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Show Spirit of First 4th Will Give New Note to Independence Day Fourth of July Celebration to Be Worldwide in Scope This Year By CHARLES A. SINGLER Released by Western Newspaper Union. "You write it," said John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, "for you wield a pen ten times more eloquent than my own." And Thomas Jefferson wrote it. That was 166 years ago. But today the Declaration of Independence gleams among the literary jewels of the world through the sheer beauty of its phrasing and the human dignity for which it stands. Thomas Jefferson at that time, in the year of grace, 1776, was a young man of 33, known for his clarity of expression and ability as a writer. How well he wrote all the world now knows. In that hall in Philadelphia, learn-' ed and courageous men pledged "their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor" that we might be a free nation. Surely enough, the men who signed the Declaration of Independence risked their fortunes, to say nothing of their lives, for those Indeed were perilous times. King George of England was not disposed to treat lightly the matter of disloyalty to the crown. "We must all hang together," Benjamin Franklin had said, "or we will all hang separately." But he knew when he said it that it was no joking matter, mat-ter, although millions have had a good laugh since then at the witti-ness witti-ness of his remark. That First Fourth. The Fourth of July, 1776, was a hot, sunny day, and In the afternoon a thunderstorm broke. Although the Declaration was adopted on the fourth, it was nut engrossed until some weeks later. The announcement announce-ment of the Declaration created a restrained enthusiasm, tempered by a knowledge of the gravity of the step. In this respect it closely resembled re-sembled our own Declaration of War against Japan, and then against the entire Axis, when a peace loving nation, na-tion, fully in accord with these declarations dec-larations of war, waited tensely for developments. The document was proclaimed to the people In the state house yard on July 8. At the same time the liberty bell was rung to summon the populace. Within a few weeks after the great bell tolled, King George's army under General Howe was hovering uncomfortably close, and soon thereafter the long and bitter bit-ter chapters of the Revolutionary war were being written In privation, priva-tion, blood and heroism. The first publication of the historical histori-cal document was on July 8, in Dun-lap's Dun-lap's Pennsylvania Packet Other printed copies appeared In Newport, Boston and Salern. A Symbol of Freedom. The big bronze bell with the familiar fa-miliar rent in its side has been the symbol of liberty and free expression expres-sion to countless millions of Americans Ameri-cans since the new republic embarked em-barked on its perilous enterprise in the year 1776. The crack came into the bell when It tolled the funeral of Justice Marshall in 1835. In the raised letters which adorn its crown it is proclaimed that the bell was cast by Pass & Stow in the year 1753 by order of the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania for the new state house "erected shortly before in that city." However, the great bell could make other claims. It could claim but it does not that it was the first bell turned out In an American foundry. This, then. Is the background In which the first Independence day was cast, and all should be familiar with it The spirit of liberty which glowed from the pages of the Immortal Im-mortal Declaration has been the guiding star of the American people from that far day to this. The pattern pat-tern of liberty which was fashioned then has been woven Into all of our institutions, as well as into our speech and our everyday lives. Liberty Lib-erty is an essential part of all of us. We draw it in with the very air we breathe. It Is Inconceivable that a country nurtured in these fine traditions could ever accept the yoke of a foreign for-eign power, or that the flame of liberty lib-erty should ever burn out on these shores. Those who in their arrogance arro-gance thought that it might planned badly indeed. Liberty Bell Rings Again. And so the liberty bell has rung again. Its first reverberations were heard from the U.S.S. Augusta, in the North Atlantic, at the time the Atlantic Charter was written. The bell pealed still louder when America Amer-ica entered the war. But this time its reverberations were heard throughout through-out the world, guaranteeing to all peoples that freedom which Is the divine heritage of all. This Fourth of July will differ, both in celebration and In spirit, from other Fourths of many years past. Once more America Is at war, but this time we fight not alone for our own liberty but for the lib-ertirs lib-ertirs of conquered countries and for those nations whose liberties are threatened by the aggressor nations. The Changing Times. The fishing trips and the basket picnics of last Fourth and earlier Fourths will largely be converted this year into trips to training camps 'miimMmSZ- f""lW ' t '- ' f ..itijLi ' - jib-. fcuiiMa iirnti 8uJaata , , c s iaf L 11 This Fourth of Jnly will find American boys celebrating the Declaration Declara-tion of Independence on many fronts thronghoot the world. Picture shows a group of typical V. S. fighting men who are mannlnr onr Caribbean defenses. de-fenses. They are equipped with modern Garand rifles and wearing mosquito mos-quito helmets. These finely conditioned men are experts In "bush" warfare. throughout the land to visit soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen ln-the-maktng. Millions who formerly sought pleasure In countless ways in city or country will find strange new delight In wielding the hoe or pushing the cultivator in victory gardens gar-dens all over the land. Many, too, will glean with pride and satisfaction satisfac-tion some of the agricultural rewards re-wards of early springtime efforts, to be placed on the Fourth of July table. ta-ble. For never before in the history of our country has there been such a trend towards "grow your own" as in the spring of 1942. last Fourth in the traditional American Ameri-can way will celebrate it this year in foreign lands. In Iceland, in China, Chi-na, Ireland, Australia and 26 other outposts of our far-flung battle front the Declaration will be duly celebrated. celebrat-ed. On aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, subs and minesweepers, mine-sweepers, on PT-boats and flying fortresses, tribute will be paid to that first grand Fourth of July. And it won't be done with firecrackers! Widening Range of the Fourth. While the Fourth of July has been a major American holiday from time immemorial, it I as been strictly strict-ly an American holiday with little more than passing press notices in foreign lands. However, there is reason to believe that those countries coun-tries which are not under the Nazi heel will hail the Fourth this year as never before. It may even become be-come an international holiday after victory is won, at least in those Axis- however, the scene will change considerably con-siderably because of the rationing of tires and gas. Hundreds of work-men work-men who have been accustomed on the Fourth to drive far into the country coun-try will spend this Fourth bending over lathe machines or putting TNT into shells to whittle down the Axis. Auto fatalities which usually reach the year's peak over the Fourth of July holiday will probably be much lower this year. A Happy Day for Children. The Fourth has been one of the happiest days of the year for children chil-dren in the past However, it must be admitted that the Fourth of July during these later years has become mainly a holiday for the children, and the larger significance of the day has been lost In the rat-a-tat of the firecracker and the boom of the rocket with its spray of colored fire and stars against the darkening evening eve-ning sky. How the children have pestered their parents around this time to break down all restraints and resolutions for a "safe and sane Fourth" and yield to their implor-Ings implor-Ings to buy them "just a few crackers crack-ers before 'they are all sold out!" The celebration for years has started start-ed around the middle of June. One could always tell that the Fourth was just around the corner by the crack of firecrackers or the boom of cannon-crackers noises that would have shocked us Into Investigation a few weeks earlier. Boyish celebrants cele-brants were everywhere, and measured meas-ured their patriotism by the amount of noise they were able to make. Many of us can look back to the days when no celebration of the anniversary an-niversary of Independence was considered con-sidered complete unless somebody had at least two fingers blown off. In those days all smart dogs left for parts unknown about two weeks in advance. The Fourth was a day of gayety. of festivity, and basket-picnics, a day when the brass band played on all day long under the shade of the oaks and maples, and the amber fluid flowed freely down parched and dusty throats. These are the dear dead Fourth of long ago. |