The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-11-29
PERSHINC 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
Dtrations ever seen In Paris occurred
when Gen. John ]. Pershing, COM
nander Of the American expeditionary
Iorces, made his appearance in an au-
Iomobile on the streets Of Paris. The
trowds went wild when they caught
} glimpse of the American leader, and
Is the word spread thousands of per-
IONS poured from every direction into
Me Place de la Concorde, through
which General Pershing was passing
when he was recognized by passers by.
L was estimated that within a short
lime there were half a million people
IN the cheering mob that struggled for
1 glimpse of the American general.
The general was out for short
drive and had come up the Rue Rivoll.
His car was proceeding at n snaiIs
pace before It was recognized by the
frenZied street crowds.
As General Pershing's face, with the
famous smile, showed through the
door, a 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 seething multitudes II
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
all tried to reach the car.
Men picked up women and held them
on their shoulders that they might get
u look at the general. The mob surged
toward the car i'm another wave.
Shakes Hands of Children.
General PersWng 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, he let the window down full
length, laughed heartily, and thrust his
hand ont OF the door 10 shake the hand
Of a 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 leaped over the strug-
Cling mass and shot their hands in at
the window. General Pershing con-
tinued laughing and tried to shake as
many hands as could be thrust through
The window.
"Pershlng! Pershing!" beloved the
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 saluted
and then endeavored to have the mob
give way. AS if 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 indescribable.
Along the bOulevardS the name of Per
shng was taken up by thousands who
probably did not know that Pershing
was in their midst, and at one moment
It seemed that all Paris was shouting.
BY this time the inside of Pershing'S
car resembled a flag shop. The chill
dr,n who were raised over the heads
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 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
matted several minutes as the mob
surged back against It. 1t was the ear
he had used over the battlefield of
France and was built for rough usage,
Else it seems it must have crushed like
an egg shell.
Finally the car edged out of the
Place de la Concorde into the Champs
Elysees, but 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 extricated and a SEM
Glance of a road made.
Even then, as the car got away up
The great avenue toward the Are de |
TriOmph, thousands ran after it. All |
Paris seemed to be rumbling with a |