Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-02
WILSON WELCOmrnIlO
IN MANCHESTER
His Reception of More Demo.
cratic Character Than in
Other Places Visited

democratic air and on more demo.
cratic scale. Here he found a hospi-
pality which could not be warmer than
that of London, but which brought him
closer to the people.
There Is strong civic pride in this
metropolis, which is in the great manu-
featuring midlands It's people feel that
their city was signally honored in being
CHOSEN from among other English cities
Tor the Presidents visit. The Lord Mayor
is self-made man. His home. where
Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson were guests, is in
a section of the City Hall, where the
mayors live during their terms of office.
1t Is typical English home. The rest OF
the presidential party was quartered at
nearby hotel.
Mr.. and Mrs. Wilson sat down to an
early family dinner last evening and
soon afterward retired to their apaa1-
ment on the fourth floor. The Presidenc
days in England have involved great
physical strain, which was apparent to
those near him last evening
The most important feature of to-day
was the presentation of the freedom of
the city to Mr. Wilson, with an address
by the President It was at first planned
to hold the ceremony in the municipal
for civic events, but in response to public
opinion the old Free Trade hall. which
accommodates nearly 1900 persons, was
selected
Everyone wanted to hear the President
OF the United States, and the pressure
Tor invitations from officials of nearby
cities, as well as from the people of
Manchester was insistent. If Free Trade
nall had been three times as large it
could not have sheltered all who were
anxious to secure admission
The most notable engineering works
IN Manchester are the ship canal and
docks The first activity of the day
was in an inspection of these.
The party proceeded from the city hall
In eight automobiles Mr.. Wilson was
received by Captain Bacon, chairman
of the directors of the ship canal and
spent an hour on board small steam
er which cruised among the docks.
After his return to the city hall, Ross
r.. Holiday, American CONSUL, pre-
sented Americans residing in the city.
From there it was short drive to
the Free Trade Hall. After the cere-
monies there the official party drove
by circuitous route to the Midland
hotel, where at one o'clock, the Presi-
ID
the city officials and many of the rep
resentative citizens.
Before Mr.. Wilson's arrival at the
hotel, there was a scene at the Royal
Exchange which will be treasured i'm
the history of that institution The
president appeared in the Distinguish ed
strangers gallery while the floor was
nlled with members, and made them
a very brief informal speech.
The only escort for the Presidents
drive about the city was a squad Of
mounted police
Mr., and Mrs. Wilson and their party
took the train for London shortly be-
fore 3 O'Clock, closing a day which will
be regarded as one of the most i'm
portant in the history of this city.
Manchester, Dec. 80. (By the Associated
Press.)-The people of Manchester made
President Wilson a free man of their
city to-day They did more than that:
they made him at home
1t seems as if all the men, women and
children of the town, and MANY from
Lancashire Large cheered the Presi-
dent at some stage of the crowded five
hours In which he made sort of demo-
cratic progress from one point of inter-
enough and vast enough to exhaust even
the hardest political campagner.
The general atmosphere Of all the pro-
ceedings was intimate and friendly:
often the people got near enough to
shake hands. Even the ceremony Of con-
ferrng the freedom Of the city had a
tone of homely simplicity and seemed
more Ike college commencement than
a formally staged ritual. The assembly
sang For He's jolly. Good Fellow"
which could hardly have occurred at a
state banquet or in the Guildhall.
1t was happy inspiration that led the
aldermen to throw open the largest hall
in the city, instead of following custom
by holding the ceremony in the municipal
chamber. This by no means reduced the
effect of the important speech the Presi-
dent delivered
His most important pronouncement per-
haps to Englishmen, the most important
he has made in England. that the Uniteo
States would make no covenant with any
powers except one with all the powers was
not lost upon his hearers. No other audi
ence during his European appearance has
absorbed the Presidents utterances so
eagerly so Understandings, has so quick
ly responded to every important point. No
other audience has resembed so notice.
ably the character and types of people to
whom the President has been accustomed
to speak at home
Perhaps this was because Lancashire
has contributed so many citizens to the
United States. and has such close indus
trial connections and follows American
affairs with keener interest than most
English counties
The first item in the days program was
drive to the famous docks which have
made Manchester an inland port. Here
the shipping extended befagged and vo-
ciferous greeting to the President. while
the workmen from all the big warehouses
and factories around hung from the win
dows and stood on the roofs.
Part Of the drive was through the poor
er districts, where a few Of the children
were too poor even to have bought Amer
lean flags to wave.
Later the President made a brief ap-
pearance in the balcony of the royaI ex-
change where he spoke. Finally he took
lunch with 200 prominent men in the Mid
land Hotel. where he made an acknow-
ment Of Manchester's hospitality.
Only the weather was unfriendly to-day.
1t was grey and thick. with intervals of
rain, but that is typical of the season In
the Midlands, and it kept nobody indoors.
Merchants. workmen, farmers, soldiers,
with countless thousands OF women and
children stood in the streets and rushed
from point to point for glimpse of the
President from another angle.
Shaking hands with the Lord Mayor and