Salt Lake Telegram | 1939-08-24 | Page 12 | Group Defends Roosevelt on Thanksgiving

GROUP DEFENDS ROOSEVELT ON THANKSGIVING j The controversy over o President Franklin D. D Roosevelt's action action In In Insetting setting Thanksgiving on November November November Novem Novem- ber 23 Instead of November 30 flared again I In Salt Lake City Thursday as the Elnathan Eldredge Eldredge Eldredge El- El dredge chapter Descendants of the Mayflower released a statement In support of the president Contending that President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt violated no ancient custom or broke no precedent set by the Pilgrim fathers the statement points out that the date has been changed many times since Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanks Thanks- giving was first observed in 1621 when provision was made for a day of thanksgiving and prayer after alter the crops had been harvested The p petty tty bickering over the changing of the day date is becoming more childish I each day said Mrs Ernest S. S Holmes president of the chapter In 1623 Mrs Holmes said a aday aday aday day of fasting and prayer in the midst of drouth was was changed into thanksgiving by the he the coming of ofrain ofrain ofrain rain during the prayers Gradually the custom prevailed of or appointing a thanksgiving day annually after aCter harvest The ap ap- were made by proclamation proclamation proclamation procla procla- mation of the governors of the several several several sev sev- eral New England colonies In 1817 New York adopted It as an annual custom and it lt spread through many of ot the states by bythe bythe the he middle of the nineteenth cen cen- tUf tury In 1864 President At ham Lincoln appointed daV a da dij thanksgiving and since the i presidents have Issued a Thai That giving proclamation general generally the last Thursday of vember V