Evening star., 1919-04-02
ONLY42DD|v|S|0N
WILL PARADE HERE
Secretary Baker Declares 1t
Impracticab|e to Bring
Others to Aid Loan.
VISIT IN MAY is PLAN

/ The i2d. or Ia inbow. Division. contain
ing the first field hospital company OF
the former District National Guard aud
units from nearly every state in the
( Union. will he the only division OF Gen.
I i'ershing's fighting forces that will pa
/ rade in this city i'll full war strength as
I part of the victory loan campaign. Sec
retary Baker has announced that it has
been found impracticable to carry out
/ the original plan of having two other
divisions parade here. viz, the 1st Di-
vision. representing the Regular Army.
which was the first division to arrive
composed of regular troops. including
the gallant marine brigade. All three
divisions named are in the army of oc
cupaton guarding the Rhine country.
| The Secretary said experience had
shown that it would be impossible to
get the three divisions home at any
! thing like the same time and he had
been forced to limit the review in this
city to the AID Division alone. Plans
for divisional parade of that organ
ization are now being worked out.
Plans for Debarkation.
Although not finally settled. it is
tentatively planned to have the units
of the Rainbow Division diSembark at
New York and at Newport News as
nearly together as possible. The units
, arriving at New York will be sent.
after the usual period of detention. to
Camp Meade, where they will remain
until the date set for the parade in
this city. The units of the division
arriving a Newport News will be di-
vided into two classes. the earliest
arrivals going to Camp Lee, Va, for
future transportation here, and the lat
er arrivals at Newport News being
shipped by local steamboats, direct to
this city. There are about 27,000 men
in the division. and it will require
several transports to bring them over
across the Atlantic.
If present plans are unchanged the
parade will take place in May. after
the President and the Secretary of
War have returned from France. The
movement of some units of the divi-
sion from their stations along the
Rhine has already begun, and it is
expected that the entire division will
be assem- bled at various ports of de-
barkation in France ready for the
homeward voyage in the next few
weeks. According to latest official re-
ports Maj. Gen. c. A. +. Flagler is in
command of the division and will ac-
company it to the United States. Gen.
Flagler is a colonel of engineers. and
was stationed in this city for several
years In charge of the District water
supply system and the improvement
of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.
Many obstacles confront the depart
ment in arranging for divisional pa
rades. Even in the case of the 27th,
the New York National Guard divi-
sion, the difficulties were great, al
though New York. as the main port of
debarkation. has the greatest facil-
titles for such homecoming reviews.
New York Parade Costly.
A computation of the cost to the
government of the New York parade,
including the pay and sustenance of
the men alone for the period they
participate. shows an expenditure of
nearly $4,000. The department., how
ever, was said to be not so much in
terested in the cost as in the fact
that the debarkation machinery was
ciogged up and is still feeling the
strain. At one time there were no ac-
commodations for the forces aboard
four arriving steamers, due to the
holding of the units of the 9th Divi-
sion for the parade and the resulting
blocking of demobiliZation machinery
Another element now arising is said
to be complaints from men in the 9th
Division, from outside of New York
state. who were held three weeks
longer in service because of the re-,
view. Similar complaints from men
fed into the original divisions as re-
placements. and who have been re-
tanned at camps far distant from their
homes for parades in which they
have no local interest, also have been
received.
Officers said this situation was
marked in the case of the 26th, or
New England. Division. Only so per
cent of the division in the present
status of it's personnel is to be de-
mobfliZed at Camp Devens, the near
est divisional post to Boston. The
remainder. representing requirements,
are scheduled for demobilization at
camps near their homes, in this case
scattered ale over the country. The
department., Mr.. Baker said today,
cannot undertake. in justice to these
men. to order them to Boston for a
parade of the entire division.