The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-25
General Organs Division
Marched in Triumph
on Fifth Avenue
MILLION PEOPLE
SHOUTED WITH JOY
AS Men Who Broke the I'm
pregnable" Hindenburg
Line Swung Past

|
John f. Organs 9th division, composed
Of former New York state guardsmen
veteran two-fsted fighters who broke
through the "impregnable' Hindenburg
line last summer in one of the most gal.
| liant exploits Of the world war-marched
! in triumph up flag bedeckcd Fifth ave-
nue. to-day, TO the tumutuous acclaim
| OF million or more spectators.
| The dOughboys were in heavy march.
! ing order They wore their olive-coIored
campaign helmets, or tin hats; gas
masks were slung from their shoulders,
| light packs and full eanteens were car.
| ried, and bayonets we're fixed on their
rifles. Each regiment, carrying the
weather stained guidon and flags that
| saw service in Flanders, marched in half
! battalion units equivalent to two in
| fantry companies TO the unit. The
| rhythmic tread Of these solid blocks of
! fighting troops with bayonets glistening
! in the sunlight, presented martial pic
| ture never to be forgotten.
| Along the line of march--trom Wash
| ington square to 10th street--were lit
| tie groups of men who were unable TO
participate in the glory Of the marchers
soldiers of the divie pn who had lost
leg or an arm at GuilIemont farm or at
the lie Selle river; men who were other
wise injured in the daring attacks that
! crushed the pride of the German legions.
The wounded were not forgotten by the
crowds, and the cheers that greeted them
were as full-throated as the demonstra-
tion for their more fortunate comrades.
| After the first roar of cheers that her
aided the start OF the parade, a hush
! fell over the crowds and heads were un-
covered as a caisson draped in mourning
came into sight. A great service flag,
! with a gold star for each Of the 1850
men who persisted in service overseas,
/ furnished the symbolic evidence Of the
! divisions remembrance OF those who
made the supreme sacrifice.
The deep solemnity of the occasion
gave way moment later when ORyan
and his staff, mounted, trotted mp the
avenue, followed by the saith brigade,
which headed the column, The ovation
along the five miles of march was con
/ tinuous, and the cheers were of such
volume as to drown the music Of the
military bands.
| At Madison square, where dense
crowds had congregated, the troops
passed through the stately arch of vie
| tory" just completed. The reviewing
| stand was at SD street, with Governor
| Alfred +. Smith as the principal review
/ ing officer. Others on the stand were
! Acting Secretary of War Benedict Grow.
| ell, Acting Secretary Of the Navy Ro0se-
welt, and various representatives. Of the
state and city governments.
Largest Crowd That Ever Saw Parade
in New York.
Police officials, who called ont 10000
reserves to aid in maintaining order,
said that 1t was by far the largest crowd
! that had ever assembled to view pa
rade in this city, the nearest approach
| being the Hudson Fulton celebration a
number of years ago. The crowds packed
! the sidewalks and cross streets almost
| TO the point of suliocation Every win
| dow was crowded, and owners Of rooms
/ facing the avenue charged fancy prices
| TO spectators Single windows, from
which several persons could see the pro-
! cession, brought as high as $50,
I Relatives ana friends Of the troops
were seated in an immense stand run
ming the entire eastern length of Central
park. 1t was in this stand that the
most enthusiasm was shown Here, too,
service flags bearing gold stars were
waved, and here were women dressed in
black, with the tell-tale gold star worn
upon the sleeve,
More than 100000 of the spectators
came from various towns and cities in
! the state, according to police estimates.
| Many of these came to the city last
night, only to find hotels swamped Hun
dreds Of persons thronged Fifth avenue
all night and at dawn to-day many per
sons were CampCd at favorte places
along the route of the parade
Fifth avenue was a waving lane Of the
national coors and many OF the build
ings were magnifcently decorated One
| of the most striking decorations was the
court of the heroic dead at the public H.
brary. Between two great pylons, bear
ing shields decorated with the insignia
of the American divisions and upstand-
ing spears, appeared in letters of gold
the names of the battles in which Amer
lean troops participated.
Another impressive decoration was
carried out in the Arch of Jewels at Goth
street, where $4,000 colored crystal
prisms We're used to work out designs of
coats Of arms of the United States and
her allies. The total candlepOwer used
in lighting the arch was 0GOOO000 and
powerful searchights aided in the night
| illumination
Acting Secretary of War Crowcll, rep
resenting the war department, issued a
statement declaring that the part played
by the former Empire state guardsmen
in France would illuminate the pages of
American history for all time
"The tremendous ovation which the
city of New York is giving to the officers
and men of the 9th division of the tri-
umphant American army" said Secrc-
| tary Crowell springs from just pride in
achievement worthy of the highest ma
tional traditions.
These sons of the metropolis and the
Empire state are the heroes Of KENNEL
hill. of Peronne, of Bellcourt. of st.
Quentin Cambria, of Bony and lie Cate
/ lot They fought gloriously They
helped win the most stupendous conflict
the world has ever seen The fruit of
the victory is now in the hands of the
people of all civilized nations, great and
small. These men who parade to-day
are of the American stuff that heartened
the weary British and French heroes in
the summer of 1918, and when 10 came
their turn to fight on their own sectors
they exhibited strength and ability
which swept down the enemy like the
wrath of an avenging God. In their
last great drive the enemy fell back
before them for l3 miles and some 5000