New-York tribune., 1919-04-04
City Must Act
Or 77tll Won't
z Parade as Unit
War Department Order for
Decentralization Within 48
Hours of Arrival Prevents
Review Unless Modified

Plans for a parade of the nth Di-
vision next month collded yesterday
with the War Departments forty
eight-hour discharge order and were
wrecked. There will be no review of
New York City's veteran National Army
unit, at least in divisional formation,
unless the city makes a protest Of such
strength and volume as to force an
amendment Of the order
Requests that this protest be made
we're issued yesterday to the public by
the Home Auxiliary Association Of the
77th from its headquarters at 1S9
Fifth Avenue. This association xepre-
sents the regimental auxiliary soce-
ties formed by the relatives and
friends of the men who made up the
first draft division that arrived in
France, and which WAS the only one
to make the drive against the sup
posedly imprcgnable German positions
in the Argonne Forest.
Mass meetings and other means of
making the attitude Of the city known
in Washington are being planned.
DR.. Manning Makes Statement
DR.. William r. Manning, rector Ct
! Trinity. who was chaplain of the 77th
and is now the chairman Of the home
Auxiliary, gave out q summary of cor
respondence with the War Department
and added supplementary statement
declaring that unless there was a re-
view as planned relatives and friends
Of the officers and men would be
grievously disappointed
Most the trouble appears to rcvolve
around the problem of transport.
If the 77th could be brought over
/ in a fleet Of ships and all units arrive
held. But the War Department says.
that with troop shipments steadily in
crcasing it would be impossible to
bring all units Qf the 77th home at the
same time, and further that the neces
sity Of clearing lization camps
quickly made the enforcement Of the
forty-eight hour order imperative.
The News From Washington
The statement OF the Home AuXil
airy, signed by DR.. Manning Rabbi
Joseph Silverman. Cleveland il. Dodge.
S. r. iBertron, Stephen Ii. DIN and
Julien T. Davies. says in part:
"At the request OF members Of the
Home Auxiliary Association Of the
77th Division a letter was written to
the Secretary Of War asking for as
surancc that the division will be al
lowed to parade as unit on its return
from France and stating fully the i'm
portant reasons for permitting this
division to parade. A letter from the
Adjutant General acknowledging this
letter to the Secretary Of War advises
Us that there is little likelihood that
this parade will be permitted The
following sentences are quoted from
the letter of the Adjutant General:
AT this time no assurance can ne
given that what you desire can be ac-
complished.
The conditions existing at the time
OF the arrival Of this division at New
FORK may preclude any other arrange
ment than the parade Of one or two
regiments aS they arrive
Ihc 77th Division shares with the
zth The special pride and affection Of
lnc people Of this city. Both Of these
( divisions belong to us in a spccial
sense But this is even more true Of
tne '1th than Of the eth The 77th
DIVISION, which was trained at Camp
Dpton, IN New York's own. 1t bears
the name Of the Metropolitan Division.
its special inaignia is the Statue Of
Liberty, which stands in our harbor." "
1T J" my judgment that. unless the
community expresses its feeling with
al possible clehrness, there will he no
parade Of the 77th Division" said Dr..
Manning IN a supplementary statement
Some have said that our soldiers do
not want to parade. can aay abso-
lutcly that this does not apply TO the
men Of the nth. They cav thcv want
to march up Fifth Avenue, with bel.
NETS on and their packs upon their
backs. so that the people at kome may
see them juHt AZ they were In France
u do not believe New York will be
wiling That they shall be disappoint.
ca. hope for strong and general
! cxpression in the matter. Unless there
i is such an expression. IL seems unlike.
i4s 4