The Washington herald., 1917-06-06
VETERANS LEAVING
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.


union, than even Washington, accus-
toned to an inaugural every four
years, had bargained for. No one
saerned to think there were as many
veterans left alive as have docked into
ne Capital for this evnt, and IL forms
some idea Of what the MASSIVE
gtrength OF the South must have been
IN its military heydey, for these old
boys are still on the firing line and
the war has been a memory for NIFTY
years.
In connection with the nesr-riot at
the Arcade yesterday morning, this
fact and the lack Of Recommendations
for the veterans, stand cut as the
salient points OF the days celebration.
II was confirmed by Union Station Of
nctals last night that nearly as many
yeterans are departing as are coming
In, and the convention has not yet
reached It's climax
Commissioners Brownlow's handling
Of the situation at the Arcade yester-
day undoubtedly prevented a serious
disaster, but II vas an act that re-
0aired quick thig eg and heavy re-
sDonStsSit,,Sty ~ lily & n Imissio5es rSasSioS TSs FSs
meeting. ard a. the hall packed
tighter and tighter he became plain
" pertsIrbed for the safety Of the
building.
Many are Disappointed.
: At J0:1O o'clock, the Commissioner
announced to the crowd inside the
hall that he had ordered tEa doors
closed in the interest of public safety,
AT that very moment, the Fourteenth
street car line was groaning under a
peak load of northbound traffic, all
hurrying to the Arcade.
Automobiles flashed uptown in a
solid stream, the pavements were con-
: gested with, the throngs who Aocked
NhnhaF from fha aE11rant residential
districts And all this was at least
two hours before the President was
scheduled to begin his address, In
side the hall, the committee on ar
rahgements was facing another crisis.
There were not enough chairs to go
Beginning to droop. A group Of negroes
started pulling in chairs through an
upper window from the ground, but
there were only = few chairs Pros
trationS were becoming a wholesale
possibility.
This was one side of the picture.
Those. who We're, in their seats famed
away ard tried to be comfor1a bic.
The band throbbed out patriotic airs
and unless one could see the nlxup
in the back Of the hall, everything
che seemed shipshape.
Down on Fourteenth street, however,
there was trouble Aged men and
agd women showed badges, cards and
other Identification They plaintively
demanded admission of policemen who
The doors were shut and had to stay
shut, the police said
Many of these old soldiers-in fact.
the most OF them-had never seen the
President or heard the sound Of his
voice. In these war times, 1t was an
honor not to bs lightly held and they
elsmorfd and demanded that they be
admitted.
1t dawned upon them, after police
reserves had been summoned, that the
doors would not be opened, and the
crowds began to stream away, dis
appointed.
Inside, the President was making an
epoch speech which Is printed else
where in The Washington Herald to-
day.
At one point in his speech, the Presi-
dent looked over the vast concourse
%wilI you pledge me your support
on this. significant day. referring to
Registration Day.
AYE; aye. We win." shouted back
Gen. George p. Harrison. who Is
cofuna ndsr-in-chief of the veterans,
pledged to the President the solid
support Of the South In the war with
Germany, which the great body of
veterans had pledged in their COM
membered that the hate Of war fingers
long and these men were coming vol
unfairly to the city which held the
seat OF h hostile government within
their own hfetimeS.
II speak TO true Americans every
where" he said. from Portland, Me-,
to Portland. Ore, and from Canada
on the north to the Gulf Of Mexico
on tho south-to stand by our Presi-
dent in this war. Those who wore the
gray fifty years ago will be Just as
loyal as those who wore the blue. Our
sons are registering today for this
greater war. Let US encourage them
and ste nd by them. whether they are
from 'Yankeeland' or Dixie"
The invocation was delivered by Rev.
Desring ]. Roberts, and Mrs. Maud
Howell Smith recited "The FlaEs
Welcome" Col Robert N. Harper,
the first speaker. extended a welcome
TO the delegates and Commissioner
Brownlow, the son OF a veteran, said
Washington was proud to be heap-
tured' by the boys in gray. Others