Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-09-05

VXTASHINGTON, D, c., Sept. 1.--For the
w third time since the birth of the repub-
W lie, the national capital will welcome
home a conquering hero and victorious troops
when General John j. PerShing and the famous
First division of regulars parade here about
September Goth.
This Victory parade will be the greatest
military spectacle the capital has witnessed
since the reception accorded Admiral Dewey
when he returned after sinking the Spanish
armada in Manila harbor without the loss of
single man.
Officially signalling the close of the great
world war, the celebration will be an epoch
making affair in the history of Washington
Elaborate plans are being made by the war
department and committee of Westinghouse
for the gala day. 1t is intended that the people
of the United States shall have the "first and
only opportunity to witness the power OF a
division equipped and ready for battle" The
boys of the First division will march with full
equipment, including not only artillery and ma
chine gun units, but even all the details of
transportation and medical organization. In
other words, it will be a firSt-claSS modern
fighting unit ready for action, and therefore
very different from the Od-faShiOned military
parade in full dress.
The exact date for the celebration has not
yet been definitely fixed. A sort of prelimi-
nary parade will be held in New York City
soon after the debarkation of the entire di-
vision which will be billeted at Camps Merritt
sonnet will have arrived in this country by
September 10th, and that the New York pageant
will take place few days later Major Gen
eral ShankS, commander of the port of de-
barkation at Hoboken, N. j., will set the date
for the parade.
Following the festivities in New York, the
division will begin its movement to Washing
ton. All animals and vehicles will be sent by
train during, period of several days, Then
the boat with the division personnel will move
day or so before the big parade.
General Pershing is scheduled to land in
New York sometime around September 1oth in
which event he will be on hand to take part
in the New York pageant Whether he will
ride at the head of the troops in Washington
or occupy a place in the reviewing stand with
President Wilson has not yet been determined
His personal wishes will be consulted in this
matter.
For the first time since the Civil war a COM
Blatant division of troops will be encamped in
the environs of this historic city. Potomac
park, back of the White House, will be one
1t has been suggested that the division remain
here a day after the celebration, during
which time it could be inspected by SightSeerS.
Early on the morning of the parade, the
tWentyeight thousand men of the division will
march to southwestern Washington, where the
units will fall in line in their respective order
as the columns near the Peace monument, at
the foot of Capitol hill. Although definite
route of march has been mapped out, it is be-
lieVed that the parade will start at the Peace
monument and pass along Pennsylvania avenue,
which is one of the widest thoroughfareS in the
world, to the reviewing stand to be erected in
front of the White House. From early morning
until past evening on the day of the parade,
Washington will present the appearance of a
great mobilization point. All day long col
umns of marching soldiers, horSe-drawn and
motorized transportation will move back and
forth along the streets of the capital
One of the features of the parade will be
the gun which fired the first shot of the war
for the Americans 1t is the property of the
First division. At the present time it is at
West Point, where it was brought couple
of months back as one of the most coveted
souvenirs of the war
There will be court of honor and triumphal