The sun., 1917-08-22
Public Dinner to Members
Abandoned Because Of Ma
tional Mourning.
TO SEE ROOSEVELT TO-DAY
Baron Monchcur Confident
That Americas Aid Will
Win War.
New York took the Belgian war mis-.

DAY. New oork, SuTIeieu, Rirnost' WIN
ofical receptions during the last few
months. forgot for the day that it had
| tried to outdo even its own hospitality in
| extending greetings to one after another
visiting delegation from across the At
lantc and lavishcd its affection and
gratitude on the representatives Of
proud, plucky little Belgium.
| Despite all the enthusiasm, manifested
a hundred times as the statesmen and
soldiers and dipomatists were whisked
about the city and taken through lines
Of acclaiming craft in bay and rivers.
| the welcome was marked by a reveren-
tal note as bcfittins the greeting ex-
tended by a grateful nation to the sa.
| ,ior OF the world.
This was cmpha sized by the Difference
paid the mission as representative of a
nation in mourning. The State De-
| raftnent had specially requested that
| ere be 10 public dinner. Accordingly
u private dinner given by committee
| Of individuals at the Ritz-Carlton last
night was attended by fewer than
| hundred persons and was bchiad closed
doors and without speechmakins The
visitors declared further that. much as
they appreciated the honors paid them.
they were here on purely business
mission.
Visitors on Sightseeing Tour.
The activities of the visitors began at
o'clock. when they were taken for IL
drive through Central Park and 1o0th
street to the police boat Patrol. which
took the party down the East River to
| the Battery. Accompanying the men,
bers OF the mission on this trip were
Frederic r. Coudert, Theodore Rousseau,
George T. Wilson Morgan J. O'Brien,
/ Henry S. Thompson. Timothy Healy. f.
g. Outerbrdge. william Fellowes Nor
gan, William Curtis Demorest, Col Will
lam NJ. Dykman, Oliver Hartman. Por-
ter Clyde Shannon. George Featherstone
and Richard Patterson. Jr.
Arriving at the Battery the visitors
we're saluted by $50 marines and blue
Jackets from the battlesh.p Wyoming.
under command Of Lieut.. j. S. Dowell.
and by a small army Of Boy Scouts and
Junior Naval Scouts. Inspector Myers
mounted policemen, under Lieut.. Walsh.
and Squadron A and Troops f and d.
commanded by Major w. r. Wright.
Broadway from Battery place to City
Hall Park was lined with dense mass
OF cheering civilians, who waved flags Of
all the allied nations as the party drove
through the narrow lane. Gonfalons OF
Of Belgium. outlined the court Of honor
formed in front OF the City Hall. and the
Belgian flag new with the American
tional, State and city emblems atop the
building.
Before the entrance to the hall the
Seventh Regiment. under commani OF
Major James Schuyler, formed a wide
V, and facing the soldiers were detach-
ments of marines and sailors from the
Broosyn navy yard. About the build
ing was thrown Gordon of police under
command OF acting Chief Inspector
Dwyer. American Junior Naval and
Marine Scouts lined the steps and the
portico.
Greeted by Mayor Mitchell.
Mayor Mitchell greeted the commits
sioners at the entrance and escorted the m
10 the Aldermanic Chamber. attenled
by the members OF the Mayors commit
lee. Ascending the rostrum in the
chamber the Mayor extended his ad-
dress Of welcome. in which he said in
part:
Since the day when the wanton ag-
Eression Of Prussian autocracy tore up
the treaty Of 1899 as a scrap Of paper
and hurled the first German regiment
across the frontier OF Belgium in flag
rant violation OF her neutrality. the heart
o. America has gone out to your country
miration the people of New York and OF
all America watched tho magnificent re-
slstance Of your whole nation to over
Uhelming odds saw how the indomita =
bic spirit of Belgium's little but heroic
army stopped the rush OF German con-
quest long enough to allow the French
and English to marshal their forces and
save Paris.
We are now allied in common
cause, This war cannot end-indeed, we
are pledged It shall not end--until the
i Belgian people ere restored to their own
territory. and their national integrity
insured against aggression for all time
allies is pledged with all of her re-
sources. pledge that for the safety OF
Belgium, for the safety OF America and
OF the world must be redeemed by the
fighting manhood of America upon the
battlehelds of Europe"
Mr.. Coudert. who followed. said In
the course Of his address:
II believe-and ] have scanned III.
pages Of history for a parallel-thaI
there 10 no instance so momentous II
human records as those three first day,
In August. when the fate of tho worlf
literally hung on the choice Of Belgium
We welcome you in our homes We wei
come you in our hearts We welcom,
you at every portal. I speak for tn,
c!tzenry Of the city Of New York"
Reply ~ Baron Moncheur.
Baron Moncheur. much moved. re
sponded to the ADDRESSES of welcorn
with q speech In El-'sh, which no read
He said In part:
I'VE have been sent by our king t,
express to the Government Of tho United
states and through the Government t
The all noble American nation. tn
heartfelt thanks Of our sovereign, OF ou
Government and Of all our people, ou
thanks for the generous aid that ha
been given to our stricken fellow citizen
snd for what America 10 now doing I,
win back our Independence and to max
The world safe for all liberty lovin
nations
We are determined to fsht the Ger
man military autocracy and to die Il
tho last ditch rather than to give u,
our independence. And you here
America, you have Joined US, together I
! night that holy crusade Now that yo
have entered the lists against Prussia
II military autocracy we know that ou
n cause and tho cause Of civilization
Following the exercises in the Cit
nan the mission. preceded by tn
mounted police escort. was drive
N through Lafayette and Fourth street
Washington Square. which was file
WIN crowd of many thousands o