The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-07-05

marShalled organizations - military,
industrial and national service-took
the line of march from Main street
and North avenue, Main, State and
Park avenue to Seaside park while its
popuIace showed itself everywhere
upon the streets and roadways of this
county, until at midnight, tired to the
very marrow the city slept and the
streets appeared like a deserted viii
lage.
1t was grand day for young and
old, for the child who witnessed the
rhythmic passing of thousands in
uniform or bearing the Stars and
Stripes, for the militiaman who strobe
forth in the knowledge that he was
part of the country's support, for the.
industrial worker who saw depicted
in universal service, floats the handi-
craft which is to make for peace
throughout the world and for the
womanhood of Bridgeport who saw
manhood at its prime and were able
to vary their monotonous routine OF
daily life with the spirit of the fiesta
Probably the proudest body of men
in Bridgeport today are the pclice to
be justly commended upon attain
ment of the heretofore supposedly i'm
possible thing-the keeping OF
vehicular traffic in advance of a pa
rade. Whatever influence may have
been at work to inspire such decision
and execution, it was done and done
so well that the parade moved at it's
scheduled time and was not halted
along the entire line Of march for
one minute.
Another body of youth that may
well feel gratified and was highly eff
ficient in restraining the vast crowds
was the Boy Scouts of America, who
with ropes patrolled every intersect-
ing point that no person stepped from
the sidewalk to interfere with the
marching units.
A summary of what nearly every
body in Bridgeport saw with their
eyes yesterday and later heard dis
cussed by every tongue includes:
Parade by $500 members re the
Home Guard with double regimentai
review by the military emergency
board and barbecue at Seaside park.
Parade of $4,000 Industrial workers
and allied organizations, carrying well
designs floats emblematic of prepared
ness and universal peace enforcement.
A patriotic address of more than
usual significance by justice of the
the salute to the Union at noon
| time, visit of submarine patrol boats
to the city, band concerts at the park
and throughout the city in unceasing
frequency.
Appearance for the first time in this
county of Fairfield county's transport
tation and mobilization, units, batta1-
| ions of which brought troops from
outlying towns to Bridgeport deposit
ed them in proper information and
went into reserve with military pre-
cision.
1t was hot and humid as Bridgeport
awoke yesterday morning. The at
mo.iphere indicated that rain would
| not be an impossible conclusion to
| the days Qualification. AS early as Z
o'clock the Khaki uniform of the
| Home Guard was prominent upon the
streets. Assenblys in armories at 8
o'clock was followed by marching
units focusing their steps in North
avenue.
Stretching far back on that thor
| oughfare the battalion and company
| flags foated to the breeze. Promptly
| at one minute to 9 o'clock the signal
| to march was sounded and the col
umn that was to extend over four
miles in length, moved. Beyond a
| half mile or more of trolley ties seem
| ingly piled into the street by Con-
necticut Co. contractors as If to fur
| nish some impeachment to replace. the
] big cumbersome cars that frequently
block the street, the line of march
was open for a 16 man front forma
ton.
/ There was no other obstacle any
| W1 nd he ID fro -
rear rank passed a given point a..
exactly 81 minutes. It was an indi-
cation of what the police can accom-
| plish when they desire to make a
showing, for the police had charge OF
the advance work of the parade clear
ance.
The Home Guard did its work well
! marching in unexpected cadence for
a newly trained body of troops. Their
| unhardened condition, however, was
evident by the fact that nearly a
score succumbed to the heat of the
day and were treated by the ambu-
| lance company which was in attend
ance with stretchers and physicians
| The need for more road work rather
than close formation drills in the
| armories is apparent to all officers
today.
4
the two Home Guard regiments they
were viewed by Col, Lucien E. Bur
pee and Major j. Moss Ives of the mil
itary emergency board, as well as by
Col. Clifford B. Wilson, the command.
| ing officer of the Fourth Military dis
| trict
But one discordant break in the
| uniformity of the military color
/ scheme was the appearance of the
! Wheeler. g. Wilson band without reg
| ulation drab uniform. It is under
! stood that this defect will be remed-
| led as soon as provision can be made
by the auartermaster general.
! A big barbecue roast was. partaker
of in a field adjoining Seaside parl
| at the conclusion of the military
| events.
/ Charles Lewis Guy, presiding JUS
j tice of the New York supreme cour
| talked to several thousand people
/ from stand in Seaside park. He
made remarkable address, the ba.
sis of which was that as nation, WI
| desire peace, but not an ignominioul
! peace or one that means angr!-. s2f
sorrow for millions. In part the
/ speech follows:
LAS a nation we desire peace, as g
/ sane, enlightened people we deplore
| the anguish, the sorrow, the ruin and
desolation of war, the waste Of human
4,