The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-05

arch.
The whistles were going full blast
from everywhere roundabout by this
time, and enough steam was expended
IN honor OF the Lapland's arrival to
MT her to the moon, one might guess.
The big sirens that were fated never
to Shrek warning of German air raids
were believing wildly and all the fac
tory and steamship whistles were
combining in ululant hysteria. The
band Of the Patrol was playing a tune
greatly admired, 1t seems, by the
statesman from Red Hook the battle
cry OF the gang, and a band was re-
plying splritedly from the transport.
over In Hoboken. where the President
and the American Peace Committee
and George Creel and other no doubt
important people were getting ready to
sail to save civilization, there was a
vast response and through glasses one
could see that the decks of the George
Washington and the whole Hoboken
waterside were thoroughly awake.
Escorted by the fussy little boats,
saluted by the stately big boats and
watched by hundreds Of thousands of
people crowded in Battery Park and
along the North River. the Lapland
steamed pridefully northward to her
berth and presently was tied UP at the
White Star piers. She had brought
home 2S3 officers, 1877 men and 4
nurses, the total being 2.034. The
transport locked almost at the min
ute that the George Washington
backed out Of Hoboken. Nothing had
been overlooked in the circumstances
Of her reception. even an airplane
greeting her from high above the
river.
Special Passes DisreEarded.
1t was unfortunate that the mill
tary officers in charge Of the debarka-
ton failed to comprehend that CEN
sorship restrictions have been lifted by
the Secretary of War, These officers
refused to recognize special passes
which had been issued by order OF the
Secretary through Brig. Gen. George
II. McManus from the headquarters
Of the port Of embarkation at Hobo
ken. The result was that newspaper
writer's, striving for news OF interest
to the public, were forbidden to go
aboard the Lapland as we'll as the
Minnekahda, which came in later, and
were hustled to points on the pier
where 1t was impossible to interview
likely looking subjects. In spite Of
these restrictions the reporters got the
news, II that is of any interest to the
young men who, however one may
lament the fact, will never become
Ma or-G Generals.
Some of 1t was supplied by Lieut.
Col. Mcclellan. once the Mayor of our
fair city. The first question that
popped out Of his mouth was:
Say. is It true that McAdoo has
resigned? 1t is, Ell? Well. now.
wonder what he did that for?"
Col. Mcclellan said he had seen the
last OF the fighting in France, and he
displayed a blue service stripe. He
was unable to discuss the special duty
which had taken him to France.
The Secretary OF War himself
showed UP at the pier a few minutes
after the transport locked. He was
held up by crossed rifles, but he finally
made the guard understand that he
had a little something to do with the
War Department and they let him go
aboard. The soldiers got on to who he
was pretty quickly and in the shelter
Of the crowd and out OF the glance Of
their officers they yelled familiar
greeting:
Hello. Newton! How's Cleveland,
Newt? Hey. Cleveland, when do We
get homer
Secretary Feels at Home.
at made me feel quite at home,'
said the Secretary subsequently. my
only purpose in visiting the ship was
to see the men. I had never had
chance to witness the Decentralization
of troops. I found 1t very interest
ing"
The Secretary greeted a number of
British officers and fourteen Aus
tralians who had been fighting since
the days OF Gallipoli.
While most of the officers and men
aboard the Lapland had been denied
the great adventure, having spent all
their time training in England, there
were some who had seen real fighting.
Lieut.. Robert E. Newman OF 203O Lex
ington avenue had made sixteen bomb
ing expeditions. Lieut.. King Kelly of
Chicago, an automobile racer before
the war. had been wounded while lead
ing a bombing squadron over St.
Quentin. Lieut.. Robert z. Hill OF
Flora, H., with two German planes TO
his credit. was shot down near Chateau
Thierry but had the good luck to
escape with bruises only. Lieut.. II.
G. Mccartney OF Connelsville, Pa,
brought back an Airedale as a souvenir
OF English hospitality. and all OF the
returning men bore witness to the
fact that the English people. from high
officials down, had treated the Amert-
cans like princes.
Most OF the young men had been
in training with the big Handley- Page
bombing machines, vast winged fell
lows spreading 176 feet. Some Of them
said that plan had been made to fly
from Sussex and to bomb Berlin, and
that the plan was on the point OF
being put into operation when the war
stopped. Eight bombing planes, each
carrying ton OF high explosives, were
to have flown to Berlin to give the
Germans a taste OF what Paris and
London had suffered, but the armls-
tice prevented.
AviatOrs Are Disappointed.
And believe me, there was some
tall cussin' in our camp said one of
the Lieutenant aviators.
Bird Coler's nephew, Capt. Eugene
Seeley Coler, also a flying man, saw
active service and received wounds in
the head, neck and arms while fiying