Morganville Adopts Feves, France In Colorful Pageantry Friday Eve.

Morganville, a quiet little Kansas town of 300 souls, has a main business section that is not quite a block long. But Friday night it was invaded by over a thousand people from the surrounding countryside, who came to see the international peace pageant that launched the adoption by Morganville of a French village.

The main thoroughfare of the town was crammed full of people and the cars that lined both sides of every street in town were parked two and three deep around the business section.

This all came about because the people of Morganville decided that they had no desire for further war and that they should do something about it. They felt that the diplomats in the world could not make a peace that would last if the peoples of the world did not know and help and appreciate one another. So as an example to be followed by other towns, they adopted the French village of Feves, a farming community of Morganville�s size located near Metz.

Morganville will send food, clothing and other supplies to supplement the meager rations of Feves, whose farmers work in the fields that still contain German mines and whose buildings bear the familiar marks of modern warfare. Morganville will not try to take over the support of Feves but will do what it can to help. A correspondents exchange will also be started. The preacher in Morganville, will write to the preacher in Feves, the merchants, farmers housewives and children will do the same.

This project, Morganville's UNESCO project, was made possible by Operation Democracy, a non-profit organization with headquarters in New York.

Friday night's program was divided into two parts, a pageant which lasted from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. and a street dance and fair which lasted into the wee hours of the morning. The pageant was held in an abandoned basement which was converted into an amphitheater seating 400 persons but Friday it was jammed to overflow.

One-hundred fifty persons participated in the pageant depicting the founding of Morganville in 1870 and went on through the history of the town to the present. The pageant was written by Miss Velma Carson.

Congratulatory telegrams from the French consul at Chicago, from Operation Democracy in New York and from President Milton S. Eisenhower of Kansas State College were received.

Robert Sonkin from Operation Democracy in New York was present and made a wire recording for the rebroadcasting to France as soon as possible. The State Department in Washington requested pictures of the festivities to be sent abroad and for publication in this country.


The Manhattan Republic newspaper
September 1,1948