New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-30
Veterans March to Gain
City's Quota of $500
for Army
Only a Third Enrolled
Rest Must Be Gained To-day,
the Last Day of the
Weeks Campaign

Two v&rlike bodies OF men moved
through Manhattan last night and left
in their wakes convincing arguments
Tor army recruiting.
One section tramped along in the
shadow of the Third Avenue 81" and
one through Eighth Avenue. Bands
played. gray armored cars rumbled in
their midst and powerful sesrchlights
east Glitter!ng points of silver on fixed
bayonets.-.
Tepements disgorged coatless. hat
less hundreds of men and women, who
lined the dewalks and stared and
checred as the men IN khaki. the men
IN blue. the motor batteries and the
gun tractors fled by. So the stage WAS
nicely set for the members of the re-
cruiting battalions OF service men who
marched in the rear OF each procession.
Colonel Eugene h. Austin and Major
Francis q. Landon started out with 500
such men. but when the paradcs had
ended they had suffered casualties OF
100 per cent. Their men were dotting
the street corners for miles back, urg-
ing their audiences TO obey the Presi-
dents call and help the army get the
10000 men it must have to reach full
fighting strength,
Speakers in Squads OF Eight
The speakers left the parades in
squads Of eight, and one addressed the
meetings from some improyised plat
form, while the other seven mingled
and talked recruiting man to man.
Every other street corner on Third
Avenu" between Thirty-fourth and
seventy Streets had a gathering,
and il was the same in Eighth Avenue
between Thirty-fourta and Sixty-hrst
Streets.
One hundred meetings were held in
the wakes Of both lines of march, and
Z they fail TO produce results in the
army recruiting stations to-day. the
last day of army week, recruiting Off
GERS and the recruiting committee OF
the Mayors Committee on National De-
fence will reluctantly be forced to be-
lieve that something is the matter with
New York. They have worked all the
week 20 win from the city's millions its
quota Of $500 men for the regular
army. With tho last day arrived. they
have recruited about a third of that
number.
With Brigadier General Oliver b.
Bridgman a. the head the parade
moved last night ~ 5 o'clock from
Madison Avenue and Forty-frst Street.
Eight thousand men were in line,
among them battslions of marines,
regulars and blueiackets and at least
company from practically every New
York unit Of the National Guard.
Thrilling Spots in Procession
There were many picturesque, thrill
ing spots in the procession. There
we're the ominous looking ears of the
lst Armored Motor Battery, the power
full searchlght5 that caught the tips Of
bayonets and made them appear TO BIO
set with tiny lights. the wall OF the
pipers and the bIare Of many bands.
But the finest sight Of all, the sight
that made the sidewalks cheer, was
company after company of young men
lon civilian clothes. They were the fresh
recruits. the latest additions TO the
regiments whose numerals they bore
on the pasteboard banner carried by
one Of their members.
There were cheers, too, for the men
in the speakers battalion, for they
we're all veterans of other wars and
many Of them wore the uniforms that
saw service az Santiago, in the Philip
pines and before Peking. Alexander j.
Hemphll and many other members OF
the Mayors Committee on National
Defence also marched.
Yesterday III men were enlisted in
the regular army. Colonel R. d. Walsh,
in charge Of recruiting for the New
York district, doesn't expect 20 get
more than ! 100 men for the week
which ends ton ight.