Evening star., 1936-07-04
FAIR SKIES AID
|. D. c. CELEBRATION
OF JULY FOURTH
Rain Predicted Late Today,
but Thousands Make
Trips Over Holiday.
FIREWORKS TONIGHT
FEATURES PROGRAM
Display Will Start at 7:15 Unless
Showers Prevent-Band
Will Play.

A warm sun and clear skies-con-
ditions that promised to prevail most
of the day-favored the Capital today
as it began celebrating the Fourth of
July in befltting fashion.
A discordant note found its way
into the otherwise ideal forecast,
however. when the Weather Bureau
predicted a possible thundershower for
this area either late this afternoon or
early this evening.
Threats Of rain had little effect on
thousands of WaShingtonians who
began week end excursions with the
slamming of desks and closing of
Offices yesterday afternoon and by
automobile, train, boat and plane
streaked for beach resorts and Sum-
mer camps to take advantage of the
extra day afforded by a Saturday
holiday.
Official Washington, including the
President, members of his cabinet and
other high ranking officers, will not
join in the festivities. The President
was scheduled to deliver an address
at Thomas Jefferson's home at Month
cello, Va, while most of the others
also were out of the city.
From the first popping of firecrack-
ers by small boys and girls in the
suburbs early this morning, until the
mammoth display of patriotic pyro-
technics scheduled for tonight on the
Washington Monument Grounds.
every minute of the day will be filled
with programs arranged by patriotic
and civic organizations.
Oratory and eulogy of the founding
fathers who gathered to sign the
Declaration Of Independence $50
years ago will not be lacking, but for
the most part the Fourth of July
program of a generation, or even a
decade ago, has given way to brief
parades and briefer speeches. On
the program at the Washington
Monument tonight. five minutes has
seen set aside for the reading of the
Declaration, 10 minutes for the ads
dress of the speaker Of the occa-
sion," Senator Radcliffe of Maryland.
In keeping with modern ideas Of
a sane" Fourth, fireworks displays
will be staged by experts, not only at
the Monument celebration, but at
others arranged in communities
throughout the city. But for those
who insist on shooting off their own
fireworks, the American Red Cross
and health department officials have
issued special warnings to insure
minimum toll of burns and Fourth of
July casualties.
To give vent to youthful energies,
however, an elaborate series of ath-
letic events and group games has been
arranged by various community or
ganizations, including the annual 10
mile marathon sponsored jointly by
the District Department of Play
grounds and the Takoma Park Citi-
zenS' Association, the winner of which
will receive the three-year competi-
tive trophy awarded by The Evening
Star.
The marathon was to start at l
pm. from a point on the Mount Yer
non Boulevard and finish at Fourth
and Van Buren streets in Takoma
Park.
While Washingtonians besieged
Offices of the American Automobile
Association for road information, the
packed excursion trains to Atlantic
City, N. j., and other nearby resort
spots, indications were that Wash
ington would also be a mecca for
many excursion parties eager to visit
the Capital over the week end. Ho-
tells reported reservations were brisk"
and many of them expected to be
comfortably filled despite the general
exodus
Marine Band to Play.
The celebration at the Washington
monument will be held unless rain
is actually falling at 7 o'clock, Is
minutes before the program is sched-
uled to start, officials announced. A
30-minute concert by the United
States Marine Band will be followed
by procession of flags, in which Boy
(See FOURTH, Page A-11)
TRIAL cI FAIRS RRIT0N