Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-09-26
CAPITAL CHEERS
FIRST DIVISION
Washington Showers All Its
Pent-Up Patriotism on Vet
Grams of Regular Outfit.
LED BY GENERAL PERsHING
Former Commanders Take Part in
Parade on Pennsylvania Avenue
Chief of the A. E. F. Given
Ovation in Congress.

Washington, Sept 20.-Standing in
the chamber of the house of repre-
sentatives, with both the senate and
house present and the galleries crowd
ed with admirers, General Pershing
received the formal thanks of congress
for the services he and the officers and
men he commanded in France rem
dered during the great war There was
an air of solemnity about the scene
more eloquent than words to tell it's
full meaning.
Senator Cummins, as president pro
tempOre of the senate, sat with Speak
er Gillett, and when General Pershing
had been escorted to the floor before
the speakers desk, facing great
American flag draped on the wall, ex-
tended the first greeting.
Speaker Gillett followed with trib-
ute to the general and his army.
The formal resolution of thanks was
then presented to the general by
former Speaker Clark.
Washington, Sept. 19.-Tears and
cheers greeted the returned First divi-
sion, led by General Pershing, when
it marched down Pennsylvania ave-
nue. over the American Way of Victory
laid out more than so years ago.
1t was Washington's first great pa
rade of the war and the crowds show
cred all their pent-up patriotism on
these sun-bronzed veterans, the first
to go to France. More than half a
million people saw the parade.
It was conceived and carried out as
the nations tribute not alone to the
veteran fighting men who marched, but
to the whole great army the nation
created to make certain the utter de-
feat of Germany.
Marching in mass formation and
equipped with all the guns, gas-throw-
ers and other death-dealing devices
of the front line service, the First diyi-
sion, fresh home from France, moved
along the broad avenue, living tide
of fighting manhood that filed the
street from curb to curb.
Above each solid block of infantry
rose the grim line of bayonets, the
blue steel glinting duly as it caught
the light Farther back came long
lines of field guns, French "75's," to
which French officers have said France
owes her salvation and after all the
trains and wagons had rulnbled by,
came a battalion of tanks, streaked
and yellowed with paint to conceal
them from enemy eyes, but now clank-
ing behind the troops in noisy response
to the cheers that greeted them.
Up the avenue at the head of the di-
vision rode Maj. Gen. Edward F. Nc
Glanch, commanding, and with him
rode two former commanders of the di-
vision the first to go and the last of the
divisions to come home. They were
Mai. Gen. William L. Siebert, who took
it to France and Lieut.. Gen. Robert L.
Billiard, who took it into action and
surrendered command only to take a
higher post.
The Sixteenth infantry, veterans of
the bitter fighting at Cantigny, where
France learned in what fashion Amer
lea could and would fight and breathed
again after months of strain, led the
way.
At various points in the divisional
line and before the wallowing tanks
hammered and clattered in an uproar-
ing conclusion to the five-hour spec
tacle, all manner of additional units,
not part of the division itself, were in
serted