New-York tribune., 1918-12-01
Citizens Name Committee
to Greet Troops When
Mayor Fails to Act
Transport Expected
In Harbor by Noon
Hylan Contents Himself
With Criticism of Plans
for avenue of States

New York citizens, taking authority
into their own hands, to-day will ex-
press the gratitude of the nation to the
first organized group of Americas vic
torious war heroes to reach home.
Some time to-day the first shipload
of the contingent of aviators to return
will sail up the harbor and, actually as
we'll as figuratively, into the out
stretched arms of enthusiastic citizens
who hurriedly organized themselves
into reception committee yesterday.
A little tug, bearing a big canvas sign
with the words Welcome Home" will
meet the transport some place off
- Sandy Hook.
But the city will officially take no
saotice Of this, the first Homecoming of
Pershing's crusaders. Mayor Hylan
paid no attention to the approach of
tho homeward bound transports except
70 attempt to block the plans of one of
fhe voluntary bodies that is organizing
$ne states into great national recep-
$1en committee. 1t was said last night
raas the organization would pay no at
tention 60 his letter of protest.
Expect Ship at Noon
Definite arrangements for to-day's
reception to the aviators could NOT be
completed last night because of lack of
final information from the War Depart
nent. 1t IS thought the transport will
reach harbor waters about noon and
will dock at Hoboken two or three
hours later.
The tugboat that will carry the re-
ception committee to the transport
will be manned by members of he Aero
Club of America. A committee, head
ed by Alan r. Hawley, president of
the club, will go aboard the transport
and outline plan for showing the
aviators as much of the city as Sunday
restrictions will permit. Other mem
bers of the committee are Henry Wood
house, Augustus Post, Charles Ed
wards and Captain Robert A. Bartlett
Hylan Criticizes Plans
Mayor Hylan's only official action in
the matter of greeting the returning
lighters took the form of letter to
the Fifth Avenue Association, in
which he criticised its plan to turn
F'fth Avenue into an Avenue of the
otat< the decorating to be in the
hahos - committees from each state
IN the Union. Incidentally, he an
nounced that the committee, of which
Rodman Wanamaker is head. is the
only one having authority to act in
this connection, thus eliminating the
Mayors Committee on National DO
ferce, of which George W. Loft ;s
chairman
Indications last night were that the
Mayors attempt to balk the Fifth Ave
nue. Associations plans would result
in nothing. Robert Grier Cooke, presi-
dent of that body, said that he had not
yet received the communications From
another source it was learned that the
organization of state committees would
oe pushed as originally planned with
out regard to the action Of the Mayor
The letter to Mr. Cooke, which is
the first intimation that the Mayor had
taken the duy of welcoming returning
soldiers out of the hands of his own
Committee on National Defence was as
follows:
My attention has been called to your
activities in soliciting financial aid and
seeking the appointment of a committee
oy the Governors of the various states
Tor the decoration of Fifth Avenue for
the homecoming troops
Mayor Has an Alibi
AS understand it, the plan of the
war Department is to return the troops
from the several states to their various
training camps for rehabilitation. This
would make it impractical even if IT
were advisable to ask aid from the
other states.
kodman Wanamaker has been ap
pointed chairman of the reception com
4nlceee to welcome the homecoming
troops. The Mayors committee on dec.
oratlons, which will be appointed with
III ehe next few days, will have entire
tthhaige OF the plan of decorations
.,;lS .m;IlS1ughout the city. This committee
"i'l De the only authorized committee
the city. preparations Tor