The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-23
METHODS
OF WELCOME HOME.



Refreshments In the Galleries.
Toronto. March z0.---How to wel-
come homo tho soldiers has long been
worrying Canadian ofIlciaidom. 1t
has been up In an acute form since
the signing Of the armistice and
fxoons have baen 1retuFpAp~ Tragic.
In previous wafs-Souih' Africa. for
example--the problem was simple.
The troops all came home together.
There was only q trainload or two for
any particular city. When they ar
rived they found the whole city In
celebration, holiday declared, and
the entire population out to welcome
them.
To provide q welcome home on a
similar scale at the present juncture
would involve declaring q national
holiday for most Of year.
Arriving troop trains are now ell
most a daily occurrence at every
large city in Canada Scenes which
in any other period would have been
memorable and unique are often en-
acted several times in one day at a
single railway depot For every tsein
is met by dense throngs of relatfAns
and friends. The soldiers are greeted
as men returning from the grave, be-
cause not many Canadians went over
seas who did not see service In fight
ing at the front But these are not
the welcome homes that have been
causing anxiety. These take care Of
themselves Governments have felt
that some formal and impressive re-
cognition Of community gratitude has
been due.
|. Civic Reception Committees meet
all traina.s but that Is ursa tjafactory
and meaningless Two or three years
ago, when the first wounded began to
return on hospital trains, these Civic
Reception Committees took them
selves seriously. and before letting tie
returned men get to their homes
herded them and their relatives IN
some public hall. where they RECALLED
them with speeches--often politI~
cfans' speeches. That system. some
way. didn't prove popular and didn't
last long.
some support was a proposal to erect
welcome home" arches on prominent
streets. But on consideration that
seemed cold and futile.
AT last, however, Toronto hit upon
a happy solution of the welcome home
problem. which has already proved 81
great success that 1t will likely bs
adopted all over Canada. This takes
the form OF civic banquets for re-
turned men. At the armories abou.
1000 men can be comfortably dfned
at once An adequate kitchen plant
has been installed, the place properly
decorated. the service Is first class. AS
Mattresses. five hundred young ladies'
volunteer for each event The SOL
diers' wives and families are enter
tanned In the galleries with light RE-
freshmcnts and the chance to observe
their men" enjoy themselves below
Everything Is democratic. there is
no head table, no cigars for favored
TESTS. only the favorfte trench cigar
In the gallery the Colonel g
!, ses Julia O'Grady's baby.
Cfpl.t. - are fsw--just enough
70 conse elcome home idea
OF speechEss - In practically
none. SpeechsAsH replaced by
singing and boxing o Il wresl~
ling and contributed "tu.. ~ he
theatreA All formaiity Ii a. sd
and camaraderie grows nature $3.50
Three OF these banquets have ia
held already. The general verdict Is
that they are An unqualified 8access.
Many Of the soldiers have d decided
aversion to any fussy homecoming--it
u not an uncommon sight to sec 4
soldier on the morning after his ar
rival pulling down the flags and deco
rations from his own verandah-but
they are all agreed that the civic ban-
Quets all the bill.
In Toronto II In planned to hold !,
banquet every week until every ran
returning to Toronto has been enter
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