The sun., 1917-05-31
Faded Blue and Khaki
Share Great Ovation i'm
Riverside Drive.
no PARADE EVER LIKE 1T
Memorial Day Demonstration
Greatest in History of
New York City.


sun fecked Drive yesterday morning,
was the parade paramount in a day
that was all long hours of parades.
Their battle iags-what was left Of
hem-and the heroic old men in blue
what was left Of thon-came slowly
along between bareheaded masses in
which were thousands on thousands who
never before had watched the veterans
70 by in time Of war and so a younger
(and older. tool America gaxed fixedly
out toward the ragged old flags with a
new thoushtfulness and emotion, and
sometimes forgot to cheer until the tired
old color bearers almost had gone by.
Sometimes Just inches Of faded rags
went by which once had been gay silk
bunting that had streaked across
Southern cornfelds like bits Of flame
back in the days when warriors didn't
burrow, but leaped stone walls and
Numbered across the open stretches
toward the woods beyond-and the devil
take the foremost. and hindmost. too
These inches Of silk yesterday were
bound tightly with sllken cords In CONF
pact folds to the STATS SO that at least
the last sacred threads might be pre-
served for all time.
Governor DoHs Hat.
Again there were battle fiags that had
Jared bit better during the four
crowded years Of shot and shell and
storms. And these were permitted to
doat bravely in the breezes Of the leafy
Drive, but their silks and fringes were
wrinkled and aged and gray, and quite
rs beautiful as the gray old men walk
ing along with short steps beneath
them.
There were tottering Zouaves in the
faded fexzes beloved Of the crowd One
Grand Army post went by numbering
Just two men. In an old victoria, drawn
by bony Eorses. were the stopped figures
Of four old colored hghtinE men. their
dusky scalps showing -anly fringes Of
white woolly locks as they doffed their
soldier caps while passing under the
arch OF trees in front Of the reviewing
stand. To these four old men the Gov
ernor of the State doffed his high hat IN
turn and there was no hint of the
usually mechanical return of salute as
he bowed to them again and again. And
out OF all the millions in the worlds
biggest city. the men of the Grand
Army who were left yesterday TO march
up the Drive numbered only SOC.
As against these there were marchers
who also walked with little steps. but
only because their small but sturdy legs
haven't yet had time to take steps of
ambitious length. And as against the
rickety old victoria in which the aged
black heroes numbered along in their al E.
most forgotten blue uniforms there was
the last word in war-gleamlng yet SOM
bre armored batteries numbering by in
clouds Of oil vapor from their motor ex-
hausts. with 1.-the young soldiers In the
khaki of to-day sitting rigidly on nests
OF machine guns that poked slim muzzles
out at the crowds in wicked fashion.
New Recruits Cheered.
Trailing these were air splitting mill
tary motorcycles. which Phil Sheridan
never had SO much as thought OF but
doubtless would have been glad to climb
aboard on that day In his thirties when
circumstances caused him to yearn to
slide across some twenty miles OF Vir-
gnia real estate in no seconds fiat.
Between the two human extremes
the pale old men who seemed as they
passed to be marching with fixed eyes
and without pause to some Disbanding
Point close at hand but still infinitely
far from urban limits and the fat legged
\ little toddlers sarbed as embryo soldiers
nsnd sailors. who seemed, on the other
~
was to last almost forever-between
these two came one body of marchers
who second only 10 the old soldiers in
blue. quickened the pulses OF the watch
Frs along the line.
They were just Citizens In the mat
per Of dress-.business suits. new straw
bats bobbing along beside derbies that
ad weathered a rigid winter. new tan
fhoes clicking along the asphalt demo-
Practically beside old black shoes the
worse Cor a seasons wear.
From the sartoral viewpoint 1t was
ne very absence OF gold lace or bronze
buttons or natty uniforms or puttees
that helped stir up yells Of applause
which must have ratified across the
river 10 the Palisades and bounded back
gain, For they were the new recruits
Df the Seventh Regiment, and as they
swung along in line after line just back
pt Col Fisk's khaki clad boys from the
porder their lack OF rifles or other hint
equipment told the crowd that these
ad just come eagerly from the shops
nd the schools and factories solely TO
pear arms in the greatest fight IN the
world
10000 In Line of March.
The Governor barred his head to them
yen Bell and Admiral Sigsbee and the
P'nef noted men on the reviewing stand
the Soldiers and Sailors monument
autcd them with enthusiasm as the
ack suited lads marched on In hearten-
~ numbers. The high hats OF city
meals and other notables were waved
o"ard the conglomeration OF new
pr!ng suits touching elbows with dingy
tore clothes. Always excepting the
eterans, whose day II was, the passing
Inc brand new recruits was the big
oment of the most momentous
memorial Day parade that eve- marched
w Riverside Drive.
twenty thousand was the estimate OF
ne Whole line OF men and women. bows
Nd gFls-the women and girls were
hee very much there. too-who
narched up the Drive. In fact SO long
vas the line that Gov. Whitman could
o' Vmsin to take of his hat to all the
ags' He had TO hurry away toward
loon to look over the school boys and
IRIS porading north In Fifth avenue
" he was able to stay until all the
'fand Army men and the militia had
Assed, and when he had left there was
III distinguished group OF notables
enaining to review the Junior organiza-
Continued on Fourth Po0s.