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Patriotism On Parade

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COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF HISTORY & INDUSTRY THEN: Webster and Stevens, the studio responsible for recording these soldiers marching south on Second Avenue toward Stewart Street, describes the scene simply as "drafted men." The next photo in the studio's numbered stock at the Museum of History & Industry is also a parade shot dated Sept. 20, 1917. We may safely assume that this, too, is that parade. PAUL DORPAT NOW: A few of the most substantial structures survive from the 1917 parade scene into the contemporary street setting that also looks north on Second Avenue to Virginia Street.

BY THE FALL of 1917 Seattle was well-practiced in patriotic parading. The first wartime Parade for Preparedness stuffed the central business district with flag wavers on June 10, 1916. After nine months of President Woodrow Wilson pushing to join the war to "save the world for democracy," the periodic hoopla turned outright bellicose. On April 3, 1917, Congress backed Wilson's war plan, and the following day sailors paraded the downtown sidewalks carrying signs reading, "We are recruits and have answered our country's call. Why don't you?"

On the 4th, Seattle's third daily, The Seattle Sun, got downright threatening. Across the top of the front page it trumpeted, "Today, in this land of ours, there are only two classes of people. One class consists of Americans. These will stand solidly behind President Wilson. All others are TRAITORS."

Then on April 6 Congress voted 373 to 50 to fight Germany — or "the Hun" or "Kaiserism" or "Prussian savagery." That evening a "monster parade" was staged downtown. After weeks of arguing for conscription, the president got it on April 28 when the draft law passed.

For its June 18 night parade the Red Cross asked merchants to "darken all electric signs" in order to "enhance the value of the spectacular features of the parade." The next big parade — this one from Sept. 20 — was called to exhibit Wilson's new warriors. Filling the force had been made easier in July when the War Department revised its policy about small men. Thereafter one needed to be at least 5 foot 1 and weigh at least 110 pounds when stripped to shorts. One recruit, a 21-year-old janitor at St. James Cathedral, asked for an exemption because he had earlier lost most of his trigger finger. He was denied.

Paul Dorpat specializes in historical photography and has published several books on early Seattle.