INDEPENDENCE DAY IN U.S.

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28939, 6 July 1959, Page 11

INDEPENDENCE DAY IN U.S.

49-Star Flag Flown

NEW YORK, July 5. The United States yesterday celebrated Independence Day with a new flag—and today it counted its holiday week-end death toll.

By 8 a.m. G.M.T. a total of 269 violent deaths had been recorded—l4s of them on the nation’s roads.

The new 49-star flag flew yesterday in every corner of the nation.

This 183rd anniversary of independence was the signal to break out the banner at dawn following a midnight ceremony at Fort McHenry, Maryland, where the first official 49-star flag was hoisted. The new star signals the admission of Alaska as a State.

Fort McHenry is the birthplace of the national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner.” On July 4 next year the flag will be carrying 50 stars. The next star will represent Hawaii, which last week voted itself to statehood, following a decision by Congress that it should be admitted to the Union.

Alaska yesterday began three days of pageants, parades and fun-making. In Washington, 49-star flags went up and down poles like yo-yo’s. This fast and furious activity was because 1800 requests were received from organisations wanting one of the first new banners to fly over the Capitol. Four special flag poles were erected, and on each pole new flags went up and down as fas' as workers could hoist and lowei them.

Lunch in Palace^— The Australian Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) and Mrs Menzies lunched today in the former palace of the British Viceroys in India. Their host was President Rajendra Prasad.—New Delhi, July 4. Plea to French.—The Ghana Government has appealed to President de Gaulle to abandon France’s reported plans to carry out atomic tests in the Sahara Desert—lbadan, July 4.