New-York tribune., 1918-02-04
Packed Hippodrome Wild
ly Cheers Dash Into No
Mans Land
Rousing Reception to
Boys Of 308th Infantry
Entire Outfit to Parade
Through Streets of
City To-day

nue. and Forty fourth Street.
The feat was accomplished after a
desperate struggle in No Mans Land
at the Hippodromc in the course of
the big entertainment given to, by
and for the 3Osth Infantry. If any
single feature may be picked out of
the bill which kept crowded house
of the swecthearts, mothers and we'll
wishers of the men who will to-day
parade through New York on the first
stage Of the journey to France alter
natcly cheering and applauding and
gasping-a bill that included the whole
demonstration of what Uncle Sam can
do in the way Of turning out soldiers
in a hurry, and which was marked
by the first presentation of rcgimental
colors to a unit of the new National
Army-it is to that grim interludc of
wasted spaces that the honor belongs.
Here was the very stuff Of modern
warfare, the smell and the thrill and
the SAVIOR of it, in all its horror and its
glory depicted by the men who are on
their way to take part in it. And the
transition to its spell was as sudden
and dramatic as are the. transitions of
the trenches themselves.
A moment before "Jack" Wilson and
his company, who formed part of the
army Of professional talent that helped
make the affair so notable a success,
had been curling the audience up with
typical Broadway gags. Then the low
necked soubrette suddenly bounced Off
stage; the negro comedian gave a final
flip to his funny tambourinc and the
house was dark.
"Oyer There"
Mid-stagc the big curtains rolled
back. and through the dim blue night
light gradually there appeared a stretch
of the desolated territory cover there"
Shelltirc had raked the spot. Overhead
branches were twisted and broken, and
in the foreground only few tree
stumps remained. All was quiet, move
less.
Then suddenly out Of the trenches
tc the right-the American trenches
slipped two khakiclad forms. Silently
stealthily. they slipped through the
gloom. now ducking and lodging, now
wriggling on their stomachs along the
ground, until they had come within
few PAGES of the German trenches. BY
ones and twos other figures Joined
them, squatting, guns in hands. Then
waitng-an eternity Of wait
ing. until at length, scarcely discern
ible in the meagre light, gray-garbed
left.
Softly. they came on. Whcn-crash,
an innocent looking tree stump shot
forward. The foremost Hun went
spraWling. At the same instant an
American soldier was up and on him,
and a dozen rifles were blazing You
could hear the labored breathing of
the men as they closed and grapplcd,
using gun-butts, bayonets and knives
III the hand-to- hand scuf1lc.
Dash Back to Shelter
From somewhere a rocket shot up,
illumining for a vivid instant the
struggling forms. Twice more rifles
blazed. There were few heavy thuds,
then mad scurrying as the Yankee
troops dashed back to their shelter,
three of them struggling under the bur-
den of wounded comrade.
Once more a rocket ascended, and in
its fitful glare the six Hun snpers
we're revealed, stretched out. and the
big audience arose to its feet, yelling
like mad.
Wild cheers also were evoked when
the boys of the 3OSth gave glimpse
of trench during a gas attack The
men hastily donned their masks while
the banging of dishpans and the honk-
ing of auto horns sounded the alarm
blazing away at the oncoming Boehes,
while another, grabbing sacks and
coats, set to work beating the fumes
out Of the trench
No war play, nor even official movie
from the front, has brought quite SO
vividly before New York audience
the actuality Of the hazards lover
there" and when one soldier fell from
the firirg-step, in lifelike stimulation
OF man overcome by the green
peril" gasp of heartfelt anguish ran
through the entire audience.
But what perhaps most of all i'm
pressed the great gathering was the
precision and high powered military
efficiency evinced in cvry move and
gesture of these men who have been
taken from civil life and whipped into
the fibre of an army all in five short
months.
Many to Greet Them
The soldiers arrived in town in three
contingents yesterday, the first reach
ing the Pennsylvania Station from
Camp Upton at 10 o'clock, and the
others following close after. Hosts of
friends and relatives were at the sta
ton to greet them. They marched
through the snow that was singing
across the city, to the list Regiment
Armory. which is to serve as their
headquarters until they leave for the
South day. Here were more rela
tivcs and friends. and greetings and
kisses and cries and protestations filled
the air from the moment of their ap-
pearancc. AS soon as they we're OFF,
cially dismissed, they scattered to all
parts of the city for the 'last Sunday
at home"
AS early az 1 o'clock they began to
rcassemblc for the "bg show" at the
Hppodrome, and when the curtain rose
there was not seat vacant i'll the vast
house.
Whatever disappointment they har
bored as result of the refusal to al
low them to parade on SUNDAY was dis
sipated in the warm. friendly atmos-
phcre that the theatre crowd brought
with it. From the smiling doorman to
the bright-cyed girls hanging SO close
ly on their arms, there was not per-
son present who for moment allowed
them to forget that they arc "our
boys"
Che first scene set the tone for the
whole afternoon. 1t was called "A
Campfire Somewhere in France" and
disclosed the regimental chorus
grouped. on a darkencd stage, about
huge fire, whose glow played over their
upturncd faces as they sang a medley
..,,,j,r potinnal airs 'Thpn the or