Evening star., 1946-07-05
100000 Mark
District 'sFirst
Postwar Ju|y4
Monument Grounds
Ceremony High Light:
Holiday Events

The citys four-day holiday week
end continued on a quieter note to-
day following the July observance,
which was cnmaxed last night when
a crowd of more than 100000 per-
sons packed the Monument Grounds
for gala celebration of the Dis
trict's first peacetime Independence
Day in five years.
Government employees have the
rest of the week off and the down
town department stores and shops
will be closed tomorrow, as they
will be every Saturday during July
and August. The city'S banks. how
ever, will be open tomorrow. 1t has
not been decided when they will
start closing on Saturday under a
new law passed by. Congress, ac-
cording to S. William Miller, presi-
dent of the District Bankers Asso-
citation.
Many Federal employees took ad-
vantage of the long week end by
leaving the city for brief holiday.
Others remained in Washington,
just taking things easy. The day
that they ordinarily would have
worked today will have to be made
up some Saturday during this
month. Most Federal agencies ex-
pect to be open a week from to-
morrow.
100000 Crowd Estimated.
Although the official estimate of
last nights "Cavalcade of Freedom
program at the Monument Grounds
was around 100000 persons, some
policemen estimated the crowd as
high as 100000, and the Nation was
told on coast-to-coast broadcast
that CLOSE to a half million" were
on hand. Many had been waiting
since S pm.
The crowd roared its approval of
a spectacular fireworks display and
cheered the ceremonies conlmemo-
rating the birth of the Philippine
Republic on the day of Uncle Sans
10th birthday.
The crowd saw fireworks dis
play that outdid similar events of
past years. Children and grown
ups shouted at the sight of multi
colored rockets bursting overhead.
They held their breath when the
fireworks spelled out Victory, Peace,
Prosperity" in brilliant light.
Women tainted. A half dozen
persons fell off their chairs hard
enough to require first aid. A dozen
children lost their parents.
OMahOney Sounds Warning.
Senator O'Mahoney, Democrat, of
Wyoming sounded a somber warm
ing that while this Nation celebrates
its freedom, elsewhere there are
powerful governments making at
tempts to subjugate other peoples
to their alien will The danger
to human liberty and human rights
is greater now than ever before"
America faces a crisis he said,
because totalitarian governments
can enforce their arbitrary power
with instruments of war more ter
rible now than ever before He
called for unity, for tolerance,
understanding and good will, ask
ing that the American public put
aside discord and discomfort and
forget annoyances and even hard
ships.
Senator OMahoney declared that
victory over Germany and Japan
has not terminated the threat of
arbitrary power, Great areas of
the world still are dominated by
those who believe that the people
must take orders from their rulers
because, they think, the people are
not capable of taking orders from
themselves
Demonstrating its policy of liberty
by giving freedom to the Philip
pines, the United States repudiates
the doctrine of force, he added But
the Senator warned that it is moi
enough to proclaim faith in liberty
People Ready to Unite.
Leaders who are intent on blast.
ing the other fellow, who: seek tt
build themselves by sowing the seed.
of uncertainty, fear and hate, are
not in harmony with the heart ot
America" he commented. The peo
pie are ready now to unite in peace
to prove to all the world that people
can be trusted"
In honor of the new Philippine
Republic, the lights were turned out
and the audience asked to light
matches, creating the impression
of thousands of sparkling candles
on huge black cake. and giving
new significance to the old words
freedom and liberty for all"
Aside from the fireworks, thu
most colorful event of the evening
was the singing of Ballad fol
Americans" by a choir of $50 voice:
picked from every Washington
church and choral group. The sing.
ers marched onto the stage dressed
in the costume of every American
period. There were Indians. farm.
ers, frontiersmen, soldiers, mechan'
les, Quakers and gypsies. Fagu'
Springman, Alexandria born bari
tone, sang the part of Uncle Sam.
Massing of Colors.
Among the entertainers, Bob Gen
try. comedian, got the biggest hant
by suggesting that if Congress can
restore price control it build /;
monument to the American dollar
The show began when the Amer
lean Legion National Guard o
Honor lead representatives of AZ or
ganizations down the main aisl
from the Monument to the platform
for the massing of the colors.
Offering the invocation. Rabb
Samuel Penner expressed the hop
that granting of freedom to tn
Philippines would hasten "the er,
Of universal peace and democrati
living for all people" replacing thi
EZRA of imperialism"
Joseph c. McGarraghy, chairman
of the cavalcade and president o
the Washington Board of Trade
lead the pledge of allegiance to tn
flag. The Navy, the Marine Corp
and the Army Air Forces band
united in playing the national an
them The Star Spangled Ban
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