Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-20
CEDAR RAPIDS HOLDS LARGEST
DEMONSTRATION EVER WIT.
lessEp IN CITY.
BUSINESS SUSPENDED
DURING AFTERNOON
Streets Packed With Thronss Which
Almost Shocked Marehes-More Than
1000 Returned Soldiers Participate
in Mareh-Arehss Of Pretty Girls
Along Route Add to Attraetivensss.

Cedar Rapids, March 20.--Cedar
Rapids never had such general out
pouring OF citizens as that which
thronged the streets Wednesday after
noon in honor OF the soldiers and
sailors taking part in the big victory
parade. Every downtown street was
packed 50 full that the soldiers had
difficulty in making their way thru.
The same conditions prevailed on the
west side when the parade was over
there. Everyone was anxious to
show all possible honor to the splen-
did young soldiers from Cedar Rapids
who had been willing to sacrifice their
all-for the honor Of their flag and
the safety Of their loved ones.
Some of them were wounded and
they rode in ambulances which fol-
lowed the parade, their crutches DE
hind them. And the officers on the
big reviewing stand on the Second
avenue front of the postoffice saluted
the wounded with the same ceremony
that they saluted the flag. 1t was a
pretty and touching bit of military
etiquette which made a deep impress
sion upon those who witnessed ii.
A Memorable Scene.
The streets were bedecked with
flags and bunting and colored stream
ers. A hundred pretty girls wearing
bright costumes and victory caps and
carrying palm branches, welcomed the
heroes and added color and beauty to
the scene. Overhead the sky was the
bluest blue, the sun shone brightly, the
air was warm, all nature seemed to
smile upon the scene. So different
from the foggy mornings months ago
when the boys were marching to the
station to entrain for the concentra-
fion camps and were followed by
friends who turned from the trains
with sober faces and some times with
streaming eyes.
Immense Thrones.
So tremendous was the crowd that
the police had hard time in getting
room enough for the soldiers to
march in platoon formation when they
passed the reviewing stand in front
of the postofice. But they did the
best they could with the room they
had and when the Command was
given, Eyes Right" and the officers
saluted the reviewing officers in the
stand the scene was one long to be
remembered.
Everyone had an opportunity to at
tend the parade, for the wheels of In
dustry and business were at stand
still Wednesday afternoon.< Factories.
mills. department stores barber shops.
and in fact almost every one closed
for the afternoon and either partici-
pated or witnessed the monster pa
rade.
The star of officers for the day
headed the procession and included
Capt. NJ. o. Hahn, acting lieutenant
colonel; Capt. S. C. viles acting major
first battalion: Capt. Thomas Murphy.
acting major second battalion: and
Lieut.. Arthur Tschirgi. commanding
the navy detachment
The Military, Band.
Following the field staff of the day
came the military band under the di-
rection of Harry Erwin and composed
entirely Of returned soldiers. Then
came the colors and the color guard
and then company, after company Of
soldiers. Overseas men formed the
first two companies, then came the
"doughboys" and artillery, engineers
and other branches OF the service, and
these were followed by two companies
OF sailors.
Arches Of Pretty, Girls.
Living arches of high school girls
waving palms, and all dressed in spe-
cial costume with pretty Victory caps,
met the proc ession at all of the main
corners Of the downtown streets and
formed solid line for the men to
march thru just before passing in re-
view. Over one hundred girls formed
the palm arches.
Two other bands of A., F. Of NJ. mu-
sicians furnished martial music for
the huge parade and played steadily
for all OF the little over an hour that it
took the men to- travel over the line
of march.
@ Slow to Disperss.
It4took the big crowd that witnessed
the Victory parade fully an hour to
dispense after the parade was over and
traffic on the downtown streets was
practically ut standstill all after
noon, for the crowd assembled early
and Greene square took on the aspect
OF a military camp early in the after
noon. The city was flag bedecked for
the occasion and many in the crowd
carried the national colors and seyeral
autos and many BICYCLES were lbedeckca
and decorated with bunting or red.
white and blue.