Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-07
$4,000 Watch
Army Days
Parade in Rain
5,126 SIosh Down
Constitution Avenue;
High Officials Present

The sun came out bright and
strong today-just in time to dry
out the clothes of the 5000 who
marched in and the $4,000 who
watched yesterdays Army Day
parade.
The parade was, in addition to
being one of the wettest, probably
the most spectacular Army Day
march the city has seen. Those
parade lovers who had to stand
around in the rain for more than an
hour to watch it got a look at
almost everything in the defense
line but the United States feet-and
there appeared little doubt the bat
tleships could have made their way
down the route.
Starting from the east side of the
Capitol, the SIPS participants
sloshed down Constitution avenue,
past the reviewing stand between
Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets.
They moved under the appraising
eyes of Secretary of War Woodring,
Gen. Malin Craig, chief of staff
of the Army; Admiral William D.
Leahy, chief of naval operations;
congressional leaders, cabinet MEM
bers and the military attaches Of
foreign embassies.
Banquet Is Held.
When the review of the Army, the
Navy and Marines-who escorted
their latest fighting machinery-the
veterans of other wars and the re-
servists who are eligible for the
next, if any, war, was completed. the
dignitaries retired to banquet at
the Mayflower.
The dinner was sponsored by the
Military Order of the World War
which also put on the parade-and
had as its principal speaker Repre-
sentative Andrew j. May, chairman
of the House Military Affairs Com
mittee. Representative May pre-
dicted this country would always be
so well armed that there would he
no danger of a Munich" in this
hemisphere.
Maj. Gen. James K. Parsons, COM
mander of the Sd Corps Area and
marshal of the parade. and his staff
pranced by on horseback at the head
Of the Army contingent.
Following came troops from Fort
Myer, Fort Washington, Fort Bel
voir and Fort Meade. Cheers greet
ed the cavalry regiment and mount
ed band from Fort Myer-and the
company from Fort Meade that was
clad in the Army's new slate-gray
uniforms.
National Guards Follow.
Gen. Albert L. Cox was in COM
mand of the District National
Guard troops who marched in the
following division. The Marine
Band, leading a detachment Of
marching Marines and OF Sailors
led this unit.
Reserve troops, marshaled by Col.
Leroy w. Heron, and r. o. T. c.
units from Maryland and Howard
Universities marched in this division.
High school cadets, scheduled to
parade, withdrew because of the
weather, Maj. S. Bethlehem, jr., adj
jutant of the military order, stated.
The fourth division, of which 1t.
Col. George E. Ijams was marshal,
was made up of patriotic societies
and veterans units. The American
Legion and Veterans of Foreign
Wars had units in this division.
Peace reigned in the reviewing
stand, despite the fireworks which
had attended the placing Of the
foreign attaches. Since Army Day
marked the 22d anniversary of the
United States declaration Of war
against Germany, no German diplo-
mats attended.
Italy Not Represented.
The Italian military attache was
out of the city and no representa-
tive of that government could be
located in the stand. Other Eu-
ropean, South American and Asiatic
attaches were present. The Chinese
and Japanese military attaches sat
side by side.
Speaker Bankhead, Secretary Of
Agriculture Wallace, Representative
May, Commissioner Hazen, Maj.
Gen. Thomas Holcombe. command
ant of the Marine Corps, and other
dignitaries were in the reviewing
stand.
In his speech at the banquet Rep
resentative May declared:
I'VE may know that today, Army
Day, American democracy was on
the march to higher and nobler
achievements and that under God
and this sort of leadership and
craftsmanship, not found elsewhere
on earth, except among Americans.
the shameful and ignoble surrender
of Munich shall not be permitted
here, else America must cease to be
the land of the free and the home
of the brave"