Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-10
N. '. Welcomes
 French Mission
OVERWHELMED AT
 THE DEMONSTRATION
JOFFRE IS THE CENTER
Out to Pay Tribute to the Hero of the Marne and the Great Statesman Viviani.

New York, May 9.-New York sur rendered internationally to Joseph Jacques Joffre, marshal of France, and the French war commission at 4.35 o'clock this afternoon. Not only did the worlds largest city capitulate to the hero of the Marne and to Rene Nivina+, former premier of France, who headed the war mission to the United States, but it accorded them a tri- umphal entry.
 Million Citizens Turned Out.
 Never have visitors to New York been given so tremendous a welcome. At least a million of it's citizens turned out to pay tribute to the great soldier and the great statesman of a sister republic.
 Frenchnen Were Overwhelmed.
 Accustomed as they have become to demOnStrat tions of esteem since they set foot on American soil, the French men were overwhelmed at the demOn- strations accorded them by New York Their coming was an historic event and it was celebrated in an historic way.
 The men whom the city honored did not try to hide the emotion they felt From the moment they alighted in Jersey City until they retired tonight in the Fifth avenue mansion of Henry C. Prick they were not permitted to forget that New York was proud to have within its gates the representa-
 
 United States.
 Crossed Hudson on Police Boat.
 The members of the mission caught their first glimpse of BathoIdi's famous Statue of Liberty, presented to the people of the United States by the people Of France, as they crossed the Hudson river on a police boat on their way to Manhattan. To the starboard as the municipal vessel reached mid stream, the shaft of the statue appear ed indistinctly through a haze. Viviani and Joffre stood at the rail, the former li. Tn silence. with his hat in his hand at his side, the soldier tt salute. Then the cfty's skyline drew their attention as the boat approached the shore.
 Reception Committee.
 The Frenchmen were greeted by a reception committee which included Robert Bacon, former ambassador to France,- Joseph Fl. Ghoate former am bassador to Great Britain: Jules Jus serand, the French ambassador; Frank L. Polk, counsellor to the state depart ment; George w. Wicl1ersham, former attorney general; Dr. Nicholas Murray Burler, president of Columbia univer- sity; Major General John F. O'Rvan. commanding the state national guard; Otto H. Kahn. Cornelius Vanderbilt Thomas W. Lamont, Dudley Field Ma lone, collector of the port, and other city officials, together with officers of the army and navy.
 M. Vivinani responded with the long est speech he has made since his ar rival in America.
 America, said M Viviani. waited a long time before deciding to enter the world war, because she wanted to be certain to enter on the right side. France fought for liberty, consenting to pour forth her blood and to make the terrible sacrifice to win liberty for the world, he explained, and that was why America finally stepped in France was glad, he said. to have her moral ana material support, although she had never doubted that it would come
 The greatest lesson of the war, M V1viani declared. was conscription, be- cause as long as there was a warlike Germany, democracies would be dan gerous.
 On the way from the city hall to the Prick home, where they will be enter tained the three days they remain in the city, Marshal Joffre told an aide that their welcome to New York was the most wonderful they had received in America.