The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-09
Tremendous Demonstration
Of Patriotism Given BY
Many Thousands.
PARADE IS CHEERED
BY GREAT CONCOURSE
Crowd Packs Theater to
Hear Patriotic Addresses
and Affirm Devotion.

Tremendous visible assurance of
unanimity in support of a flag COM
mitted to war was given by Missoula
yesterday afternoon. Thousands of
| men, women and children participated
| in q great demonstration of loyalty
which began with n parade of vet
Grams, recruits and coming soldiers and
concluded with the cheering adoption
of resolutions pledging the city's whole
| support to President Wilson.
Whatever differences of opinion may
! have existed before the actual declara-
| tion of war were swept away yester-
! day. 1t was a single minded, loyal
community which cheered grizzled
| Grand Army men and stocky Boy
| Scouts yesterday afternoon; which
| fairly shook the walls of the Missoula
thcater with patriotic applause and
! song; which stood together in earnest,
intense approval of resolutions prais-
ing Woodrow Wilson's course and
promising backing for it.
1t has been said that the west is
ultra pacific. Perhaps it has been.
But pacific it is no longer Not so
much as a whisper of opposition was
heard among the great crowds which
Joined in the celebration Of the PA
. trotic Sunday proclaimed by Mayor
/ H. T. Wilkinson the day war was de-
| clarcd.
Demonstration Not BeIlicose.
Yet yesterdays demonstration could
hardly be called bellicose. There was
little in it to suggest that it was the
action of people engaged in world
war. Bright weather brought out in
the afternoon all the brave bonnets
and gay dresses which marked the
morning Easter showing. Men in
stiffly-n clothes, women in bright
spring coats and hats, children with
the clean faces and uncomfortable
shoes of Sunday lined the streets as
the little parade passed.
It was all like some happy gala day.
Flags were everywhere and gay music.
| Even the parade was not warlike. Fed
eral recruiting officers rode in it. to
be sure, but with no other weapons
than flags and posters. There was not
a gun among the marchers.
One WarIike Touch.
There was. however. one distinctive
" martial touch. Behind the veterans
of the Civil and the Spanish American
wars marched a little company of uni
Ncrsity cadets. They wore civilian
clothes and marched without any arms
whatever but they were eloquent OF
war. The Grand Army men. the Span
: ish war veterans and the boy scouts
mustered more paraphernalia of war
but they suggested war not at all. The
university corps, made mp of sturdy
: swinging youn sstcrs self -consecratcC
Z to their nation, did not need uniforms
r or guns TO suggest training camps an6
the trenches beyond them.
Strangely enough tho university
{ squad received almost no applause
r though the veterans and the scout,
r were loudly chcered as they passed
For all that it was n soldicrly com
+ pany and gave a saving touch o
reality and earnestness to a demon
$ stration which might otherwise hav'
| been all show.
Applause Greets Marchers.
! Sharp. enthusiastic greetings me
the little group of Grand Army men a
it came down Higgins avenue at TIN
head of the marchers. With the ol'
post flag at the fore the Boys of 81
, were an inspiring group Eighteen o
= them were i'm line. Behind them. witt
their own flags. marched the younge
veterans of the war with Spain. The,
: too, were loudly cheered. The uni
Y versity company followed and then
n troop of Boy Scouts all in khaki. le
by r. s. Paxson The boys were give
an ovation by the thousands of spec
tators.
u, Many Unable to Enter.
The line of march extended onl
from the north end of the Higgins av
emile bridge to the Mssoula theater o
East Main street. AS the parad
reached the theater the great crow
- rushed for the doors. Three thousan
- people. it was estimated, found sea,
Z, within the building. Fully that man
~ more were unable to enter. = u
10 The members OF the Grand Arm
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