Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-10-05
It WAS some DAY" IN OLD LONDON
WHEN YANKEE TROOPS MARCHED THERE
StOd British Warmed Up and Actually Embarrassed Our Boys With
the Ardor Of Their Greeting Crowds Packed Ten Deep
e. Along Line Of March Showered Soldiers With
J. "fFfFel4t, Flowers and Smokes"

London.-There have been great
days in England since the outbreak of
hostilities, but none greater than the
one on which the newspapers an
nOunced that America was In the war.
And 1t was palpdble soon afterward
that she was In It with both feet,
ready to assist the allies in every
way they had conceived. The speed
with which money poured into the cof-
fers of France and England from
Uncle Sans fat purse, the sending
over of destroyers and the passing OF
the conscription bill was amazing to
the Britishers, and the man In the
street shouted his appreciation.
When khaki-clad troops poured into
France and England in spite of the
submarine peril the jolly fat English
man felt like shaking the hand Of ev-
erybody who had ever been In Ameri-
ca. II was then that the Briton lost
his phlegmatism, and he hurled his
hat high in the air on the day that
more than five thousand sons Of the
United States marched through Lon
don.
Never to BE Forgotten.
This again was a day never to be
forgotten. There were the Stars and
Stripes floating with the British Union
Jack from the Westminster buildings
King George, the United States am
bassadOr and high officers of the Brit
ish service saluted Americas brave
sons as they strode past Buckingham
palace at the end Of the fine, wide thor
oughfare known as the Mall.
Here was the first contingent In
England of another "contemptible Lit.
tie army" which is to do or die in the
battles against barbarism and so
called kultur.
You can get an idea Of how inter
ested were the Londoners concerning
the march of the Americans when 1t
Is said that on the day before the
event conversation mostly concerned
the sons Of Uncle Sam and the route
of march. Evening newspapers pub
lished the streets where the Ameri
cans would be seen the following day
and Tommies and their officers were
very keen to be on hand to add to the
welcome.
The first Americans in uniform II
the English metropolis probably were
officers of General Pershings stat
when they were In London just before
continuing the journey to the front
Aside from these (and comparativel!
few Londoners saw them) England
knew little Of the American soldier
makeup beyond the Remington pic
lures of cowboys and stray pictur
In the papers. SO when the BritOn
knew they would have chance t
see American troops in London the
came from all over the country to Sc
and to cheer.
Streets Lined Ten Deep.
The weather man turned out fail
ly respectable day for the occasion an
the sun kept on coming and goinl
while airplanes buzzed through tn
clouds like policemen Of the skies.
half-dozen observation balloons floa
ed gracefully along mile high owe
the English capital.
When the American troops reache
the Horse Guards parade one coul
see English girls on chairs peering OF
Of windows In their efforts to 81
glimpses of the American soldiers.
The throng, lined ten deep in SON
places and extending all along tn
route Of march, naturally was mike
one. Here were flower girls Of II
adlpose, elderly, London type, pitchir
precious roses and violets In the pat
of the Americans. TIE foreign offlc
which faces the admiralty, was sen
ing its crowd of workers to witne'
the sight, and those who could n,
leave there sought places at window
overlooking the Horse Guards parad
Not even IN the other times of inten!
excitement had London seen such
dense and interested throng.
For some time folks waited, the m
sic of the Guards bands being heal
long before the United States soldie
actually were in front of the adm
rally or foreign Office. Finally can
the silence, the bands having cease
and then the steady tread of the mi
in khaki, the warmly welcomed brot
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