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Show but finally the custom of returning thanks became an annual event in New England. Several nt' the presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations, notably Washington ami Madison, and the custom has become annual since the time of Abraham Lincoln. For some years the New England people had their own special celebration, and it did not fall upon the same date mentioned in the proclamation of the president. Tn recent years, however, the people of Ithe whole country use the same date, laud there is no confusion or conflict. It is a beautiful custom, and there are millions of devout men and women in the United States who are firm in the belief that the prosperity of the nation is due to its faith in God and that He watches over us in peace as well as in war. Our Thanksgiving Day, solemnly set apart by the highest authority in I the land, is the manifestation of this belief, and who shall say that we are not blessed in basket and store and given victory in war because of such faith? The allied nations have faith I in the same Author of All Good, and j spiritually there is no difference between us, although we may happen to have . different creeds. Therefore, we should ' get together on this next Thanksgiving Day, since the blessing of victory has been extended to all. The more we think of it, the better we like the idea. We fought side by side until the via-tory via-tory was won. Let us return thanks in the same manner. UNIVERSAL THANKSGIVING A valued reader of The Tribune writes from Bitter Creek, Wyoming, to suggest sug-gest that the American Thanksgiving day be made an international affair. We endorse the suggestion, at least so far as the victors in the great war are concerned. The American Fourth of July was observed in Great Britain. France and many other parts of the globe last summer, and in this country we celebrated the Fall of the Bastilc on the fourteenth of the same month. Undoubtedly, we shall all join in the celebration of the eleventh of November Novem-ber in the years to come, for that is the date upon which the whole world was set free by the surrender of Ger- many. Our correspondent doubtless feels the tremendous importance of this great victory and wishes our allies to join with us in returning thanks to Almighty Al-mighty God for his manifold blessings, according to our custom each year. We share his belief that it would be a fine thing if the other nations would join with us in giving thanks upon this particular par-ticular occasion, for the blessings apply-to apply-to them as well as to us. Usually special thanksgiving days are appointed at the close of wars, but this year our annual religious festival is so near at hand that the rendering of tribute to Divine Providence will be delayed de-layed until the time to be appointed in the president's yearly proclamation. This being the case the allied nations, now that they have witnessed a manifestation mani-festation of the spirit, could also return thanks upon the same day and date and add much to the prevailing harmonious har-monious feeling. The entente nations and the United States have a joint interest in the greatest of all victories, and should therefore celebrate the event together, as suggested by our Wyoming reader. Annual religious festivals have been common for centuries, probably suggested sug-gested by the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. Taber-nacles. In this country the first Thanksgiving Day was observed after the first harvest gathered by the Pilgrim Pil-grim fathers in 1621. Such observances were intermittent for a number of years, |