The Little River news., 1919-09-13
PERSHING HEADS BIG
 PARADE OF WAR HEROES
Few Americans Have Been Given Such an Ovation as Was Accorded the
 Man Who Led Our Forces.

i New York, Sept. 1O-With Pesh- ing at their head, and with the cross Fof war twinkling on their storied ban | ners, the First Division If regulars marched down Fifth avenue today. The colors of three regiments of in- fantry were twined with the fourre- gere of France, symbol of gallantry, and on the breasts of hundreds of the marchers were the gay ribbons betok- ening medals bestoyed for heroism.
 It was the crowning military spec tacle of the world var for New York. and it was unique in American annals. Behind the stalwart doughboys. their bcyonets gleaming rumbled field ar tillery of every typ> and back of the guns came the divisional trains.
 In the surging, swinging, rythmic stream which poured down the ave hue were 25,000 men, full panoplied for battle-the flower of the Ameri- can army.
 At the head of the five mile line rode the commander of all the sol diers under the Stars and Stripes. BehiZd him, as a guard of honor, swung 'P5rshing's Own, the compo- site regiment Of six fcot infantrymen who had followed him through the flower decked streets of foreign capi- tals.
 r, Enormous crowds have packed Fifth avenue in days gone by, for this was the fourth division New York has seen on the march, but never in the city S history had such a multitude turned out for any pageant. It was a holiday for the metropolis, and it seemed that all New York was there with half the nation besides.
 The broad avenue was banked from the far end of Central Park to Wash ingtOn Square with dense masses of humanity. Thousands stood where there wcs room only for hundreds Myriads waited for hours under lead no hope of seeing the procession. Ev cry window and every roof along the way was packed with spectators Countless thousands stood ct the east ern edge of Central Park and at least 10000 sat in the city's grand stand and those e,ected by spectators The cheapest seats were $5 bur the last of them were sold hours before the starting bugle sounded
 With tie gathering of tae great host almost before daylight, the scene was set for the most thrilling and picturesque review the city eVel witnessed
 For General Pershing it was the continuation Of i long series of scenes of adulation. He said he was over whelmend by the reception given bim when he set foot on the shores of Man hatten Monday, but even that paled into insignificance compared with the frenzied greeting that was his today He was the commanding figure in an army Of heroes.
 As the stern visaged warrior-sit- ting on his horse like centaur, calm, confident and self-cOntained, fit sue cessor to Grant, Sherman and Sheri- dan, every inch soldier and a leader of men-rode through the arch which spans the avenue at 10th street. there arose a cheer which volleyed to the house tops to be echoed by the tree-clad crags in Central Park. It was the beginning of an ovation such as few Americans have had. It was typically American and it came from hearts pulsing high with patriotism and thanks giving.
 As the parade passed St Patrick S Cathedral it was unexpectedly halted and General Pershing dismounted and crossed to the reviewing stand where Cardinal Mercier sat with Archbishop Hayes and number of other church dignitaries. The cheering rose to a deafenine volume as the famous sol dier clasped hands with the heroic Belgian prelate. Cardinal Mercier had been given a tremendous reception on his arrival at the reviewing stand, but the cheering which arose as he stood up to greet the American com mander made his previous welcome seem feeble.
 -O----