New Britain herald., 1918-12-13
Shore Batteries and BattIeShips Join in Tremendous Salute as George Washington SteamS Into HarbOr 1
 
LANDS ON FRENCH
 SOIL AT 2 O'CLOCK

AFflNal o1 PrcSIdcntS boat a Gulmi~t K
 nation of Imposing Naval SpectaclesH
 Many of America's Big Warships(h
 Convoy George Washington Into4# #
 Harbor-Crowds Cheer Wildly andIN
 Wilson Acknowledges SaIutes.
 Brest, Dec. 1S.-(By the Associated5H Press) President Wilson reached@H the harbor of Brest on board the4N steamer George Washington at 1IM o'clock this afternoon and within andM hour stepped on shore-the first timal an American president had trod Eu-l ropean soil. The arrival was the cul--lM N imitation of an imposing naval spec x tacle which began as the presidential # fleet rounded the outer capes then IS passed the entrance forts and moved W majestically into the harhor wherej M the George Washington anchored at the head of a long double column of K American dreadnoughts and destroy- CTS and the units of a French cruiser squadron.
 Crowds Cheer Wildly.
 The presidential fleet was first sighted at 11:30 o'clock this morning IS miles off shore. The sea was calm, and the stately fleet moved landward under skies which were steadily brightening after a dark and gloomy morning. It was more than an hour M later that the fleet was signalled at S the entrance of the harbor and a great cheer arose from the waiting # crowd as the cloud of black smoke M showed that the presidential party Ks was near. @
 American Boats in Convoy.
 Ahead came a single destroyer. M| showing the way to the fleet and 8 close behind Ioomed the battleships 8s Pennsylvania and Wyoming, flying re- spectiveIy the flags of Admiral Mayo. M commander of the Atlantic fleet, and @ Vice Admiral Sims, commander of thes @ American naval forces in European M waters. Then came the George Wash-4#s ington bearing the president, f1anked M on either side by the battlehips Arr M kansas Florida, Utah, Nevada, Okla- # homa, New York, Texas and Arizona. @ by French cruisers and by a great M f1otilla of American and French tor KS pedo boat destroyers. N
 Big Guns Boom Welcome. @
 The entrance to the harbor is nar- M row strait a mile wide, with forts s crowning the towering cliffs on each K side. Through this avenue the inn M posing pageant moved, each of tha M ten forts contributing its cannonade and the ten American battleships am M swering gun for gun.
 As the fleet neared the inner har- # bor the land batteries and the as- 8 sembled war craft took up the thun- Sz derous salute, while the quays, tha2 2 hills and the terraces of the old Bret-8 8 on city rang with cheers from the XXI multitude. At taa sam9 M time all the war craft, merchantmen MI and transports dressed ship and EFT manned the yards, while the strainsW W of the American anthem fioated over 8 the water, mingling with the roar ofNM the guns and the shouts of the vast M crowds. M
 The George Washington came to # anchor off shore while the battleship s ranged themselves in double column S on either side. a
 Wilson Acknowledges Salute. M
 President Wilson witnessed the s spectacle from the deck of his steam 8 CT. waving greetings and acknow- 2 as the cheering tlrong H ashore vied with the artillery in tho s Old Worlds first tribute to the Amer- @ ican president. N
 Soon after the arrival of the presi- 2 dential fleet came stephen Pichon, the French foreign minister, and Georges Leygues the minister of ma- 8 rine, who was at Brest to meet the 8S president on behalf of the FrenchI MT government, boarded the George# M Washington to extend their firstAaS greeting. American officials also went 8 on board to make the arrangementsAs Ass for the landing of the president.
 President Goes Ashore. #
 There was a thunderous cannonade # as the presidents launch left thS8 8 George Washington and landed at 8 pier No. 5. He was escorted to thea aM tribune amid cheers and saivos andNl the notes of the Star Spangled Ban- N ner.
 President Wilson came ashore witliN #
 Continued on Fifteenth PageA