New Britain herald., 1917-04-24
Commission Headedb1 Viviani Arrives Safe ly on This Side o|
 s the Atlantic
CROSSED OCEAN ON a
 FAST FRENCH LINE1

FAST FRENCH LlNE Party Was Conveyed Overseas
 WarsIips-American Military aai
 Naval Officials and Reprcscntatty
 of State Department Extend Wtc
 come to These Shorcs-Nlar1l5a
 Joffre Among Visitors.
 Washington, April 24.-The Trend commission has safely landed in tl}7 United States. This statement W made early today by the governmeuf
 "The department of state is advta@ of the safe arrival of the French con- mission. The commission, which m cludes Marshal Joffre and forrnS Premier viviani, arrived early ftlf morning on board speedy ship cl the French line which was convoyd across the Atlantic. ''The ship was met off the coast. E( American destroyers and escorted M Icrt Fl z "The naval and military attacheg the French embassy at Washinet6 and American military and naval e% ficials with a representative ofk4l state department, boarded the FrS1a vessels and extended welcome Americas shores" gss Y
 Later. the state department fSsul this further statement: N
 'The department is notified 'tN the French mission will reach Wa ington, tomorrow morning. The pp else time and place of arrival wiIis1 announced later. S The Associated Press correspoHde~ who accompanied the party fra France sends the following despa3Gl from the port of arrival: s9 Ast the ship bearing the F'rGu@l commission came into port tOdj4 American warships broke out FrcI1N1 colors from their mast heads a American bands played the F'refS national anthem. Americans aa French sailors lined the rails of tn. ships. No salutes were fired,
 Quietly Leave Paris. The special train bearing the na sion slipped out of Paris in the e9az morning observed by a few secret e8x vice agents and railway men. The hQ} of leaving was known nowhere in vance and when the train stopped W cities along the way to the port departure, Marshal Joffre walked and down the station platform, 4 knowledging pleasantly the salutatIol of the few persons who happenedS be in the stations. They looked At
 great commander with a respect
 preaching veneration. When thSY
 pulled away, men stood solemnly
 heads barred until his car passed
 view. The American flag was tt
 here and there along the route. nNE recognition of the party goin9
 America but because every town TT village in France both by govefnMoS request and personal sentiment
 showing the American colors.
 The transfer from train to lh was without event as was the ,vot across the Atlantic.
 Warships passed oI. ahead of td French steamer into the danger xaj which in this case Is one cf G haunting places of German .utu( rines. M
 The first night. out the ship TT convoy made eighteen knots xii hda before the wind, all running witly01 lights. After three years of s1l ice, the celebrated. liner wEich kd the party is a mixture Of former e56| gance and rough temporary fttlHn1 Hef decks and troughs line the m promenade deck, powder and shS are stored in some of the -oonly TT vate cabins fore and aft near tho III and half-inch guns. Racks of 41 beating rifles are upon every l1A ing; life preeervers are piled handt near the stairways. The same skinH who commanded the liner in the N :, York-Havre passenger service stt3f& in command. SI
 Part of the guard turned back second night out but the remalv stayed with the party all the
 over. Once a steamer looked &S the horizon, turned and hurried aygS2 and later a little Norwegian stealsa5 was sighted. A three-masted Frentl sailing vessel signalled for news 2 the war and the' flags fluttered ba0I containing "good news" Saturday aI English cargo boat set her course d though she would run close but wal given 8 wide road for fear she migh1 have been submarine tender.
 There was a low barometer ana some hours of rugged weather haE way across. Otherwise the dAW were fine' The only incident that n43 ceived 9 long entry in the ships ie was the appearance of great wht1l and yellow meteor toward midnl01 Friday. The great arc left in its hlaj
 (Continued on Eleventh Paysl