inspect the wonders artists and ar
tisans and $4,000, 900 had wrought.
They found the magic OF carefully
blended colors had transformed the
futuristic structures from rococco
array Of architectural tiles into q
huge patchwork of beauty. They hap
pened upon villages transplanted from
foreign lands to Chicago's great front
yard.