The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-12-19
ENGLISH CITIES
GIVE RECEPTION
TO ARMY CHIEFS
Informal Welcome is Given
Marshal Haig on Arrival in
London.
(By Associated Press)


LONDON, Dec. 19-London hung out
it's flags and the old seaport of Dover
flung its gates wide open today to
greet Field Marshal Haig and the
commanders of the five British armies
which fought in Belgium and France.
Generals Plumer. Rawlinson, Bird
wood. Byng and Horne.
1t was merely an informal welcome
on the part of London but Dover made
of It a great celebration. The news
that the field marshal was coming
home to spend Christmas with his
family at Kingston became public and
his fellow countrymen would not be
denied chance to see and cheer the
leader Of their armies. The real cele-
bration in London comes later-late
in January or early in February. The
field marshal will then according to
time honored precedents be raised to
a high rank in the peerage, how high
is point Of speculation and given a
money grant by parliament for his
services to the nation. This is the
procedure which has been followed
from the days of Wellington and Mel
son down to Kitchener and Roberts
and the occasion will be celebrated
with civic and military formalities
such as no other nation, except pos
sibly France, can carry out as impress
sively as Great Britain.
The welcome given the home COM
ing generals today was similar to
that given Marshal Foch and Pre-
mier Clemenceau Of France, and Pre-
mier Orlando of Italy little over a
week ago, but there was less display.
Premier Lloyd George, the Duke of
Connaught. members of the cabinet.
generals and lesser functionaries from
the war office made up the receiving
party at Charing Cross station. After
first greetings, the civilian officials
disappeared from the scene and the
small procession proceeded through
the principal streets to Buckingham
palace where the king entertained
Field Marshal Haig at luncheon.
A small escort of the life qua rd, in
steel cuirasses, preceded the carriages
in which the army commanders rode.
Field Marshal Haig was in the first
carriage; Generals Plumer and Raw
linson in the second; Generals Bird
wood and Byng in the third and Gen
eral Horne in the fourth. The moth
ers of the officers and members of the
reception committee filled the re-
mainder of the seats.
Airplanes lowering overhead escort
ed Field Marshal Haigs ship across
the channel and followed his train to
London.
All business places at Dover were
closed and holiday was declared.
Admiral Keyes, commander of the
port, all the naval and military offic-
ers of the city, the mayor, members
of the city council and Lord Beau
chan warden of the Cinque ports,
received the returning commanders
in the marine station which was
swathed in bunting and decorated with
notices. The arms Of Dover and
those of Field Marshal Haig were
everywhere displayed
Sentiment such as Welcome home
I'VE are all Scots in our welcome of
thee" and Memo, me impune laces-
sit were seen on transparencies,
while the largest bore the words,
Welcome from the Dover patrol"
This contingent guarded the channel
throughout the war. After Field Mar
shal Haig had been presented an IL
Illuminated address by the mayor, the
generals proceeded to the station be-
meath rows of triumphal arches.