The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-23
Curtis Wires Returning Soldiers
VIII Stop Here.
Kansas Senator Gets Assurance
From War Department.
MANY 1OPEKANS IN UNITS
Chamber of Commerce Is To
Arrange Reception.
Troops VIII Leave Eastern
Camp i'm Five Days.

Take pleasure in informing you
war department has agreed to route
Kansas men of S9th division by To-
pclka. Your mayor will be notified as
to hour of arrival and length of stop"
/ This telegram from Charles Curtis.
| United States senator from kansas.
| brings joy to the hears of thousands
| of Kansas mothers and fathers. 1t is
, estimated that the state of Kansas has
| approximately 5000 mon in the seth
division. Shawnee county and Topeka
! have nearly 5000.
| The war departments consent TO the
| stopover in Topeka of the Kansas
units in the Eighty-ninth division was
1 gained only thru the efforts of the To-
I peka Chamber of Commerce COM
municated to the war department by
Charles Curtis. The wire asking Cur
! tbs to get in touch with the war de-
partment on the matter was sent last
/ Saturday. The wire announcing the
war departments consent to stoppage
of the Eighty ninth units in Topeka
came today.
| Entertain Boys Here.
! 1t was announced at tha Chamber of
/ Commerce this noon that the arrival
here of the units of the S9th division
will be the signal for a series of recep-
tions for the Kansas men. Every
mother and father in the state who
has a son in the division is to be asked
! to come to Topeka to help welcome
the boys home This also applies to
the brothers, the sisters. the sweet
! hearts. the wives, and even the
| friends or we'll -wishers of the men.
Immediately upon receipt of tho
telegram today announcing that tho
division will stop over in Topeka, the
Chamber of Commerce wired Cover
nor Allen in New York asking for an
appropriation to meet the welcome
expenses. An appropriation was made
by the governor for the purpose OF
welcoming the men in the Thirty
fifth division on their arrival in To-
peka. 1t is expected that Governor
Allen will make an equal appropria-
ton to be expended in extending the
welcome. of the state to the men Of
4 the Eighty division.
Eighty-Ninth to Upton.
New York May 23.-(Special TO
State Journal )-Nine days ago the
353rd all-Kansas regiment was part
of the army of occupation in Germany.
Yesterday it landed on American soil.
Within five days it will entrain for the
west and seven days more will see
the most of it in civilian clothes.
From Germany to civilian life in three
| weeks represents speed in demobiliza-
ton, but it is none too fast for the
Kansans, most of whom have the thing
fairly scheduled out by minutes.
The 353rd was assigned originally to
Camp Merritt for its short stay here.
The tremendous debarkation yester-
day, which was the largest of the war.
necessitated a Encouragement at the
last minute, and the a1l-KanSans were
sent to Camp Upton instead much to
their disappointment. Merritt is but
an hour from Broadway, and many in
teresting leaves had been planned
which will be cut much shorter by the
fact that Upton is at Pappank. l.. l.,
some three hours from New York.
While here. however. it is custom
airy to give generous passes to the men
in order that they may have a chance
to look around before going home, and
that the many welcome committees
may have chance to entertain them.
At the landing late yesterday there
were four welcome committee boats
bearing mid-westerners. one being
from Kansas, one with Missouri COM
mittee. one combining Arizona and
Montana and the fourth with the Ne
braskans aboard.
The work of making the boys feel at
home is being continued on shore on
a large scale.
: Wear the SunfIower.
The Kansans are recognized here
by the tiny sunflower on their seth di-
: vision insigne. indicating the regi-
ments original makeup. 1t still is
principally from the Sunflower state
: in spite of the fact that it had many
requirements during the fighting. Six
: ty per cent of the men landing yes
3 terday with the 353rd are from there
5 and the rest, altho from other states,
declare themselves proud to wear the
insigne of the midwesterners who set
I such a record as fighters.
The proud return of the 353rd. ac-
Z cording to figures given out on ship
/ board just before the organization left
; for camp. includes service on the
, Lucey sector, in the St Mihiel often
sive: EuveZan sector. Meuse Argonne
2 offensive, mopping up of Banthevills
woods, final drive of the Argonne Of
= fensive, Barricourt Woods. Tally and
2 Army line and in Steuay on Novem-
2 ber II. During this time the regiment
: won one Belgian cross of the Order
of st. Leopold, one Belgian war cross.
fifteen Croix de Guerre, thirty-two
distinguished service crosses and ons
? Legion of Honor in addition to the
: Croix de Guerre presented to the or
: .ganization as a whole.