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Show Keleased by Western Newspaper Union. No. 1 Flag-Waver CENCE Flag day will have more significance for Americans this year than it has had for a quarter of a century, it's likely that June 14 will see the greatest display of our national emblem in the history of America. And if America's "No. 1 Flag-Waver" has his say about it, there will be one dramatic incident, the like of which has never before been seen! It's his idea to have the outstanding outstand-ing celebration of the day in the national na-tional capital. It will center around the Washington monument at the top of which will be flown a huge flag, 50 feet or more in length. And with pictures in the newspapers and newsreels in the movies showing this spectacle all over the United States, it will be a vivid reminder of the spirit of Flag day for weeks and months afterwards. On July 4 he hopes to see the flags of the United Nations likewise flown from the top of the huge shaft. Who is this "No. 1 Flag-Waver"? His name is J. Henry Smythe Jr., he is a University of Pennsylvania graduate and he has been responsible for several such spectacular events which dramatize patriotic celebrations. celebra-tions. Back in 1920, as an assistant director of the New York Red Cross roll call, he planned a pilgrimage to the Statue of Liberty where a 100-foot 100-foot high Red Cross flag decked the base. This celebration, the first of its kind ever held there, commemorated commemo-rated the centenary of Florence Nightingale's birth and for it Smythe (who, incidentally, is known i 'A; t KJ iOiL 3 ' ' "We're in It Let's Win It!" cries J. Henry ("Slogan") Smythe Jr. as "the slogan champion of the world") paid tribute to the "Lady of the Red Cross Lamp" thus: That lamp of Florence Nightingale, Like Freedom's Torch, must never fail. In 1937, as a member of the mayor's committee, he managed the Constitution week program on Bedloe's island which was the principal prin-cipal observance of the 150th anniversary anni-versary of the adoption of the Constitution. Con-stitution. There were fireworks at night and, as "The Star Spangled Banner" was sung, "bombs bursting burst-ing in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there." But stage-managing such spectacles specta-cles is only one of his many achievements. He is responsible for the nation-wide observance of January Janu-ary 17 as Franklin day. Smythe started that in 1921 previously only Philadelphia had thus honored the immortal Ben. Smythe, however, is probably best known as a sloganeer. He won his reputation in that role during World War I. Barred from the fighting forces by defective vision, he went overseas as a lieutenant In the American Red Cross. But his greatest great-est service was in thinking up and donating slogans to help win the war more than 1,000 of them. Among them were "Buy and Keep Liberty Bonds!", "Do Your Bit to Keep It Lit!" (the Torch of Liberty), Lib-erty), "Lend It to End It!", "Buy Bonds to Arm Armies!" and one which was very popular in England "Lend That Shilling for Shelling!" Now that we're at war again, he's at it again. Right after Pearl Harbor he swung into action with "We're In It Let's Win It!", "Our Taxes Lick the Axis!", "On to Rome and Berlin! Bonds Help Us Win!" and hundreds more. And even before be-fore Gen. "Jimmy" Doolittle and his daredevils had swooped down upon Japan, J. Henry ("Slogan") Smythe was suggesting 'Xet's Go to Tokyo!" Smythe, who calls himself a "Philadelphia-born New Yorker," first won fame in 1904 when he went to the Republican convention in Chicago. Chi-cago. Right after the nomination of "Teddy" Roosevelt Smythe reached the platform with a flag and a megaphone and shouted "All together togeth-er now three cheers for the President!" Presi-dent!" Then: "Roos-e-velt! Roos-e-velt! Roos-e-velt!" The roar of cheers nearly tore off the roof of the convention hall and the 20-year-old Pennsylvanian became known all over the country as "The G. O. P. Megaphone liar.." i |