The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-25

dess Of Liberty, dlmly seen through the
curtain Of mist past Staten Island. The
rain rains harder, and the narrow decks
hold pools OF water, in which the feet
OF relatives rest, and no one minds. A
careful Jewish wife on the Correction
borrows a broom from one of the boat
hands and tries TO sweep the water away
from the feet of her patriarchal husband.
but he laughs.
Should ! get the influenza. mamma,
when II Is that our Icy Is coming home
from the war;" he gently chides her.
A chorus OF whistles. A blare OF bands
all playing different tunes A great ship
that Is mass OF waving. fiourishing.
khaki colored arms and legs and a blur
OF faces looms out OF the fog. The
Mayors Committee is giving 5.656 good
American doughboys and officers their
first optical and aural demonstration
that they are really back in Little Old
Moo York
mother Is Here" stirs Doughboys.
Instantly. as the notilla begins to
circle around the Aquitania, the four
boats blossom out with remarkable
signs-home made signs which the
fathers and mothers and sisters have
Fashioned lovingly and brought with
them carefully wrapped from the rain
In brown paper, signs whose lettering Is
certainly not artistic, but whose pur-
pose, to catch the eye Of the only SOL
der in the world and apprize him that
the folks are on hand. Is unmistakable.
The first one that rises above the sea
of faces on the side Of the Correction
nearest the Aqutania Is white card
board with black letters:
DONALD, MOTHER Is HERE"
That brings deep-throated cheer
from the doughboys. Maybe Donald is
among them, maybe he isn't but there
are enough fellows to whom the name
Of Mother means good deal to make
that sign with it's wiggly lettering very
popular.
II proof were needed OF the Melting
Pot character of the Seventy seventh,
these signs would furnish 1t, The
names on them are of many nationali-
ties Jewish predominant. but Italian
and Irish and Scotch and plain Ameri-
can come next a man and woman let
down over the side of the Correction a
big hoard which says simply:
Welcome home, Joe Tannenbaum.
Company c, 305th Infantry"
By Its side blooms a gay red and
green
Hello, Tom Macdonald, Supply Com
pany. 3o5th Infantry!'
ScTBtHnI waiter nuTTdH
says another. Then comes an Irish one
on green background:
Bully for you. Phelan, old boy!"
How do you do, Lee DUP" queries
the next one. Lee Du Is Chinese SOL
der. but it's a couple OF lusty Cauca-
SLAMS who display this greeting. One OF
them explains that Lee Du was one OF
the slckest iaundrymen that ever did a
collar up right: and the records show
that he was just as good fighter as he
was laundryman. So these two faith
full patrons of his decided to give him a
welcome home.
The Seventy-seventh on its part has
not been Idle in the matter OF sign max
Ing. Rude banners. large pieces of card
board and so on decorate the steep sides
Of the Aquitania. informing relatives
that here is Hd'q's Co. such and such a
number and here is Sergeant Black and
here is Corporal Weinstein, awful glad to
get home.
1t Is precisely ten minutes to ten
that the patrol stops its engines on the
larboard side of the Aqutan!a, and
the Correction comes to a pause on the
starboard side, and the Mayor Gaynor
and the Bay Ridge and a score OF smaller
craft, yachts. tugboats every sort,
hastily chartered by persons who
couldn't get aboard the Mayors flotilla,
begin to circle slowly around the yelling
Seventy-seventh.
And now Grover Whalen emerges from