Evening star., 1940-07-05
Roper Advocates
Aid 10 British al
Takoma Celebration
Parade Is Big Feature
OF independence Day
Festivities Of Town

Advocating immediate aid to
Britain through the sending of sup
plies in American as we'll as British
ships, ''if necessary" former Secre-
tary of Commerce Roper yesterday
delivered the principal address at
the Takoma Park Fourth of July
celebration.
This should not be political year
filled with disrupting contentious,
he said, "but a year of defense
planning.
''We need military and naval train
ing under draft machinery. A draft
law should providessfor comandeer-
ing wealth, labor and all other
activities. Our youth needs to be
better prepared physically to meet
the endurance tests that lie ahead"
Capt. Harold w. Orcutt presided
at the exercises in the Takoma-
Silver Spring Junior High School
Mayor Oliver w. Youngblood and
Miss Grace B. Holmes, president of
the Takoma Park Citizens Associa-
ton, gave welcoming addresses.
Poster Prizes Awarded.
Mrs. c. r. Brenneman, chairman
of the Poster Committee, awarded
prizes to the following: Ronald
Ingraham of the Takoma Public
School, grand prize; Flora L. Mack
intosh, Thomas Marshall and Betty
Jane Franciscus, j. Enos Ray School.
Carlos Cordero, Elbon Volkmer and
June Robbins, Takoma School,
AS part of the exercises, winners
in the better homes contest, spon-
sored by the Takoma Park Chamber
of Commerce, were given awards.
The winners were Edwin M. Graham,
Arthur T. Potter and Wade H.
Glover.
At 6 pm. yesterday the parade
postponed. from early morning was
staged through the residential and
business center of Takoma Park. E.
Brook Fetty was grand marshal. At
the head of the line was Mayor
Oliver w. Youngblood and members
OF the Town Council, with a motor
cycle police escort. In the first divi-
sion was the Anti-aircraft Artillery
and Searchlight Battalion of the
District OF Columbia National Guard.
veterans Of various wars, the Review
and Herald Band, District of Co.
lumbia Chapter of American War
Mothers, veteran auxiliaries and the
Seventh-day Adventist Medical
Cadet Corps. The second division
comprised the Takoma Park School
Band, groups and floats from play
grounds, Boy and Girl Scouts, BIZ
cycle group and children carrying
a large American flag.
Pan-American Flags.
The third division included Bov
Scouts carrying flags of the 81 re-
publicS of the American Union.
The Chamber of Commerce of Ia
koma Park sponsored the fourth di-
vision, consisting of floats, decorated
motor vehicles and volunteer fire de-
partment apparatus. An alarm of
fire caused the Takoma Park and
Silver Spring companies to leave the
line of march just as they were
about to pass the reviewing stand in
North Takoma.
The chamber of commerce float
was judged the best in line; Miss
Barbara Connell, representing
Spirit of Progress" float entered
by the District of Columbia Recrea-
tional Center, placed second for the
best costume and third honors went
to the Seventh-day Adventist Med
ical Cadet Corps with 300 men in
uniform for the greatest number in
the line of march. The prizes were
donated by Takoma Park Post No.
%, American Legion. At the conclu-
sion of the parade the District of Co.
lumbia National Guard gave a drill
with the anti-aircraft guns and also
a searchlight demonstration. The
celebration concluded at dark with
a fireworks display on Hodges Field.