New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-31
Solemnity Marks Parade OF
$4,000 Troops Down
Fifth Avenue
Impressive Spectacle
Brings Tears to Many
Soldiers Alignment Wins
Praise of Roosevelt
and Veterans

Out OF eyes just a little blurred, what
with the strain of searching out faces
and the thoughts that came when the
faces were found, New York looked its
farewell yesterday on the vanguard OF
the forces which she stands ready to
pour into the battlefelds overseas the
Guardsmen who have now become the
Twerty-seventh Division Of the Ma
tional Army.
1t was we'll that a picture OF the full,
whole bodied $4,000 of them should bs
left with the city that sends them forth,
before the shells have burst among
them and the machine guns have played
along their ranks. SO, for the pictures
sake, they called 10th Street the place
where the road to the trenches starts
and Washington Arch the end OF tho
first days hike; and they marched
down Fifth Avenue from the one TO the
other so that all who cared might see.
Those who cared better, those who
cared and could be there numbered no
less than two and a half millions. As
it was the greatest and most significant
military pageant in New York's history,
so it was the biggest crowd that ever
congregated OF a common impulse.
The Stock Exchange and the broker
age Offices and business houses and
banks within its sphere of influence
had declared a half-holiday; the de-
partment stores moratorium on work
covering the period Of the parade. The
hundreds of thousands thus released
jammed the avenue until there was
left no inch OF standing room.
Crowds Gathered Early.
There are always a few early birds
quick to seize positions Of vantage
whose presence in scattered groups
give warning of an approaching pa
rade. An hour is enough grace for
them as q rule, but yesterday the side
walks we're banked three deep from
the curb full two hours before the
marchers started south.
Mostly these wore the little white
tags which stamped them as relatives or
relatives some-day -to-6e Of the Guards
men-the little tags Of which each sol
dier got three 20 give 70 those NEAREST
and dearest. The theory Of the tags was
that every wearer would be singled out
for exceptional courtesies and granted
A right OF way. That theory held true
but the majority Of the $4,000 who
had them were taking no chances.
Early, too. we're those 20 whom seats
in the great Public Library grandstand
had been assigned. By 10 o'clock when
the head Of the parade was getting
away from the starting point-on time
n the minute-not a seat was left un-
occupied.
As the crowd began to tax the eapac-
i.v of the sidewalks. the stoops OF
"millionaires' row" along upper Fifth
Avenue we're turned into grandstands.
On another day the police would soon
have had them clear of trespassers. But
where they sat themselves. the spec
tators Of yesterday were permitted 10
stay.
The park wall afforded perch for
thousands more, and for once the grassy
hills behind them seemed 20 have lost
the sparrow cops protection. Boys
climbed into the trees and remained
there unmolested, as further down the
avenue. where new buildings were go
ing up. workmen climbed by scores into
bucket hoists and were whipped alofs
by derricks.
To count the crowd would have been
such a job as counting the stars, for
besides the millions on the sidewalk,
in the grandstands, on the park WALL
in the trees and on the stoops, the win
dows and the roofs fronting the avenue
and along the side streets added inter
mnable spectator quotas.
With the stage thus set in advance
for triumph, the troops whose order
came early in the line Of march were
resting on their arms in the side streets
north Of 10th Street. Their wait was
none too long, for the programme had
been laid out with time table precision.
There did come a delay later on, but
that was because the troops had been
faster, rather than slower. than expect
ed to cover ground. And the delay
might have been result Of planning
instead Of accident, for it came At .
time when spectators stomachs were
CRYING their noon-day demands. and
gave thousands a chance to have lunch
con without sacrificing one glimpse OF
the spectacle.
Parade Starts on Time
At 10 o'clock on the dot bugles sang
/ the call that set the parade in motion.
Five hours and sixteen minutes after
Major General John F. Organ started
down the avenue in motor that
trailed a platoon OF mounted police.
with the police band blaring "over