Show J i Spirit of First Will Give I New Nev Note to Independence Day Fourth of f July Celebration to Be Worldwide in Scope This Year YearBy Dy By CHARLES A A. A Released by Western Newspaper Union You write it said John Adams to Thomas Jefferson for you wield a pen ten times more eloquent than ihan my own And Thomas Jefferson wrote it That was years ago But today the Declaration of Independence Independence Independence Inde Inde- 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 wasa 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 learned learn learn- ed and courageous men pledged their lives their fortunes and their sacred honor that we might be a afree afree afree free nation Surely enough the themen 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 allhang allhang hang bang separately But he knew when he said it that it was no joking matter matter matter mat mat- ter although millions have h had d a good laugh since then at the wittiness wittiness witti- witti ness of his remark That First Fourth The Fourth of July 1776 1778 was a abot ahot ahot hot bot sunny day and in the afternoon a 8 thunderstorm broke Although the Declaration was adopted on the fourth it was wa's was not engrossed until I some weeks later The announcement announcement announce announce- ment of the Uie Declaration created a restrained enthusiasm tempered by bya a knowledge of the gravity of the step In this respect it closely resembled resembled resembled re re- our own Declaration of War against Japan and then against the J entire Axis when a peace loving nation nation nation na na- na- na tion fully in accord with these declarations declarations declarations dec dec- of war waited tensely for developments The document was proclaimed to the people in the state house yard ard ardon on July 8 At th the same time tim th the trie liberty bell was rung to Summon summon the populace Within a few weeks after the great bell t tolled King Georges George's army under General Howe was hovering uncomfortably close and soon soon thereafter the long and bitter bitter bitter bit bit- ter chapters of the Revolutionary war were being written in privation priva priva- tion blood tion-blood blood and heroism The first publication of the historical cal document was on July 8 in Dunlap's Dunlap's Dunlap's Dun- Dun laps lap's Pennsylvania Packet Other printed copies appeared in Newport Boston and Salem A Symbol of Freedom The big bronze bell with the familiar familiar familiar fa fa- fa- fa rent in its side has been the symbol of liberty and free expression expression expression sion to countless millions of Americans Americans Americans Ameri Ameri- cans since the new hew new republic embarked embarked embarked em em- barked on its perilous enterprise in inthe inthe inthe 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 prod proclaimed aimed that the bell was cast by Pass Stow in the year 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 claim but but it does not that 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 immortal im im- mortal Declaration has been the guiding star of the American people from that far day to this The pattern pattern pattern pat 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 Liberty Liberty Lib 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 tine fine traditions could ever accept the yoke of a foreign foreign for for- eign power or that the flame of liberty liberty liberty lib lib- lib lib- erty should ever burn out on these shores Those who in their arrogance arrogance arrogance arro 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 Augusta in inthe inthe the North Atlantic at the time the Atlantic Charter was was written The bell pealed still louder when America America Amer Amer- ica entered the war But this time its reverb reverberations rations were heard throughout through 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 n and in spirit from other Fourths of many yews years past Once more America is at war but this time we fight not alone for our own liberty b but t for the liberties liberties lib lib- 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 their liberty to the efforts of America America America Amer Amer- ica and the other United Nations engaged in the struggle for world freedom I A Quiet Fourth Expected I Indications now point to the quietest quiet quiet- est Fourth in many years Regulations Regulations Regulations Regula Regula- issued last March by the Federa Federal Federal Fed Fed- era eral Explosives Control act placed placeda a ban on the sale of fireworks and torpedoes of the fireworks varie varie- ty The measure was designed to save materials needed for munitions and at the same time lessen the danger danger danger dan dan- ger of fires However this ban has been somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what modified since then to dispose of of stocks t on on hand Amended regulations regulations regula regula- ti s f forbid giant crackers and rockets rockets rockets rock rock- ets of the super duper variety but allow manufacture and sale of firecrackers firecrackers fire fire- crackers rs not more than five inches long of torpedoes containing less than five grains of explosives and andall andall andall all other works within specified size Urn limitations Ita During the motoring years that stretch behind us the Fourth has been marked each year with a great flux of auto travel from city an and t w w ws s o l r i z n This Fourth of July will find American boys celebrating the Declaration Declaration Declaration Declara Declara- tion of Independence on many fronts throughout the world Picture shows a group of typical U. U S S. S fighting men who are manning our Caribbean de de- de- de They are equipped with modern Garand rifles and wearing mosquito mosquito mosquito mos mos- quito helmets These finely conditioned men men are experts in bush warfare I throughout the land to visit soldiers sailors marines and airmen the in-the- making 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 gardens gardens gar gar- dens all over the land Many too will glean with pride and satisfaction satisfaction c- c tion some of the agricultural rewards re- re rewards rewards re re- wards of early springtime efforts to tobe tobe tobe be placed on the Fourth of July ta ta- ta- ta ble For never before in the history of our country has there been such sucha a trend towards grow your own as asin asin asin in the spring of 1942 Thousands of boys who celebrated last Fourth in the traditional American Ameri Ameri- can way will celebrate it this year ear earin in foreign lands In Iceland in China China China Chi Chi- na Ireland Australia and 26 other outposts of our flung far-flung battle front the Declaration will be duly ed On aircraft carriers battleships cruisers destroyers subs and minesweepers minesweepers minesweepers mine mine- sweepers on PT-boats PT and flying fortresses tribute will be paid to that first grand Fourth of July And it wont won't be done with firecrackers I 1 Widening Range of the Fourth While the Fourth of July has been beena a m major jor American holiday from time immemorial it has been strictly strict strict- ly an American holiday with little littlemore littlemore littlemore more than passing press notices in foreign lands However there is reason to believe that those countries countries countries coun coun- tries which are not under the Nazi heel will hail the Fourth this year as never before It may even become become become be be- come an international holiday after victory is won at least in those Axis- Axis dominated countries who will owe country and vice versa This year however the scene will change considerably considerably considerably con con- because of the rationing of tires and gas gas- Hundreds of workmen workmen workmen work work- men who have been accustomed on the Fourth to drive far into the country country country coun 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 years year's peak over the Fourth of July holiday will probably be much lower this year A Happy Day for Children I The Fourth has been one of the happiest days of the year for Children children children chil 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 tat rat-a-tat of the firecracker and the boom of the i rocket with its spray of colored fire and stars against the darkening evening evening evening eve 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 ings to buy them just a few crackers crack crack- ers before they are all sold out The celebration for years has started started started start 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 crackers cannon noises crackers noises that would have shocked us into investigation a afew afew afew few weeks earlier Boyish celebrants celebrants celebrants cele cele- brants were everywhere and measured measured measured meas meas- 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 anniversary anniversary an an- of Independence was considered considered considered con con- 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 basket pic picnics pic- pic 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 t i t dear dead Fourths of long lone ago |