The San Francisco call., 1910-12-04
AMERICAN SAILORS
FETED in LONDON
Lord Mayor and Corporation
Entertain 700 Men of Bat
tleship Minnesota
Coldstfeam Guards Escort the
Guests and Stars and Stripes
to GuildhaIl

LONDON, Dec. 5-Sir Thomas Vesey
Strong, the lord mayor, and the cor
poration of the city of London gave a
luncheon at Gufldhall today to $50
American sailors from the visiting
fleet at Gravesend and Weymouth.
The bluejackets arrived by train at
Charing Cross headed by Commander
Sims of the Minnesota and the
officers of his staff, and accompanied
by the band of the Coldstream guards,
which the war office had ordered out
for the occasion, marched through the
the ancient hail. where so many famous
guests have been honored.
A big crowd assembled outside the
station and, lining the streets on which
| traffic had been stopped, gave the
Americans, who carried the stars and
stripes and their ships colors, rous-
| ing welcome
WELCOME At GUILDHALL
Arriving at Guildhall the visitors
formed in a quadrangle. while the band
played the star Spangled Banner
! Sir Thomas received Commander Sims
and his officers in the reception hall
and before luncheon was served passed
around the dining hall greeting the
guests.
The bluejackets were seated at long
tables in the main hall. At the head
of the table was the lord mayor. with
Commander Sims at his right and with
aldermen and uniformed officers around
them
In the gallery the lady mayoress en-
| tertained Mrs. Reid, wife of the Amer
lean ambassador, and the wives of the
visiting officers.
The menu was simple but plentiful.
| -. nf
beef, carried in with pompous cere-
mony, plum pudding and mince pie.
LORD MAYOR SPEAKS
! The dining was followed first by
formal toasts to King George and
President Taft. Sir Thomas then well
coined the sailors. He said that 1t
was his privilege to receive the off,
GERS of the American fleet yesterday
and that the corporation of the city
! of London was equally proud to re-
ceive in the same hall today the men
of the American navy. He added
! Il offer you the heartiest welcome
| of England, where no one is more
popular than the man behind the gun.
The American jack tar is regarded with
large share of that affection which
! is felt for our own men,
REPLY OF COMMANDER
| Replying, Commander Sims spoke
with enthusiasm of the friendly man
ner in which the men of the fleet had
been received in London. This, he
said, could not happen in any other
country, but was made possible by
the strong ties of blood between the
two countries.
Speaking for himself, he believed
that if the time ever came when the
British empire was menaced by an ex-
ternal enemy, it might count upon
every man, every drop of blood, every
ship and every dollar of their kindred
across the sea.
BOATSWAIN CAUSES CHEERS
Chief Boatswain's Mate S. E. L. Ben
son of the battleship Minnesota re-
| piled on behalf of the men, expressing
thanks for the entertainment in a neat
speech which took the Englishmen by
surprise and which was frequently in
terrupted by the guests with spontane-
Gus cheers for the lord mayor and the
city of London.
| At Crystal Palace a football eleven
from the battleship Idaho defeated the
team from the battleship Connecticut
by score of to o. thereby winning
the navy cup.