The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-02-15
AT LITTLE HUNGARY
President Roosevelt Visits
East Side Of New York.
LIGHTS BLAzED FORTH "DELICHTEDr
Introduced by President braun, Guest
of Honor spoke Briefly as to what
Should Constitute Amcri-
can Citizenship.

NAh NhA@thHhiPs
NEW YORK, Feb. 15.-For the first
time since the days when he was police
commissioner Of New York President
Roosevelt last night revisited the heart
of the east side. where as guest of the
Hungarian Republican club he dlned
and spoke at the restaurant Little Hun
gary. Guarded by mounted police and
secret service men through streets
cleared and cordoned by patrolmen, he
drove from upper Fifth avenue into the
crowded district which lies around See
ond avenue and East Houston street, Il
region of small shops and tenements
and largely populated by foreign born
citizens From the moment his car
riage entered the district he received
an ovation. Never before has presi-
dent of the United States visited this
lttle known part of New York and
never before had fraction of the thou
ruler. Electric lights wlnked and
binied characteristic legends. gaudy
bunting huttered in the wintry wind,
and the great east side showed its en-
thusiasm by every imaginable sign and
sound. Across Second avenue at Sixth
street huge electric device blazed
forth the single word Delighted" a
word frequently used in the decora-
lions. Many small shopkeepers appar-
entity had spent weeks profit in elhb-
crate decorations, and ii has been many
years since the east side saw such a
night.
The district through which the presi-
dent drove and In which he dined is not
the safest in the great city, and the po-
lice took no chances. SO stringent were
the precautions that not fiashllght
photograph was allowed to be taken
and uniformed police plain clothes men
and detectives fairly swarmed inside
and out of Little Hungary. They We're
stationed on the roofs and fire escapes
in the neighborhood, and for two blocks
on either side of East Houston street a
Gordon of police cut off the crowds. The
ordinary police cards permitting entry
into fire lines and similar places were
suspended by order OF Police Commits
sioner McAdoo, and no one without an
invitation to the dinner or specially
issued police card was permitted to
pass the faulty drawn line of patrol
men.
The night was bitter cold, almost the
coolest OF the winter, but II did not de-
press the spirits OF the crowd. Before
dusk the east side streets began to pour
forth their quota bound toward Little
Hungary, and these were swelled by
sightseers from all over the city. the
latter perhaps more anxious TO see the
east side on gala night than to catch
glimpse Of the president The snow
of many storms, ice coated by alternate
thaws and freezes, was breast high in.
the side streets, and over these heaps
the crowds scrambled and slipped to
secure vantage point They stood I'M
complainingly on the Icy crests in the
bitter wind and fingered through the
long hours Of the banquet to again
cheer the president on his departure.
When the president visited Little
Hungary last night he fulfilled prom
Use made to the Hungarian Republican
club several years ago that he would
be their guest ut banquet If their pre-
diction came true and he ever went to
the White House as president.
This, the concluding function Of the
presidents two day visit to New York,
was the most picturesque that he has
attended. In striking contrast to the
wealth and fashion which surrounded
him at the Lincoln dinner were the sur
roundings amid which the president
spoke last night.
The president sat at the right Of Mr..
Braun, the president of the club, and
the other guests at this table were
General Francis V. Greene, William
Barnes, Jr; Rear Admiral Coghlan,
General Frederick d. Grant, Nevada
N. Stranahan, Secretary Loeb, w. Ira
vers Jerome, Commissioner McAdoo,
Robert Il. Armstrong, James Sloane,
Jr., and Frank III. Tyree, while near by
were many other men prominent in
various walks of life.
Among the kilograms read at the din
ner was one from the Hungarian club
of Kansas City to President Roosevelt,
which said:
Hungarian hearts they beat for you
because they always find you true We
hope you find the tokay right, and good
will bless your appetite"
Vice President Elect Fairbanks sent
letter expressing his regret that he
could not be present.
Congressman William Sulzer, intro
duced by President Braun, said in
part.
This Is the first time, l believe, a
president of the United States has ever
visited the people on the east side of
New York, sat at their table and broke
bread with them. 1t Is an hAnor we all
appreciate.
at Is a great pleasure, l assure you,
for me to be here tonight-here among
you, my friends and constituents, to
testify by my presence and by my
words nv respect and admiration for