The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-30
.s0LtMN|TY MARKS
WOMAN'S MOURNING.
PARADE FOR PEACE
NEW YORK DEPRESSED As 1T
WATCHES BLACK-CLAD PAGEANT
STEP TO MUFFLED DRUMS.

New York, Aug. 29.--Solemnity was
the keynote of the woman's mourning
peace parade today, solemnity that fell
like a pail from the lowering skies
and spread from the black clad march
ers to the watching crowds. The gay
chatter and tho waving remnants OF
the May suffrage parndes were gone.
Now and then there was a little pat
ter Of clapping, once for the Henry
street settlement nurses in their uni
forms-once for mother with her baby
in her arms. But for the most part.
the parade went ny in the silence
which would have greeted some great
funeral pageant.
IT was a woman's parade. The gay
girlish figures that had futtered along
IN the suffrage ranks were absent. ex
cept where among the ranks of the
Socialists and in the East side section
youthful mothers dragged or carried
their babies.
Because Of the absence of banners or
floats. perhaps. the parade seemed much
longer than it really was. 1t stretched
out for ten blocks. and by actual count
there were 1,1S5 women in line. exclu-
sve of the bands and the fifty mar
shais.
Many of the Older women were kept
at home by the veil of clouds which the
sun had drawn over His own face
and the telephone bell at headquarters
tinkled all morning with their re-
Rrets.
But there were many intrepid grav-
haired women in line. Mrs. Robert
Yngersoil marched with her daughter
Mrs. W',ston Brown and Mrs. Henry
Willard Mr. Willard walked at the
head behind the big peace banner, with
a step that never Jagged But there
were no faltering steps anywhere in
spite OF the white hair beneath the
mourning wells. Almost no one fell
out along the way.
The parade was late In starting
through misunderstanding with po-
lice department. 1t was 40 o'clock
before IL got under way,
First came a youthful. solemn figure
In whiter-Portia Willis. c. wing her
grand ruarshars baton. Eeh I'd her was
tho great peace banner carried by
Miss Alice Carpenter. Miss Rose Young
and Mrs Florence Wooiston Mrs. VII
lard. chairman OF the committee Of 2o0
marched alone.
The first Of the corps Of boy scout
drummers who were scattered through
the long line. followed with the com
r,itfee of goo behind them. Among tire
weii-known women who marched there
many of them giving up the dav IN
the country to do so~-were Mrs, LaH-
terbaeh Mrs. James l. I4aidlawe AIRS
Charlotte Parkins Gilman and Miss
Mary Shaw.
on the whole. however. II was a pa
-ade OF women whose names and faces
're unknown. and who had very
fenuy never marched before,
ere were few breaks in the long
IS. The Brooklyn section had sew
al children, one whole line led hr
little Anna McDavid. -Four -year-t,ld
wendy Ferret marched bravely along
with her girlish mother. who cried y
arm not for war, but II war there must
be. may IL make Poland free
The Long Island section made very
good showing. partly through the eft
forts of General" Rosslie Jones. who
at the last moment went UP and down
the sideline gathering recruits,
The street crowds did indeed add no
little TO the impressiveness of the pa
rade. for almost without exception they.
like the marchers, wore black No
where was there the slightest evidence
OF any tendency To teer at the march
ers
There Is little TO saw about such
a parade rank after rank OF hlack
or black and white-ciad women hied
by The effect Was almost oppres-
sivc. The DUH roll Of the ntuf'ied drums
the gray day, and the silent crowds.
made symphony OF solemnity which
New York will not soon forget 1t was
indeed a mourning parade.