The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-25

The whole speech evoked Indifferent
applause. although the magic Of the
Presidents oratory and the calorio
turns It occasionally took produced
occasional bursts. Frankly. however.
there was not that spontaneity OF
sounding acclaim which 1000 persons
could have nung forth had they been
so minded.
The attitude OF the crowd in Me- ,
chanics Hall az Of the great masses
in the street land Boston never turned |
out street crowds SO enormously may
be described a. expressing great per-
sonal interest in Mr.. Wilson as Pres |
ident who had especially honored Bos- |
ton. as indicating immense curiosity
in an uncommon spectacle and as re-
vealins nothing but cursory interest
In tho League of Nations project
either that or absolute lack Of convic-
tion In It's favor.
Everything that Mr.. Wilson's friends
here and that loyal Democracy could
do toward drumming up interest was
done. The people were exhorted In
street and hail to sound their trum-
pets. Tickets to the speech went by
favor and were dealt out to the faith
full
Yet somehow real enthusiasm was
absolutely lacking. The something that
makes for eager. ardent, spontaneous
booming interest was simply not pres
ent. There were times when the spec
tacle of the Presidents comings and
goinss was dismally silent, almost fu-
pereal. Everybody felt this-even Mr..
Wilson's friends. Perhaps 1t affected
his speech.
II led him to say moro than he had
intended upon the League of Nations
project, and he did run along amiably
for twenty minutes or 30 without the
slightest allusion to It.
Looks Picture OF Health.
He looks we'll. in good enough trim
10 make any sort OF fight he has In
him. Franklin d. Roosevelt. Assistant
Secretary of the Navy. and others who
accompanied him aboard the George
Washington on the return voyage say
that ne was pretty we'll tired out when
he boarded the ship at Brest. but that
he picked up rapidly. Certainly when
he came ashore this morning he looked
the picture Of health and vigor.
His eyes were bright, his color was
almost ruddy tthough the frisky winds
OF Boston harbor had a hand in that
firm. He looked indeed like a man who
had worked hard but who had had also
a mighty gooi time at the Job. Per-
haps he was a shade more nervous than
OF old. for II was observable in Me-
chanics Hall while he was waiting for
Mayor Peters Of Boston and Gov. Cool
idge OF Massachusetts, to come to the
end OF their carefully prepared extern
pcraneous speeches that his long white
hands were necessarily busy opening.
closing, lingering a manuscript or a let
ter now laid upon his knee, now poised
in air, always in motion.
He landed at II .46 A. NJ. after a brief
Journey UP the inner han Dor. at the edge
Of which in the Presidents Roads under
the guns of Fort Strong the George
Washington had remained at anchor
since sunset on Sunday.
Safeguarding President.
As was the case all day. extraordinary
precautions were taken to safeguard Mr.
Wilson. Throughout the night search
lights illumined the waters about the
transport. An inner circle of guard
boats, small swift submarine chasers,
kept ringing her about. permitting no
craft to get near. and an outer circle OF
deSroyers. those long, beautiful. wicked
looking new type war boats that are
good Tor forty measured miles the hour,
were necessarily vigilant
When morning broke brilliantly they
kept up their tactics. seeing to 1t that no
unauthorized boat or unaccredited per-
son got within half a mile Of the tower
ing sides Of the George Washington. IT
was a morning which did much to re-
Sild the reputa ton Of the Boston weather
man, who while rain was falling on Sum-
day spoke oracularly from his tower
guaranteeing floods OF sunshine.
II was even as he said. for with the
dawn came skies all clear except for
floating fleece, a sun 80 bright as to be
almost warming and a keen north wind
which drove straight down the harbor
TO tease the signal flags on the George
Washington and whip out her ensign
and the Presidents flag at the fore
mast.
Mr.. Wilson was awake early and when
the fort guns let go with the first detona-
tons of the Presidential salute at s A. NJ
he was on deck TO watch the pufts OF
smoke that sprang out from the ram
parts of Fort Strong. The reception
boats came alongside the transport al
10 80 A. NJ. and were promptly dwarfed
by the immensely Of her great gray
sides.
The United States coast guard cutter
Ossipee carried the official committee
composed OF mayor refers Ma1Or-tIen
Clarence Edwards and Rear AdmIra
Spencer Wood. She nosed alongside the
starDoard gangplank of the George
Washington and emptied the Mayor, the
General and the Admiral into the mys.
terious interior. Meantime the HaIcyon
. cutter honored by being employed a,
press boat and cargoed by some goo
moro or less young observers and COM
mentators. hoated a cables length away
and various craft loaded down with city
fathers and mothers and persons with
pink tickets ond blue tickets. maneuvred
at the stern OF the transport. all OF
them listing Interestingly as their
crowds rushed to the absorbing side.
DouRhnuts Thrown Into Water,
Most OF them seemed to be loaded witt
doushnuts and cigarettes, for the 2 OoC
and odd doughboys that came back {,
America on Mr.. Wilson's favorite ferry.
boat, but when II came TO DISTRIBUTING
these favors their aim was bad. Mos
Of the smokes and doughnuts went int
the water, a calamity which provoked
free and vigorous language from tn,
young men u khaki WIN J>aned ovpr tn
side or STUCK their cropped heads through
port holes These soldiers, however
seemed unusually subdued most OF tn,
time; uncommonly quiet. as IL the near
ness Of the President had chilled theil
ebulliency
Since an exact schedule was to b,
maintained Mr., Wilson did not leave tn,
ship until IL A. NJ. at which hour anC
minute he came over the gangplank be
fNIyaA hA ~. n.