Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-11-29
PERSH|NC GREETED
BY JOYFUL PARIS
American Commander Almost
Mobbed by Worshiping
Crowd in Street.
OUTBREAK IS SPONTANEOUS
Girl Starts Demonstration When She
Recognizes Yanks' Leader
Sitting in Passing
Automobile.

Paris.-One of the widest demon
strations ever seen in Paris occurred
when Gen. John J. Pershing, COM
mander of the American expeditionary
forces, made his appearance in an au-
tOmobile on the streets of Paris. The
crowds went wild when they caught
glimpse of the American leader, and
rs the word spread thousands of. per-
sons poured from every direction into
the Place de Ia Concorde, through
which General Pershing was passing
when he was recognized by passers by.
1t was estimated that within q short
time there were half million people
IN the cheering mob that struggled for
glimpse Of the American general.
The general was out for a short
drive and had come up the Rue Rivoli.
His car was proceeding at a snail's
pace before it was recognized by the
frenzied street crowds.
AS General Pershings face, with the
famous smile, showed through the
door, q French girl with the flags of
| half dozen nations twined about her
head screataed, General Pershing!"
The cry was taken up instantly and
passed over the seething multitudes. If
there were any gendarmes about they
were Swallowed up in the enormous
mob. In an instant men and women
went mad and screamed his name, and
NIL tried to reach the car.
! Men picked up women and held them
on their shoulders that they might get
look at the general. The mob surged
toward the car in another wave.
Shakes Hands of Children.
General Pershing amidst the danger
was enjoying it greatly. Instead of clos
ing the window and urging the driver
| to get out before they were crushed to
death, he let the window down full
length, laughed heartily, and thrust his
hand out of the door to shake the hand
Of little French child whose proud
father lifted her above the heads of
the mob.
Children climbed on the tonneau and
Skinned up the back of the Limousine
and franticaly leaped over the strug-
|
:he window. General Pershing con-
finued laughing and tried to shake as
many hands as could be thrust through
the window.
"Pershing! Pershing!'' beloved tll2
mob, and the name rang from the
Seine to the Rue Royale, up the
Champs .Elysees, and through the
Tuileries gardens.
Efforts to Clear Way Fail.
French officers who had been caught
up in the human maelstrom salute6
and then endeavored to have the moi
give way. AS if by common impulse
the masses seemed to understand thai
the great American general was II
danger, and with a craning of head:
and the screams of women and chill
iren a slight rift was made directly
ahead Of the car. Then by less thar
snails pace the car with frantic
snorts edged along, inch by inch.
The cheering was indescribable
Along the boulevards the name of Per
shing was taken up by, thousands who
probably did not know that Pershins
WAS in their midst, and at one momen
It seemed that all Paris was shouting
By this time. the inside of Pershing':
ear resembled flag shop. The chill
dren who were raised over the head:
Of the frantic populace tossed small
flags and flowers through the window
and the grownups tore the insignia
from their coats and tossed it in. Gen
eral Pershing was laughing hard ant
waving his hand back at the children
out still the flag and floral Offering,
poured in until he was half buried be
ueath the bunting, flags, buttons, in
sigma, and crushed blossoms.
Moves Inch bysinch.
Inch by inch the car moved and ther
matted several minutes as the moi
| surged back against 1t. 1t was the cal
he had used over the battlefield O
France and was built for rough usage
[ Else it seems it must have crushed lik,
J an egg shell.
Finally the car edged out of tn,
Place de 10 Concorde into the Champs
Elysees, but still the mob, with hat
| off, arms in air, and mouths wide open
; shouting like mad, surged about him
, 1t was several minutes more before tn,
ear could be extricated and a sem
Olance of a road made.
r Even then, as the car got away u
l Me great avenue toward the Arc d.
l TriOmph, thousands ran after it. Al
Paris seemed to be rumbling with
D mighty noise and over the might,