New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-09
$4,000 Expected to
Visit 9th Men at
Camp Mills To-day

CAMP MILLS, March S.-The 9th
Divisions second day "at home" to the
home folks drew 10000 visitors to
Camp Mills to-day. Colonel Charles
H. Smith, camp quartermaster esti-
mated tonight. The vanguard Of the
crowd came early in the morning, and
dusk had fallen on Hampstead Plains
before the last fond relative or friend
had started New Yorkward
The tide Of visitors will hit it's
high water mark tomorrow, camp of
tcers declared. Fully 10000 visitors
are expected during the day, the 27th's
first Sunday on American soil Cap
tain Louis H. Busch, head of the mill
tary police, will post thirty orderies
in the big Y w. c. A. hostess house
to take care of the callers and page"
the various men wanted
Officers in various regiments of the
9th expressed satisfaction to-day at
the fact that most of the 1000 men
granted overnight leave of absence
yesterday were back at 9 a. M to-day
in time for rollcall Many of the
doughboys had blue circles under their
eyes and looked worn and wearer
than during the days they hit the
Wanted Hindenburg line. They ex-
planned that they had been up all
night telling the folks how the war
was won"
But they came back. This enabled
their officers to give $500 other men
liberty. Members Of the f06th In
fantry, who were the last to finish the
sanitary or "delousing" bath at 8
O'Clock this morning, were among those
who started for Manhattan, Brooklyn
and The Bronx
The fixing of March IS as n definite
date for the big parade in New York
has started the men fixing uniforms for
the great day. Little groups in the
various company barrack rooms day
might be seen sewing on buttons, draw
ing together parted seams and adjust
ing hooks and eyes.
The military police are rigidly en-
forcing the rule prohibiting civilians
from entering camp limits. Despite the
fact that the camp is heavily pollced,
about four hundred civilians succeeded
in slipping through the guard at vari-
Gus points near Field No. 2. Singly
and in family groups, these persons
we're courteously but firmly "double-
timed" off the reservation.
There was human interest enough to
supply dozen novelists with material
for dozen great American novels" in
through whose pretty French doors the
greater part of the visitors strcamcd
to- day.
Something might be written about
the little grayhaired man who came
down from Olcan, N. Y, in worn cor
duroy suit with a package that smclled
strongly of camphor balls and lavender.
They sent for his son and the old man
disappeared.
When he returned half an hour later,
a pathetic figure in the tattcred blue
uniform he had worn in the Civil War,
his son, stalwart, lanky doughboy,
was waiting for him.
Just my fun. l thought I'd sur
prise YOU" he explained to the lad.
Or the little old lady who came to
camp to find why her son, an officer
in the 9th, had not come back with
his regiment Friends of her boy
told her that her son was over in
France, plunged up little" but "com-
ing on we'll" and "duc back soon"
They had not the heart to tell her he
was a victim of shell shock, and that
when he came back it would be blind
for life. She left, happy and Laughing.
Or about the lady who came to camp
in darkest mourning weeds to find
out where her son was buried in
France and learned that he was we'll
and happy. They telephoned for him
and he stood before her, smiling, in
fifteen minutes.