The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-11-29
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
STATIONS ever seen i'm Paris occur, Il
when Gen. John J. Pershing, com
mander of the American expeditionary
forces. made his appearance In an an
tomobile on the streets Of Paris. The
crowds Went wild when they caught
n glimpse of the American leader, and
as 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.
II was estimated that within short
time there were half million people
in the cheering mob that struggled for
IL glimpse of the American general.
The general was out for n short
drive and had come up the Rue Rivoli.
His car was proceeding ut snairs
pace before II was recognized by the
frenzied street crowds.
As General Pershing's face, with the
famous smile. showed through the
door. French girl with the flags of
half a dozen nations twined about her
head screamed. General Pershing"
The cry was taken up instantly and
passed over the seethlng multitudes. II
there were any gendarmes about they
were swallowed up I'm the enormous
mob. In an instant men and women
went mad aud screamed his name. and
all 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 i'm another wave.
Shakes Hands of Children.
General Pershng amidst the danger
was enjoying 1t greatly. Instead Of clos
ing the window and urging the driver
to get out before they were crushed to
death, ne 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 frantically ieaped over the strug-
Cling mass and shot their hands in at
the window. General Pershipg con-
tinued laughing and tried To shake as
many hands as could he thrust through
the window.
"Pershing! Pershing!" beloved tn
mob. and the name rang from the
Seine to the Rue Royale. up the
Champs Elysees, and through the
Tuileres gardens
Efforts to Clear Way Fail.
French officers who had been caught
up in the human maelstrom salutpd
and then endeavored to have the mol
give way. AS IL by common impulse
the masses seemed to understand that
the great American general was in
danger, and with a craning Of heads
and the screams of women and chill
dren a slight rift was made directly
ahead Of the car. Then by less than
Il snail's pace the ear with frantic
snorts edged along. inch by inch.
The cheering was Understandable.
Along the boulevards the name of Per-
shing was taken up by thousands who
probably did not know that Pershng
was I'm their midst and at one moment
II seemed that all Paris was shouting.
BY this time the inside of Pershing's
car resembled a flag shop. The chill
dren who We're raised over the heads
of the frantic populuce tossed small
flags and flowers through the window
and the grOwnups tore the insignia
from their coats and tossed IL in. Gen
eral Pershing was laughing hard and
waving his hand back AT the children,
but still the flag and floral offering
poured in until he WAS half buried be-
meath the bunting. flags. buttons, in
sigma, and crushed blossoms.
Moves Inch by Inch.
Inch by inch the car moved and then
halted several minutes as the mol,
surged back against IT. II was the car
he had used over the battlefield OF
France and was built for rough usage,
else IL seems it must have crushed like
an egg shell.
Finally the car edged out Of TIE
Place de la Concorde into the Champs
Elysees, hut still the mob, with hats
OFF, arms in air. and mouths wide open.
shouting like mad, surged about him.
1t was several minutes more before the
car could be extricatcd and sem
blnnce of road made.
Even then. as the car got away M
the great avenue toward the Arc de
TriOmph thousands ran after n. All