Norwich bulletin., 1918-05-02
PRIVATE WEBSTER GIVEN OVATION.
Audience That Filled Town Hall Boy Scout Rally Shouts and Cheers For Soldier From Pershing's Army-Crowd Then Subscribed $230O For Liberty Loan Joining Presi- dent Wilson's Liberty Loan Legion.

In voice husky with emotion at the magnificent ovation that had been given him by the crowd that filled the town hall on Wednesday evening at the Boy Scouts Liberty loan rally, Private Horace D. Webster of Min neapolis, just back from the front in France with General Pershing's Amer ican expeditionary force opened his brief remarks with the words: T only wish the boys in France could hear that"
 The Norwich audience went fairly wild with enthusiasm when the soldier in khaki was introduced by Rev. c. H. Ricketts, chairman of the rally. Troop Leader Avery Stanton of Troop No. s of the scouts instantly called the entire scout body to it's feet. Whats the matter with Private Webster he shouted, and the scouts roared back He's all right" Then there were cries for three cheers for Private Webster, which were given with will and repeated again and again as the audience rose to it's feet to give em- phasis to the warmth of welcome.
 Quite simply and briefly Private Webster told his story, stating that there was a spirit of confidence among lIG DOyS ONSi lHCIe, lIdl IIlCy- cA v willing to fight to the last man and the last drop of blood to save America from what they have seen that France has suffered. and what France is to- day, The American forces are filling up the gaps in the allied ranks and he is soon to go back again and he wants to be able to tell the boys when he does that America is behind them When General Pershing visited the tomb of Lafayette he stood at atten- tion, saluted and said: Lafayette, we are here" When we go back tc France to rejoin our comrades, safG Private Webster, we want to be able to tell them that America is backing them.
 Subscriptions for s2,5oo.
 At this point in the rally Chairman Ricketts introduced James L. Case who made the announcement that al who made subscriptions to the Liberty loan at this rally would be considered members of President Wilson's new Liberty Loan Legion.
 This, he explained. was based on { proposition from President Wilson that although hs had already sub scribed for as uuesl as ne felt able tC do, he was willing to subscribe for { TJO hOIiO II OilS Iui1lAOI Ot1-Cl PCOpi' would subscribe fer one.
 This started the subscriptions, witt the Boy Scouts hustlinG around tn hall as fast as a hand was raised or i; person rose to indicate his desire t subscribe. When the amount reache, s550 MT. Case announced that if tn sum were raised to $1,000 he had an other subscription of $1,000 to mak OH behalf of q friend. The $2,O00 wa quickly reached then, and the goal wa set for '$2 300. which it was announce
 was reached when three women at tn | front of the rose rose together to mak , up the last three $50 bonds.
 Colonel Parke Speaks.
 Colonel Parke, U. S.. A., from Storr college, was the first speaker who wa i introduced by Chairman Ricketts afte
 the chairman had spoken briefly alon patriotic lines
 1 The colonel said he felt somewha 1 introduced already to a Norwich audi
 ence, as The Norwich Bulletin was tn l first paper that he read every mornin
 and when he had scanned it throug
 from first to last page he felt he ha
 all the news he needed to know. He had been military attache at tn U. $. legation at Brussels for thre years and he had returned to tn