The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-03-08


passage of important legislation
which failed with adjournment OF the
65th congress yesterday.
| ......c..7-1..14@@
the opera house, great crowds had
collected along broadway and Seventh
avenue while hundreds of policemen,
the strongest guard ever provided IN
this city. was stationed at every 1e"
4 PAGES around the building.
! One hour before the doors were
Thrown open TO the few thousands
who had been able to obtain tickets
s2O inspectors from police headquar-
ters searched the opera house from
cellar TO uppermost gallery, snow
! ing evidence Of precautions taken to
protect Americas chief executive.
Roofs. Of buildings near by were also
| searched. Police lines We're drawn
| two blocks from all sides from the
opera house. Seatholders arriving
| in automobiles were forced to de-
scend .one block from the building
and wall. to the main entrance. Al
ileast Is uniformed policemen vlzed
| each ticket before as holder could
Efeach the main entrance Of the build
ling and almost as many more men
scanned the tickets before a person
reached his seat.
| The doors were opened shortly af-
! ter z o'clock and as fashionably
dressed men and women, with many
representatives of the army, navy
and marines filed down the aisles to
i their seats, the port Of embarkatlon
band played patriotic airs.
| The house presented a democratic
i appearance with hundreds Of men and
4 women in evening clothes mingling
i with others in plain business dress
i American and allied flags draped over
4 the balconies were the only deco
!, rations.
The presidents route from the sta
ton to the opera house was changed
,fat the last moment, the party driving
in automobiles up Seventh avenue to
Thirty-fourth street, thence up
Z Broadway Large crowds greeted
the president at the station and he
acknowledged the cheers by tipping
his hat and smiling.
i President Wilson arrived at the
opera house at 8.25 o'clock accom-
panied by Mrs Wilson.
/ The president went to a cloak room
where he met Mr. Taft who arrived
at $50 Mrs Wilson was escorted to
|a box in the first balcony.
i The president was smiling as he
entered the door. It was announced
/ he would meet after the meeting, a
delegation Of Irishmen who wished to
present a petition asking self determ-
/ ination for their country.
In the opera house seats were pro-
! vided in the front row on the plat
form for President Wilson, Mr.. Taft,
Gov Smith. Frank L. Polk, acting
secretary of state, Abram I Elkus
! former ambassador to Turkey, Cleve-
Hand II. Dodge and Alfred E. Marlind.
president of the New York Chamber
of Commerce.
A military appearance was given
the meeting by the presence on the
| platform of Maj. Gen. David c.
shanks and Maj. Gen. Thomas Barry
and their staffs. and Vice Admiral AL
bert E. Gleayes and Rear Admiral
Nathaniel r Usher and their staffs.
Others on the platform included Jo-
sep!l P. Tunlulty, secretary TO the
president; former Gov. Charles Whit
man, former Ambassador Henry Nor
ganthau, and other distinguished
men.
! Half an hour before president ar
| rived hardly a seat was vacant. AT
that hour the audience joined whole
heartedly- in the singing Of patriotic
and popular songs, as it was an
nounced no speeches would be deliv-
cred until the president entered.
After Gov Smith and members of
! the committee on arrangements had
taken their places on the stage Il
| military touch was added by the
co1o. guard Of overseas veterans who
marched 10 the center and presented
colors
The president and Mr.. Taft came
on the stage arm in arm. They were
applauded for several minutes. The
audience remained standing until the
president took his seat.
A wave Of cheers swept over the
house as the president and Mr. Taft
took the center of the platform. The I
president stepped forward and bowed /
to all sides of the house Mr.. Taft
then stepped forward and acknowl-
edged the cheers. Cleveland II. Dodge
called for three cheers for President
Wilson and three cheers for Mr.. Taft
They were given with a will. Then
some one in the house called for
three cheers for the president and
the audience burst forth into another
wave Of applause.
Enrico Caruso. introduced by Gov.
Smith. sang The Star Spangled Ban
ner"
Gov Smith opened his speech by
paying a tribute to the part the
New York soldiers had played in the
war.