Evening star., 1937-07-06
FIREWORKS CROWD
SETS RECORD WITH
ATTENDING SCOUTS
Park Police Put Estimate of
Throng at About
10000.
SENATOR DUFFY LAUDS
YOUTH ORGANIZATION
Sees Democracy Safe Under Scout
ing Principles-Foreign Visi-
tors Amazed by Spectacle.

oCOuIS from "a countries ana L0,UUU
of their American fellows, many from
rural districts where independence
day celebrations are confined to priv
Rtely exploded flrecrackers, sparklers
and maybe few skyrockets, gave a
throng of Washingtonians new view
celebration last night.
Virtually all the foreign Scouts were
seeing their first American Fourth of
July celebration. and their reactions
were source of more interest to many
OF the Americans around them than
the fireworks display
SWelled by the Jamboree Boy Scouts,
the crowd which tArned out for last
nights celebration on the Ellipse was
estimated to be the greatest in local
history. c. Marshall Finnan, superin-
tendent of National Capital Parks,
estimated there we're 100000 in the
Ellipse crowd and park police put the
figure in the Ellipse and nearby park
areas at 10000.
Seen as Democracy's Hope.
The Scouts heard Senator F. Ryan
Duffy of Wisconsin tell the great
crowd that we need have little fear
for the future of America if all of
our young boys could have Boy Scout
training and in their lives carry out
the patriotic teachings which they
learned as Scouts"
Democracy is safer" Senator Duffy
said, when considerable portion of
its people really believe in those ideals
which Scout holds dear"
independence day, 1887, finds in
America a democracy which has
reached its height of attainment re-
Gently in our concern for the bettering
of conditions for the unfortunate and
the underprivileged," Senator Duffy
said. 1t has proved that its DEM
ocracy is of form that can stand
violent strains and periods of distress
when proper leadership is given
This country" he said, should be
thankful for the inspired leadership
which has guided us out of the grave
dangers of an economic upheavel."
The foreign Scouts listened patient
ly to oratory which few of them could
understand. but which they had been
given to understand was an indis-
penSable part of an American Fourth
OF July. They Joined with their fel-
low American Scouts in applause when
Senator Duffy declared that every
American citizen on this day should
rejoice that this Nation was born, be-
pitj1opc ho
liberties, rights and privileges such as
are enjoyed by no other peoples of
the world"
They listened sympathetically when
Interpreters explained to them that
Senator Duffy was calling upon all
American citizens to stand loyal to |
their Government in it's days of trial
and ITO make sacrifices for this Ma
ton. just as all of the generations
that have gone before us have been
willing to do
They cheered loudly a hasty trans
lation Of Senator Duffy's closing plea
to his hearers: Treasure our Ma
tion it was Wrested from tyranny and
built by democracy. The greatest of
privileges is liberty-a liberty con-
ceived in courage, proclaimed by faith,
defended by strength and preserved by
loyalty This liberty was our heri-
tage; we must give it to posterity.
We protect our liberty by our democ-
racy. The supremacy of democracy
means the salvation of America. Keep
1alth IN democracy and democracy
will keep the faith"
They also cheered a reading of the
Declaration of Independence by Rep
resentative McGranery of Philadel-
phia, birthplace of that immortal doc
ument, of which the foreign Scouts
knew very well, it seemed.
But they really became enthusiastic
when 100 of their fellow American
Scouts marched onto the field carrying
red flares and marched in procession
before the great crowd. They we're
even more vociferous when scores of
Scout colors, borne by Scouts, ap-
peared in the massing of colors of
veteran and patriotic units.
1t was easy to see, however, that
their real enjoyment of the occasion
began when the first rocket of a
fireworks display screamed
its way into a clearing sky in which
shone the first star after a night
and a day of intermittent showers
which had threatened for a time to
Interfere with the display and which
had left the Scout camps slippery
with mud and water.
They "ooh-ed" and they "a-a-a-
Ah-ed" in the most acceptable Ameri-
can fashion as the sky blazed and
echoed in the thunder of the sky
pieces and the ground gave birth to
fiery wheels. stars and set pieces.
Loudly they laughed and chartered
In babel of tongues when sputtering
fire grew into the shape OF great
duck, which laid fiery egg, Matched
1t, and waddled across the field with
baby duck waddling behind. They
jumped up and yelled when the
Statue of Liberty was outlined in fire,
with two warships on either side
firing skyrockets in salvos from their
turrets. Many of them had seen the
Statue Of Liberty on their way to
the jamboree and had no difficulty
In recognizing the likeness. Nor had
they any difficulty in recognizing the
likenesses in fire of George Washing
ton and Franklin D. Roosevelt. And,
with the whole crowd, they came to
their feet, leaping, waving their hats
and screeching in many tongues when
The United States flag was outlined in ]
l1re and tremendous salvo of star
shells filled the sky with fantastic
lights and rolling thunders In a fare ]
well salute.
Although last nights celebration
vas In itself one of the showiest in t
years. 1t was not merely the COM !
munity affair which past celebrations I
have been. It became quite distinctly /,
! Boy Scout affair from the time the
y