Evening star., 1948-07-06
100000 See
Fireworks Cap
.JuIy4Ho|iday
Light Showers Fail
To Send Crowd Home
From Monument

bIVtJ IViOII0IIISut
Approximately 100000 persons
turned out for the fireworks at the
Washington Monument last night
which ended the joint Inpendence
Day celebration and the fete COM
memorating the Tooth anniversary
of the monument itself. Even light
showers which fell during the first
half of the program-the speech
making half-failed to send any one
home. =
The fireworks were what the
crowd had come to see.
Party Symbols in Fireworks.
And before their eyes, giant clust-
ers of colored fire exploded in the
sky, Niagara Falls was reproduced
and the Battle of the Clouds was
held. The Democratic Donkey and
the Republican Elephant were Gre
ated in blazing fire and walked
across the grounds to greet each
other.
George Washington and President
Truman were therein one fireworks
display. And it all ended in an
explosive mass of colors with a
huge American Flag as the focal
point.
Each display brought cries Of ad-
miration from the crowd. And as
one policeman said:
There's nothing I like better
than to hear 100000 people say
ahhhh at one time"
Colors Massed.
The program started with a band
concert by the Marine Corps and
Navy Bands, followed by the mass
ing of the colors and the raising of
the American Flag on the grand
stand. Leon Chatelain, jr., presi-
dent of the Washington Board of
Trade and chairman of the cele-
bration, who reminded the throng
of the dual nature of the celebra-
ton.
Nowhere else In the world is
there the freedom that is our priv-
lege to have" he said.
The history of the flag was traced
by Guy A. Caponneto, exalted
ruler of Washington Lodge, No. Is,
Elks. A silver cup for the best float
in Saturdays parade was presented
to Marine Corps 1t. Col. Edward
Caswell for the Marine float which
showed the development of the
corps uniform down through the
country's history. Certificates of
merit for floats went to the Wash
ington Gas Light Co., Call Carl
Co., the washington Graphic Arts
Association and the Chinese Benev-
olent Association.
Movie Star Edward Arnold, who
came from Hollywood to join in the
celebration, read excerpts from the
Declaration of Independence. When
he finished he told the crowd to
light matches and hold them above
their heads-as a symbol of the
light of freedom. All other lights
were put out and over the monu-
ment grounds as far as one could
see were Pickering points of flame.
Tells Meaning of Citizenship.
Chief Justice Bolitha Laws of Dis
trict Court, introduced a group of
men and women who have been
studying to be citizens and were
to be naturalized at District Court
today. Mrs. Esther Rosenbloom, a
native of French Morocco, who re-
Gently was naturalized. spoke for
the group, telling the crowd what
her citizenship meant to her.
Mrs. Rosenbloom, who married an
Air Force officer, said: People born
here sometimes lose sight of the
real meaning of American citi-
zenship."
Justice Proctor led the assembly
in the pledge of alligence to the Flag
and all joined in singing the Star
Spangled Banner, led by Lynn
Allison.
The fireworks followed.
Traffic jam Follows.
After the display was over and a
huge Good Night" was lit in SPAR
king colors. the p9aice forces had a
major traffic JAM on their hands
which lasted nearly an hour.
Pedestrians poured from the
grounds, effectively blocking motor
traffic on all surrounding streets.
One huge trailer truck, from Florida,
was stranded near Fourteenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue NV. and
the truck driver gave up efforts to
make any progress. He climbed out
and sat on the truck cab, trading
jokes with the milling thousands
that passed him.
To help transport the huge crowd,
the Capital Transit Co. put 80 extra
streetcars and 10 extra buses in
service from Z to II pm.