The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-07
600 LITTLE VOICES
PRAISE LAFAYETTE
Children's Fete Of All Nations
Held on the Mall in Cen
trail Park.
PAPA JOFFRE IS CHEERED
Airplanes Hum Overhead
While Great Frenchman's
Memory Is Honored.

Memory Is Honored.
Maybe . good many of them were too
little to know what II was all about. but
anyway they knew Il was grand 10 be
out 10 the park, with beautiful red, white
and blue flags to wave. with . band Of
sailor boys making music for them. Ia
dies in lovely red. white and blue dresses
and caps singing for them and wonderful
airships like great birds sailing overhead.
So they hurrahed In their shrill. young
voices 70 the hummins airplanes and
cheered the name Of Lafayette. these
800 little children Of many nationalities
who were gathered together to celebrate
the 1s1st anniversary OF the birth of that
great Frenchman and also the battle Of
tho Marine four years ago.
From settlement houses all over the
city they came. these little children.
whose parents, most of them. were born
In the lands Of our allies--maybe some
in the lands Of our enemies-but the
children were all good Americans with
the Colors In their tiny hands. There
were little Jews from Henry street Set.
Element and the Music School Settlement
italians from Hudson Guild and Rich
mond Hill Settlement, wee Bohemlani
from East Side House. picaninnies from
Lincoln House and scores Of others
600 in all-and IL anybody thinks the
harassed settlement workers who brought
them didn't have a lively Tina getting
them safely to Sixth avenue and Fifty
ninth street, from which point they
marched to the Mall in Central Park
that anybody can Just try the Job ant
see what II is.
"Lookit the Cops in skoits"
At tho entrance to the park the vari
Gus settlement workers drew lons
breaths of relief and resigned theil
charges into the hands OF eighteen polic'
ladies, who in their trim blue uniforms
with caps and shields were there, headed
by Capt. Agnes Semon, to handle thu
| crowds. &c. They were of RodmaI
wanamaker's Women Police Reserves
| Of the Twenuy-sixth Precinct, and whit
| they couldn't distinguish themselve
handling crowds, because there weren'
| any. they could. and did. give much 10!
to the 600 children. Policewomen are a
| yet unknown in the tenement district
from whence these children came. ant
! many were the small pairs Of eyes tina
nearly popped out OF their sockets.
Hey, fellers. lookit the cop II
skoits," hoarsely whispered a little re,
headed Irishman from Hudson street
They looked, they marvelled: respec
kept them dumb. but II was a shock I
them. And when one OF the lady cops
! feeling the fine rain that fell during tn
latter part OF the celebration. put up he
gold handled umbrella. a smoker dis
| turbed the atmosphere for an instant
Aside from that they treated Cap
Semon and her reserves with awe.
The band from Pelham Bay was there
and led the procession that formed at
O'Clock and walked to Fifth avenue an
then through the grassy stretches OF IN
park to the Mall. After the sailor lad
| walked the lady cops. and then the 90
children. SO tiny were some OF ther
that they couldn't toddle very fast, an
II moved ieisTely along the parade
so lesurely that the squirrels, nc
frightened by the music. skipped up an
begged for nuts from the wondering. de
lighted children.
And They Cheered Papa Jonre.
| In due time the musicians and III
lady cons and the children came to III
music stand in the centre Of the Ma
and the children were ranged in seat
facing the stand and the party bega'
Dr George +. Kunz made a speech abot
the great Lafayette and about that Yer
dear and very great Papa JofTre who bes
back the Huns from the Marine for
years ago on that day when all civilizs
ton was at stake. And though few {
the children knew what civilization
stake means. most OF them had heard I
Gen. Joffre-and anyhow they though
DR.. KuNz p nice. big, good natured ma
SO they cheered happily and waved the
flags
And the Police Glae Club was there.
splendid voice although the day was +.
chill. and IL sang "Over There" and u
"Kilties' March," and songs about no
wc'rc In this fight because it's right ar
we won't come back till we've killed u
kaiser. Then Lieut.. Adrien de racl
mann of the Forty-sixth Battalo
French army. who is here on milital
: mission. made n speech. and last ar
Lest an energetic little fourteen yea
I'D girl named Sally Hamlin in everyda
: life but Jeanne dArc for that speci
: ccra sion rose up in wonderful ste
helmet and armor. waving the Frent
flag and Old Glory. and recltcd TT
Marseiliaise."
The final treat was a group pctu
, with Miss Mildred Muller. dressed as a
, Spirit OF France, in the centre and =
girls In Alsatian costumes hanking he
Then In the fine rain which an unkir
, Weather Man permitted to mar the ei
OF I.afuyette-Marne day In Central Pal
, the children were hurried of In litt
parties marching to the various e
frances,
The sixteen airships that had nov
back and forth over the Mall in bait
formation had already disappeared I
Z ward the lower part of the city and Il
park was left to the birds and the squi
irels and a few nature lovers. tt
Women's National Committee of Il
: American Defence Society got up Il
cele bration.