Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1919-09-12
PERSHING RECEIVES
ROl7SING WELCOME
The General Even Forgot His
Dignity to Acknowledge The
Tremendous Applause.

PerShlnS is HoIlle again
Standing on the bridge of the
huge Leviathan itself symbo-
lie of victory over Germany.
the commander of the greatest
host ever gathered under the
Stars and Stripes. came slowly
up the bay Monday. world
famed and hailed as conquer
ing hero should be.
Sad of face. stern and i'm
pressive. a splendid figure or j
soldier, he might have been
thinging as the familiar land
marks of New York came into
view. of the day twenty-seven
months ago when he shipped
secretly out of the harbor on
his way to France to prepare
the way for the hosts that were
to follow. Then he was only
Major General.
He came back Monday with
four stars on his shOulder-the
fourth man to wear them un-
der the American flag.
The welcome given him
would have quickened the pulse
of the hero of a Roman tri-
umph. Fresh from the capi-
tails of allied Europe where
honors had been heaped upon
him it remained for New York
to show the first American to
lead an army across the Allan
tic that home, sweet home"
has a meaning deeper than
Hail to the Chief"
No foreign throats could
voice the cheers. no alien
hearts could pulse the greeting
that was General Pershing's
here today. There was hint
of tears in the welcome. fo"
those who gave it knew tha'
not even the plaudits of a
greatful people could Danish
from the sad-faced soldiers
mind the memory of his own
lie JTdSeuy.
Guns Fire Generals Salute
Dawn barely had broken
when the Leviathan loOmed
through the midst off Ambrose
Channel lightship.
Steaming slowly through the
narrow passageway the great
steamship was greeted by a
convoy of six destroyers while
seaplanes circled overhead
The forts which guard the har-
Dor doomed Generals salute
as the ship. which once was
the pride of Germany, crept
past quarantine and nosed
through the narrOws into the
harbor under the shadow of the
Statue of Liberty. While the
guns still echoed. the whistles
of merchant vessels from the
seven seas, sturdy tugs. gaiiy
decorated ferry boats. eXcur-
sion craft of every kind and the
sirens of factories on shore
joined in a discordant saluta
tiOn.
The shores on Staten Island
Brooklyn, New Jersey anC
Manhattan were lined with
thousands whose shouts oil
greeting came family across
the waters of the bay to tn
familiar figure on the bridge
They made up the vanguard o.
the vast army of welcOmers
who had already packed Bat
terry Park and overflowed into
the streets beyond, waiting un
til General Pershing had beer
greeted by Vice-President Mar
shall and the Secretary of Wa,
and was ready to cross the riv
er to the great city that was
eager to pay him tribute.
The great liner came up tt
her pier at s o'clock and wa
being warped into her bertl
there was a tremendous volle,
of cheering from the crowd as
sembled there. General Perish
ing smiling in appreciation
with head barred. bowed repeat
edly i'm response. Once he for
got his dignity in his enthus
iasm at returning home an
waived his cap as he salute,
the happy throng.
Praises DOughbOy.
"The American doughboy
is the finest soldier in tn
world, and it didn't take tn
Germans long to find it out.
declared General Pershing i
an interview granted newSnn