Evening star., 1945-05-20
American Day Rites
To Be Held Today on
Monument Grounds

Chief Justice BOl1tha j. Laws Ol
District Court will speak at $3.50 p m
today at Il Am An American Day
ceremonies. honoring Washington
residents who became citizens dur.
ing the past year. The exercises, tt
be held at the Sylvan Theater or
the Washington Monument grounds
will honor both the foreign-borr
men and women who became citi.
zens by naturalization and native
born youths who achieved full cit.
izenship by attaining majority.
James r. Kirkland, naturalization
and immigration service attorney. i,
chairman of the General Committee
Commissioner John Russell Young
is honorary chairman.
The late President Roosevelt, in
his proclamation designating May
20 as Il Am An American Day,
said the day has been set aside sc
we may honor those who have re-
Gently become members of our body
polite and at the same time re-
affirm our allegiance to the prin-
ciples of American citizenship
This is the fifth year Il Am Ar
American Day" has been observed
Two-Part Program.
The program will be divided into
two parts. The first half revolves
around the II Am an American Day
theme while the second section tells
The Romance of Washington. Mr.
Kirkland will be the master OF
ceremonies for the first part of the
program.
An overture by the Navy Band
led by 1t. Charles Brendler. will
open the program. This will be
followed by the invocation. delivered
by DR.. Frederick Brown Harris
Senate chaplain and pastor OF
Foundry Methodist Church, and
massing of the colors by local pa
triotic organizations, under the di-
rection of Capt. Gail T. Judd, Guard
of Honor, American Legion.
After The Star Spangled Ban
ner" is played, the audience will
stand to pledge allegiance to the
flag. Justice Laws will then give
the days address. after which the
colors will be retired.
DR.. Archie D. Engel. representing
the Stage Door Canteen, will act as
master of ceremonies for The Ro-
nance OF Washington" historical
pageant. This will begin with ar
Indian Rain Chant" performed by
Erika Thimey and members of the
Dance Theater Group. The Revo-
lutionary and 10th century periods
will be brought to the gathering by
the Navy Band playing patriotic
airs and other music characteristic
of each age. Dances by the Hen
leys, Washington dancers, will Illus
trate the present century.
A Salute to the Services" by
representatives of the armed forces
and members of the American Rec
Gross will then follow. to be sue
ceeded in turn by Folk Dances
OF Other Lands" H. P. Caemmerer
secretary of the Fine Arts Com
mission, assisted in bringing to-
gether the historical data for the
narrative Of The Romance OF
Washington"
Papers Support Event.
The four Washington newspapers
and the six radio stations in the
District are supporting the event
Radio station representatives ap-
pearing on the program, and the
stations they represent are: Betty
Wason, WINK: Ruth Crane
WMAL; Marshall Adams. Eleanor
Howard and Florence Warner,
VOL; Nancy Osgood. WRC; Bea-
trice Gudridge martha Baker,
WTOP, and Betty Allen, WWDC.
The Star is running a Washington
Welcomes You" project, the Post
a Government Girls Club &C
tivity and the Times Herald an art
project.
The Department Of Justice, I'M
migration and Naturalization Serv-
ice, Is among the 49 national and
local organizations participating in
the ceremonies. Members of the
Executive Committee, in addition to
Mr.. Kirkland, are James A. Hamil-
ton, secretary; Souren H. Hanes-
sian. in charge of general arrange
ments; Miss Laura King, The
Romance of Washington" division
1t. Col. Leonce R. Legendre, Dis
trict Government. and John C. Post.
finances.
In the event of rain, the ceremony
will be held in the Departmental
Auditorium, Thirteenth and Con-
stitution avenue NV.