South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-11-05
ALLIED SOLDIERS
FOUND A WELCOME
Population at SaIOnika Gathers
at WharfS to See the Land
ing Early on Oct, 5.

r.
I landing OF the allies at Salonika have
I Just been received here.
In the early morning OF Oct 5,
/ crowds OF people went down towards
! the port, making all sorts OF surmises
as TO the outcome OF X all, and show
ing great eagerness 10 witness an
event which was bound 20 be memoir
able in the annals OF Salonica. u
/ was o'clock when some large liners,
\ converted into army transports
{ steamed into the harbor. followed by
/ smaller transports which conveyed
ammunition and other war material.
/ The transport feet was carefully 5s-
/ corted by British and French torpedo
/ boats and cruisers. and while the
/ ships which formed and imposing
/ squadron. maneuvered 20 their an
/ chOrage, and preparations We're made
! for the landing, @ number OF British
I WarshipS could bc seen in the distance,
cruising in every direction IN front or
/ the port Vigilance IN fact against
/ any surprise attack from the enemy
I was needed.
The msreuvers for the landing
/ hardly took an hour. At g O'Clock tho
/ big liners were lying safely IA the
western waters OF the port. which
/ had been completely cleared ca other
( shipping. and which now presented
/ beautiful eNpause OF tae sea Along
/ had been cleared away, and access
was free to the debarking troops aud
material The landing could not have
/ been prepared with greater care and
/ order Greek gendarmes. commanded
/ by the chief Of the Macedonian sea-
darmerie maintained order, and Kept
the crowds at a distance. Access 10
the immediate vicinity Of the lSacinE
place was vigorously denied 10 ,he
public.
Conspicuous on the shore. at the
/ spot where the first landing was 10 be
effected, were Col Messales, COM
mander OF the troops of Sal0nica, and
the French colonies. Bousquier and
/ Barquet, the former just arrived from
the Serbian headquarters at Nish. and
the other from Athens. where he is the
! regular military attache.
There were also few British and
French civilian officials present, and
two officers of the Serbian general
staff, sent to welcome the allied troops.
who thus came in the hour of greatest
need to give help 10 Serbia.
The first TO set foot on Greek soil
was the commander of the French de-
tachment and as soon as he did SO,
the consul general of France handed
him the following message from the
French minister at Athens:
"Ar the moment when the first de-
/ TaC0nlGnf
/ sent 10 the assistance of Serbia lands
/ at Salonica. transmit to you. as min
/ lister of France in Greece, my cordial
| welcome and my most ardent wishes
/ for the success Of your mission am
/ grieved that imperative duties have
/ kept me at Athens, and prevented me
from personally coming TO express
/ these wishes, and to welcome the adj
I mirab bic troops, whose conduct and
discipline will doubtless leave the best
/ of memories in the friendly country
/ which they have 10 traverse in order
10 reach the territory OF the valiant
Serbian nation. the common ally OF
Frnce and Greece"
The landing operations then pro-
ceeded with order and method, under
the eyes Of a number of Greek sol
diers who ha6 arrived almost at the
same time from the Piraeus, on trans
/ ports which were anchored near the
opposite shore. Half an hour after
the operations had begun. the first
gun carriages were already being land
ed. The soldiers were put ashore IN
companies, and were immediately
lined up, four abreast, and marched
away. with drums beating. to the big
camp prepared for them.
A detachment was Immediately sent
/ to take up the service Of guarding the
railway line 10 Serbia. The station,
however, was not occupied by them,
and remained under the control Of the
Greek authorities. According as the
/ troops arrived in the camp, they were
drawn up in line before being told 10
/ break up, and presented arms In
/ honor of the city which gave them
hospitality.
Later on. the ranks were formed
/ again, and the troops, with drum an0
/ fife entered the town and proceeded
! to the square in front OF the principal
barracks Then, with bayonets nXed,
I they marched by. II was about half
I past twelve as they did so, and the
I ceremony was intended as another
! homage TO the town.
/ The French troops were the first 70
march By. and Immediately returned.
+ The landing operations were con
tinued all day and after the men had
been put ashore, the material. includ-
! ing number OF batteries and a large
number Of machine guns. and encr-
nous quantities OF ammunition were
/ landed. The troops also brought their
own rations. and immense Quantities
Of stores were put ashore from the
transports.
1t was interesting TO observe the at
I tituGe Of the crowds IN the city during
the march Of the troops. There was
/ no demonstration whatever, either IN
one direction or the other. The TACT
is that German emissaries had been
active for long time past, spreading
al sorts 90 rumors As II was, the
dense masses. who could hardly be
kept back behind the lines Of police
/ men. looked on with curiosity Yithou.
giving vent 10 any manifestations eK-
/ cepting those Of simple curiosity.
Now and then there We're some re-
marks OF admiration az the soldierly
bearing Of the French and British sol
diers. and their fine equipment. When
the troops finally got permission 20
move about they freely entered the
town. and Il was a picturesque sight
TO see French. British and Greek uni
forms IN groups in the street. The
greatest cneerfulness reigned every
where. as people were then still under
the Impression OF the speech OF Neni-
zeIos at the last sitting OF the cham
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