New-York tribune., 1918-12-15
Fifth Ave. Makes
Complete Surrender
To Old Santa Claus
Mecca Of Shops and Fashion
To Be Happiest Street in
the World This Week

merry Christmas" will mingle with
"Wclcome Home" to make Fifth Ave-
nue. the happiest street in the world
this week. With Christmas trees on
every corner and evergreen garlands
swaying with the shining Red Cross
banners high above the traffic, and with
mammoth art gallery on the library
steps. the avenue will take on the ap~
pearance of a huge Christmas festival,
excelling in brilliancy even the dec
orations for the fourth Liberty Loan
campaign.
"The Avenue of Mercy" is the cap
( tion chosen by the American Red Cross
to tell the story of the "roll call" for
membership and money, which opens
tomorrow, but there will be more than
mercy in the spirit of the pageant,
mercy being at best a lukewarm emo
ton, for the hearts of the people are
burning this year with JOY and pride
and thankfulness such as they have
never known before, and Christmas will
get the benefit of all the happiness
which has been accommodating since No
vember IL.
Smiles Greet Soldiers
The "Welcome Home" will shine in
every admiring glance that rests upon
a gold chcvron on a khaki sleeve. That
goes without saying.
There is, however, a great red "W ell
come Home" on Franklin Simons s store
to gladden. the eye of the home coming
soldier himself when he takes that long
dreamed of stroll "up Fifth and does
his Christmas shopping in the house OF
his family tradition. instead of in the
little village store in Alsacc, as he had
expected last summer, when he wrote
home and asked Sister Nellie whether
she wanted a souvenir silk handker-
chief or German helmet for Christ
mas.
If he wanders off Fifth Avenue into
the equally crowded stores in -Four
teenth Street he will find his welcome
awaiting him at Hcarn's, where huge
banner hangs across the street blaz-
ing with the same "Welcome Home
Smaller shops throughout the city have
followed this lead and hung out a red,
white and blue banner which reads
"Welcome Home, Boys
The great homecoming parade OF
New York soldiers will not take place
for some weeks yet, however, and until
then there Will be but isolated attempts
on the part of Fifth Avenue to make a
display of "wclcome' flags.
Welcome All Winter
The first impulse in this direction
felt last week when the homecoming
fleet began sailing up the Bay, was IN
terrupted by the start of the Red Gross
campaipn. Stores which had already
arranged Welcoming decorations vii
not take them down; indeed, one pro
prietor stated last night that he in
tended to koAo his welcome up all win
ter" until every boy is home again.
The Red Cross scheme, however, !!
so elaborate and so carefully designed
to fill every block, that it dWarts any
other decorations. In addition to The
Christmas trees, which Will border the
avenue from Twenty sixth to Fifty
ninth Street, and the miles and miles o
green garlands which hang from build
ing to building, there will be an exhi
bition of giant Red Cross posters OF
specially chosen blocks, with centra
collection. at the Public Library. Her
they Will be hung on an cnormOu
decorative panelled screen, extending
along the entire Fifth Avenue front o
the building.
This huge screen presented man,
problems in construction. 1t had to b
broken by wind pockets" for safet
and yet maintain a certain artist
unity. This was accomplished by di
vding it into series Of alternatin
panels and open arches.
y
"a There Will be sixteen of these archie
~ and panels on either side of the mai
D. entrance to the library, which will b
'r through two great arches, fanked wit
le towering forty-foot Christmas tree.
I Evergreen wreaths, surrounding a Re
IS Cross, will top each panel.
{ A great variety of subjects and
n wealth of gorgeous coloring mark tn
lee paintings which will fill these panel
"a "ln Hospital" by Harrison FISHER, wi
show Red Cross nurse giving med
. cine to a wounded soldier. "Serbia
by Boardman Robinson, will portray
Red Cross motor lorry bringing SUI
plies to Serbian refugees. Swinnerton
m picture is decidedly humorous, shown
small boy leading puppy, whic
draws Red Cross supplies on a sled.
'e Other pictures are "The West," by
Borein. showing a Red Cross wago
tram bringing supplies to the famiit
of American Indians in the service
"The Welcomc," telling of nurse su
ue coring wounded soldier at hospita
ST THE Good Samaritan" by Maurie
ee Stern, which shows a Red Cross nur.
'g and group of workers posed by tt
DC lsadora Duncan dancers.
Other Pictures Shown
r. Oscar Cesare depicts the heroic Fl,
n, ure Of nurse pointing out to soldiC
Us vision in "The Rainbow"; Mode.
tt. Stems "Rumania" shows a group {
ha Red Cross workers among Rumania
ss refugees; Ernest Blumcnschein
hv Mother Of the Red Cross" depic
ia Florence Nightingale helping tt
SIS wounded in the Crimean War; F.
,r, Cruger sympolizes the spirit of the Re
tn Cross by showing workers aiding he'll
Ir- less refugees, and b. Gussow is a mo,
I'd, ern poster exhibits d heroic figure syn
I'd, bolizng the Red Cross lifting prostra
lie, Europe to her feet
ne George kerr's poster, shows tv
III, great arms extended from the ruins
ra Rheims to a red cross flaming in IL
]. sky; William Zorach's ultra-model
ry poster portrays a group of childre
op welcoming an approaching Red Gro
iss ship, and w. A. Rogers gives a touc
,et of realism in his poster, "Whle So
ss der Sleeps" depicting a nurse scru
is. bing hospital floor.
lta On Wednesday evening there will !
ISIS "block party" covering not one bloc
le, but every block on Fifth Avenue, wit
&C. music and dancing and specchmakir
rr, from Madison Square to the Plaza
9p' Fashion Fete VIII Aid