“Lowell has responded splendidly” – (PIP #75)

By Louise Peloquin

      The National Defense Day program was one of the items on the September 3^rd 1924 Lowell City Council meeting agenda. (1) 

Posting it seems appropriate on the eve of America’s 250^th birthday.

L’Étoile – Front page, September 12, 1924

A PARADE OF 7000 IN OUR STREETS

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To demonstrate loyalty to the flag and the determination to die for it. – Departure from North Common.  – Military aviators in the city to perform stunts.

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     Enrollment for the parade continues until this evening. Preparation is finished and all we are waiting for is good weather for the city of Lowell to hold the most beautiful parade in its history demonstrating its loyalty to the country.

     The parade will depart this evening at 7 from North Common. (2) There will certainly be 6,000 people in the ranks but we expect 7,500.

The parade will include all of the Lowell National Guard contingents, school military organizations, the Reserve Corps, veterans organizations and all of the city’s fraternal societies.

     A United States Army pilot will fly above the city by order of the War Department. He will arrive here at noon and will perform this evening.

     Captain Donald R. McIntyre. D.S.C. will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the aviation exercises after the parade in front of Memorial Auditorium. (3)

     If the crowd is too large for the public to assemble inside Memorial Auditorium where James Williams, editor of the Boston Transcript, will be the main speaker, Liberty Hall will also be used.

     Captain Joseph A. Molloy will direct the troops in the auditorium.

     When the committee finishes enrollment at its office in the old Courier-Citizen building in Kearney Square, there will be 3,500 people registered. This number is in addition to the military corps and city organizations participating in the parade.

     The mayor will not review the parade. He will walk at the head of his Reserve Corps company. 

     City Hall is decorated with American flags and banners displaying the national colors. Shops along the parade route have followed the mayor’s counsel to decorate with the American colors.

     City Council members and army officers will be on the platform reviewing the parade. We will see General Malvern Hill Barnum; Colonel B. P. O’Bren; Colonel Alexander Gregg; Lieutenant Brown; James T. Williams, editor of the Boston Transcript, and Congressman John Jacob Rogers.

     The speakers to close the solemnity of National Defense Day at Memorial Auditorium will be: James Williams, editor of the Boston Transcript; Lieutenant R. C. Moffatt; Mayor Donovan; Reverend John J. McGarry, D. C. L., and Reverend Percy Thomas. Dana Palmer will be the Master of Ceremonies at this meeting.

     Enrollment will end at 4 this afternoon.

     Mothers of soldiers killed in the Great War will have reserved seats at Memorial Auditorium.

     The following stores have graciously provided flowers, tobacco, and refreshments to the organizing committee: John J. Moloney; James R. Kenney; Harvey B. Greene; Samuel Scott; P. K. Smoke Shop; W. H. I. Hayes; Peter Andreoli; Robertson Tobacco Co.; Dudley L. Page; Mr. Rousseau who sells “Eat-A” donuts; and Harry H. Cole. Sargent Timothy Kimball launched the requests for donations.

General Orders, # 1

1. – What follows is public for all interested.
2. – The parade will form at North Common. The Chief administrator’s and Chief of Staff’s headquarters on the common will be at the angle of Common and Salem Streets.
3. – An aide will report the arrival of each participating group to the Chief of Staff.
4. – The parade route will be as follows: from North Common to Salem Street, down Cabot, Merrimack and East Merrimack Streets to Memorial Auditorium. Departure is at 7.

5. – The Mayor, City Council and guests will review the parade at City Hall.
6. – Upon arrival at the Auditorium, all of the organizations will maintain their ranks and positions during the ceremony.
7. – Battery B, 102^ndartillery, under the direction of Captain Harold Mather, will fire the canon for the salute. 
8. – At the end of the ceremonies, all of the organizations will be invited to march in the Auditorium for the public assembly.

There will be reserved seats for the organizations participating in the parade.

9. – The parade includes numerous army corps, civil and social organizations.

10.Lowell City Council, the Boy Scouts of America, whose members offered their services as messengers or traffic assistants, will need to report to Charles W. Barton, Field Scout Executive, at 6 to receive their post at Memorial Auditorium. 

11.The American flag will be the only national banner carried at the parade. Societies, Unions, Clubs and Lodges will be able to carry their respective banners. 

 By order of C., T. KITTEREDGE

Chief administrator

L’ÉTOILE – Front page, September 13, 1924

GREAT PROOF OF OUR CITY’S PATRIOTISM

About 4000 people paraded in our streets last night, attesting to their determination to rally around the flag in times of danger. 

BEAUTIFUL SPEECH AT THE AUDITORIUM

Beautiful patriotic spectacle. – Salute to the flag. – The canon fires. – All of the groups, clubs and societies of the city participated.

     Last night a celebration took place downtown causing more emotion in Lowellians’ hearts than during any other public demonstration of patriotism since the Armistice was signed. It was National Defense Day. Last night, when the flags flew and the last echo of the speakers’ voices dissipated, no one questioned Lowellians’ solid loyalty to their country. They proved this by going out, forming one of the largest parades ever seen here, filling the sidewalks along the parade route by the thousands, applauding the school representatives and members of the bar who hoisted the Stars and Stripes.

     The parade formed at North Common and left a bit after 7 to head towards Memorial Auditorium. 4,000 people were in the ranks. A group of police officers marched, followed by the parade leaders, the military corps and, at the end, members of various city organizations. Several excellent bands played music. We particularly noticed the following: the 385^th Artillery Reserve Corps, Regan, Lowell Cadet, Lowell High School, Anglo-American veterans of the Great War and the St. Peter and O. M. I. Cadets.

     The crowd warmly applauded the Civil War veterans. The American Legion closed the parade ranks lead by Commander Colin C. MacDonald. Once the parade had passed, the crowd left the sidewalks and went to Memorial Auditorium for the open-air exercises.

     Musicians performed on the Auditorium steps. The flag was lowered and, from the other side of the river, one could hear the 21 canon blasts for the national salute.

     Thousands of people attended the public meeting in Memorial Auditorium. On the stage were the following guests: Brigadier General Malvern H. Barbard; James T. Williams; Mayor Donovan; Major Dana Palmer; Reverend John J. McGarry, D. C. L.; Reverend Percy E. Thomas; Robert Brown; Mrs. Nellie Usher; John F. McBride; Colin C. MacDonald; James J. Gallagher; Franck K. Stearns and Daniel Cosgrove.

     Mayor Donovan was the first speaker at the Auditorium meeting. His speech was short, very appropriate, and began as follows:

“Lowell has responded splendidly to the President’s call to observe the Day of National Defense. As mayor, I wish to congratulate the patriotic service that you have rendered in taking part in the celebration.”

     Abby John J. McGarry, pastor of Saint Patrick’s Parish was the next speaker. He opened his speech with an anecdote about an American in a foreign country who is asked if he is a prince or a general. His response: “I am the greatest of anyone of these; I am an American citizen.” The speaker continued to elaborate on being an American citizen. 

     Then, Lieutenant Robert Brown spoke about the American aviators’ trip around the world and about how the development of aviation would impact the country. 

     The special speaker for the celebration was James T. Williams, editor of the Boston Transcript. He reminded everyone that the previous day was the anniversary of the Battle of Saint Mihiel…. (4 & 5) 

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 1)   https://richardhowe.com/2025/04/08/back-to-the-city-council-1924/

PIP #64, posted on April 8, 2025, covers the September 3^rd  1924 Lowell City Council meeting agenda:

The City Council met last night at 9 for a special session opened by president Gallagher.

     Lieutenant Arthur H. Brown obtained the privilege to take the floor. He presented the National Defense Day program and asked the Council to review the parade at City Hall at 6:45 and invited the Council members to attend the public assembly at 8 at Lowell Auditorium. The invitation was accepted.

2)   “North Common – 413 Fletcher Street – 7.69 acres – swimming pool; 2 basketball courts; 1 softball field; 2 handball courts; playground; community garden; amphitheater. This land was purchased by the city of Lowell in 1845 from the Proprietors of the Locks and Canals along with the South Common. Together, they were the first public parks in Lowell and were referred to as “the lungs of the city.”

From Richard Howe’s June 22, 2025 Lowell History article.

https://richardhowe.com/2025/06/22/lowell-history-june-22-2025/

3)   Lowell Memorial Auditorium Greenspace – 52 East Merrimack Street – 2.22 acres – passive green space. This is the green space that surrounds the Lowell Memorial Auditorium which was constructed in 1922. The parcel is home to many military monuments and memorials.

From Richard Howe’s June 22, 2025 Lowell History article. Link in footnote 2.

4)   The September 12^th to 15^th 1918 battle of Saint-Mihiel in northeastern France’s Meuse department was a major one during World War I. The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops, under the command of General John J. Pershing, fought against German positions.

5)   Translations by Louise Peloquin.