Evening star., 1941-06-29
Presidents S Talk
To Be High Light.
Of July 4 Rites
U. S. Employees Cun't t
Be Spared Saturday,
Roosevelt Decides

Washington will celebrate the
Fourth of July this year in the spirit
of the times. with Federal employees
returning to work on Saturday in
keeping with the Presidents wishes
for an "all-out" effort in the further
ance of the national defense pro-
gram.
The Chief Executive followed his
Fourth of July proclamation of last
week in which he urged return to
the spirit of '76, with a notice from
his summer home at Hyde Park
yesterday that he feels it inadvlSable
for the Government to close down
for an extra half-holiday Saturday.
HighlightS of the Fourth here will
be a Nation wide radio address by
the President and an expanded cele-
bration at the Washington Monu-
ment expected to draw an attend
ance of more than $4,000 for the
Marine Band concert. address by
Attorney General Jackson and fire.
works display.
workers services NeedeQ.
A proposal that Government en-
ployes be given long week end
holiday was made by House Ma
jority Leader Mccormack, and Mr..
Roosevelt'S decision in the negative
was made public in a letter to the
Representative
Under ordinary circumstances"
he wrote, 1T would be quite agree
able to me to carry out the SuggeS-
ton contained in your letter of June
%, that Government employees be
excused from duty on the Saturday.
four-hour, work day following July
4, Independence Day.
In view, however, of the existing
situation with respect to the need
for all our available time and energy
in furthering the national defense
program and of the fact that our
defense program is an 'all-out' one
involving the services of employees
in nearly all of the departments. es-
Establishments and agencies. it does
not seem to me it would be advisable
to close down our Government plant
on that day"
To Lead Pledge to Flag.
For his own part. the President is
expected to speak to his fellow Amer
leans at pm, leading them in what
he has termed grand rededication
to liberty"
The place for the address has not
yet been announced but it may be
the south portico of the White
House.
Mr. Roosevelt will speak briefly.
and he is expected to ask every
American participating in a Nation
wide Independence Day celebration
to join him in the pledge of alle-
glance to the flag.
Probably. too, the Army. Navy and
Marine Bands will combine in play
ing the national anthem.
The program will be in charge of
the Office of Civilian Defense. di-
rected by Mayor La Guardia of New
York
$4,000 Chairs at Monument.
Mr. Jackson will address the as
semblY at the Monument Grounds
at BIS pm. His talk will be broad
cast bv Mutual stations from BIS to
$50, The Marine Band will play
from 7 to 7:30 o'clock. and the con-
cert will be followed by masSing
OF service flags exercise under direc-
tion Of Maj. Emmett R. Carroll of
the Selective Service Board. and
representative of the American Le-
gion.
At 8 o'clock the invocation will be
pronounced by DR.. J. Hillman Hol-
lister, pastor of the Chevy Chase
Presbyterian Church. The Declara-
tlon OF Independence is to be read bv
Senator Lucas, Democrat. of Illinois.
The committee in charge of the
celebration, appointed by District
Commissioner John Russell Young.
has arranged for the placing of
$1,000 chairs for the convenience
of the audience.
These can be obtained by the
public for 25 cents. Tickets have
been placed on sale at many de-
PA 'lIoHI SGoIeS, IHe dutOmODlle
clubs and the Mayflower ard Will
lard Hotels.
Marathon Run Planned.
Among official events is a modi-
ned marathon over a 10-mile course
from starting point on the Mount
Vernon boulevard at Reaches Run
to Takoma Park, Md. Early entries
include l3 athletes from Canada to
Florida. The runners will meet at
tSee JULY 4th, Page B-2D
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