The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-31
MANCHESTER GIVES
HOMELIKE GREETING
President Gets Closer to the
People.

By the Issocidtsd Press
MANCHESTER. Dec. 3o.--The people Of
Manchester made President Wilson a
freeman Of their city to-day. They did
more than that-they made him nt home.
1t seems as II all the men, women
and children OF the town, and many
from Lancashire at large, cheered the
President at some stage of the crowded
Ave hours in which he made sort OF
democratic royal progress from one
point OF interest to another. which was
strenuous enough and vast enough %
exhaust even the hardest political cam
paigner
The general atmosphere, Of all the
proceedings was intimate and friendly.
often the people got near enough to
shake hands. Even the ceremony OF
comforting the freedom OF tho city had
tone Of homely simplicity and seemed
more like a college commencement than
formally staged ritual. The assembly
sang For He's a jolly Good Fellow
which could hardly have occurred at
State banquet or in the Guildhall.
II was happy inspiration that led the
Aldermen TO throw open the largest hall
in the city, instead of following custom
by holding the ceremony In the Num-
cipal Chamber. This by no means re-
duced the effect of the important speech
the President delivered.
Utterances Eagerly Absorbed.
His most important procurement
perhaps to Englishmen, the most impor-
tant he has made in England, that the
United States would mako no covenant
with any Powers except one with all the
Powers, was not lost upon his hearers.
No other audience during his European
appearances has absorbed the Presi-
tttt m eagerly under
standingly, has so quickly responded to
every important point. No other audi
ence has resembled SO notlceably the
character and types of people to whom
the President has been accustomed to
speak at home.
Perhaps this was because Lancashire
has contributed so many citizens to the
United States and has such close indus
trial connections and follows American
AFFAIRS with keener interest than most
English counties.
The first item in the days programme
was n drive to the famous docks. which
have made Manchester an inland port.
Here the shipping extended befiagged
and vociferous greeting to the President,
while the workmen from all the big
warehouses and factories around hung
from the windows and stood on the roofs.
Speaks mt Royal Exchange.
Later the President made n brief APP
pearance in the balcony OF the Royal
Exchange. where he spoke Finally he
took lunch with 200 prominent men in
the Midland Hotel. where he made an
acknowledgment Of Manchester's hos
pitality.
Only tho weather was unfriendly to-
day. 1t was gray and thick, with in
tervals of rain. but that Is typical of the
season in the midlands. and 1t kept no.
body indoors Merchants workmen,
farmers, soldiers, with countless thou
sands of women and children stood in
the streets and rushed from point to
point for a glimpse OF the President
from another angle. 81
Shaking hands with the Lord Mayor
and the Chief Constable on parting, the
President said: ,5f cE-. !
80 Gentlemen. I congratulate YOU both
In all my travels I have not known
arrangements TO go on 80 smoothly.
You have given me happy time. My
only regret is that it was not longer"
Final Tribute of Cheers.
The last Manchester saw of the Presi-
dent he stood on the platform OF the
royal train. hat in hand with his mill
tary aid. holding the dark blue Presi-
dental flag which had been presented
by the people of France. The band
played THE Star Spangled Banner"
The red ROBBED Lord Mayor and the blue
and silver bedecked Chief Constable
were in the foreground, with an Amer
lean guard of honor IN the background.
and there came a final tribute of cheers.
stirring the flags which hung from the
arches Of the station.
The President was the recipient OF
oIations for many miles along the rail-
way from Manchester The people had
gathered along the line near the city and
il the suburbs and at various local
points on the route and cheered vigor-
orsly AS the train passed
In telegram regretting his inability to
visit southampton and receive the free
dom of the city. the President expressed
his cordial thanks for the honor and
said, 1t would have been n great pleas
ure. but it is absolutely necessary for
me TO return TO France on Tuesday
Interpretation of Address
Almost every sentence the PRECEDENT
uttered in his speech in the Free Trade
Hall was received with applause and
cries Of Hear Hear !" and It was plain
that his British audience regarded the
speech as a most important one
The whole tone of the Presidents adj
dress was interpreted In American quar-
tiers as an additional Indication that his
conferences Of last week with Premier
Lloyd George and Foreign Secretary
Balfour had revealed the United States
and Great Britain on quite common
ground from which tho peace negotia-
flnns could proceed with the two nations
standing together on the fundamentals.
The speech was also taken as an indi-
cation that much OF the important de-
tails of the peace conference had been
arranged.
To American eyes the scene in the
free Trade Hall was comparable to that
of "A session OF political national con-
Nention. The Introductory speeches were
received much az are the nominating
speeches for the favorte candidate at
such a convention and when President
Wilson rose TO speak the scene reseln-
hled that OF a convention about to NOM
mate "A candidate by reclamation
The Free Trade Hall Is SUPPOSED 10
hold 1000 persons on the main floor and
the balcony which runs GROUND the
building. To-day the hall was filled to
capacity. with many persons standing.
and an overflow damned the streets for
several blocks near the hall. The people
outside stood in the cold and drlzzling
rain for an hour to see the President
end cheered loudly when he appeared.
"Star SpanEIed Banner" PLAYED.
Inside the greater hall all the specta-
tors had been waiting some time when
the Aldermen and city officials preceded
The President on TO the platform The