New-York tribune., 1918-12-19
Fiftl, Avenue Is Turned
Into Stage of Greatest
Spectacle in Its History
Nurses Lead Parade
As 50 Bands Play
Youth and Age From All
World Dance and Sing
at IS ''Block Parties''

Twenty thousand marcners. with
Henry 7. DAWSON, chairman Of the
American Red Cross, trudging at their
head. paraded up Fifth Avenue last
night. while half hundred uniformed
hands, fireworks, banners, floats and
brilliant costumes gave color to the
organizations stirring appeal for men,
bership in the Christmas Roll Cali.
The greatest street carnival New
York has ever seen followed on the
heels of the parade. The marchers had
been divided into national groups, and
each nation was to have held its own
little "block party" at its designated
streets. But all these plans were swept
aside by the great outpouring, esti-
mated at no less than 25oooO people,
which swamped the individual fetes,
and turned the historic avenue, from
Twenty-tbird Street to Fifty-ninth, into
a single, delirious, dancing, singing
stage.
All Allied Nations Represented
Representatives of all the Allied ma
tions and some of the neutrals
marched in line, wearing their pictur-
esoue national costumes, but when the
procession halted, and they broke
ranks, they were swallowed up at once
in the great throngs and were forced
to forego most of the programme of
dances and songs they had each mapped
out.
Most of the streets along the march
we're far too iammed with humanity to
allow anything nearer dance than
slow shuttle, but this did not stop a
thousand people, as in the block be-
tween Forty-third and Forty-fourth,
from swaying as one to the rarsuasive
syncopated melodies Of a navy jazz
band
At some of the intersections, the
celebrators we're massed so densely
that the band and large portion Of the
| dancers, overfowed into the side
streets, and there gyrated to the music
with greater ease and freedom.
Moves hold crowd
At Forty fourth Street a motion pict-
ure screen had been put UP and the
film thrown on it arrested the crowd
and for time started q series of ely
ing wedges" by men in uniform which
threatened injury to those in their way.
Delayed because of Mr.. Davlson's ;
1o$e ,,, hooH Of the
column led by the Fort Jay Naval Band.
started off from Washington Square
shortly after o'clock. A platoon of
mounted police cleared the way, fol-
lowed by the Red Cross officials and
the first of the line of marchers, twen-
ty nurses in white marching in long
line
The shining Red Cross on the top OF
the arch shonc down on the marchers
as, with American banners and the
symbol of mercy flying at the head OF
each division, they stepped out up the
thoroughfare Behind them came th5
nationals, with the emblem of each
country entwined with the other two
al SlgnlncanC new union.
Armenia's Part Told
One banner read: armenia in the
struggle for liberty" while just il
back Of It was another with the legene
America will help" A group of pad
ding cames and squadron of bur
rows added a picturesque touch to th'
oriental part of the procession.
The parade moved in eight great di
visions, each subdivided into four, fiv
or six national, civic or patrioti
groups. The divisional marshals were
flrst division, Major Charles G. Web
ster; second, Major John C. Mansfield
'hlrd Captain Louis K. Jallado; fourth
captain Robert Saunders; fifth, Lieu
tenant Edward J. Murphy; seventh
Lieutenant W. E. G. Gaillard; eighth
Lieutenant Charles G. Duffy.
Ked- Cross nurses, in their whit
oress uniforms, led off the parade, an
appeared at intervals throughout it
great length. Soldiers and sailors wer
N line In great Plumbers, and receive
'he tumultuous applause of the thou
sands who lined the sidewalks, to tax
part IN the festivities later in the eve
ming.
Practically the entire crew of tn
transport Leviathan appeared in tn
parade, led by their own big band, ant
ohoer command of Vice-Admira
uieaves, marched to the block betwee
'iity-third and Fifty-fourth Street
""ere they were joined by girls of tn
army transport service, in their matt
'0gs. The sailors vowed they had re
.0Sered their land legs, and their dane
'"g was ample proof of the assertion.
Inc greatest feature of the parac
Hno m party was furnished by the Stag
"omen's War Relief, the Lamb
-als and the Society of illustrator