The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-02-16
GREAT HOSTS
GREET TROOPS
last thousand of Americans
Warmly Welcomed Home
u BRING ALIEN WIVES
Thanked BY MISUNDERSTANDING, Ban
quet And Dance Features
OF Reception. BY
Citv. H-

Savannah, Ga. - Americas "last
thousand" are home from Europe,
signalling the close of the nations
participation in the World War.
From the deck Of the United States
Army transport st. Mihiel the sol
diers who kept watch on the Rhine
gained their first glimpse of their
homeland after an absence of five
years. With them were French, Bel
gian and German wives and children,
who saw for the first time the land
they are to call home.
Savannah turned out to a man to
welcome home in behalf of America
the returning troops and, to greet the
women and children from the coun.
try's former allies and enemy nations
The reception began shortly after II
O'Clock when the cutter Yamacraw
and the tug McCauley met the trans
port beyond Tybee Bar. At Quaran.
tine party Of Congressman, Gov
Thomas w. Hardwick, of Georgia
Mayor Paul E. Seabrook and other
State and local officials and Army off.
GERS boarded the ST. Mihiel from the
cutter Yamacraw.
AS the transport neared Savannah
she was greeted by a salvo from two
historic cannon presented to the
Chatham Artillery by George Wash
ington and from battery of French
ISIS, trophies of the World War. The
soldiers answered each blast with
cheers. bells, whistles and sirens
throughout the city and on river craft
took up the cry
Spectators scattered along a mile
and half of waterfront kept pace
with the transport as she progressed
up the river. They stormed the docks,
overpowering police guards. Fire
hose were brought into play to clear
the crowd from about the ship. The
stream of water struck members OF
the congressional reception commit
tee. just as the party boarded the
transport. The congressional commit
tee. including Senators Harris and
Robinson and Congressman Johnson
Linberger. Scott. Conley and Bulwin
izle, were met aboard ship by Colonel
Walter L. Bates of the Eighth Infan
Try, in command of the troops.
Debarkation followed the formal
welcome in behalf of the nation. The
married soldiers stayed aboard with
their families while their comrades
formed to parade through the city
After the parade the enlisted men
were guests at a barbecue arranged
by the local American Legion post
A dance for the enlisted men and a
banquet for the officers kept the ar
rivals occupied tonight.
In speech at this banquet, Gov
ernor Hardwick said:
Every. thoughtful and informed
American citizen. ought to approve
and commend the policy of Presi
dent Harding in bringing our soldiers
home from Germany under the condi
tons that are now existing there"
The st. Mihiel brought back sos
officers and men, comprising two
battalions and service company of the
9Th Infantry. detachment of the frs
Engineers, who wear the French four
raguerre for valor, the goth Service
Company, signal corps and detach
ment of medical corps men. The frs
battalion and service company of the
Eighth Infantry will be stationed here
at Fort Screven, while the Third Bat
TALON will go to Fort Moultrie,. S. C.
to join the second battalion there
The engineers aboard with the sigma
and medical corps men will be landed
at New York
Accommodations aboard the trans
port were not to the liking of the
women, they reported. They were
quartered in the compartments aft
while their husbands occupied the
forward matches. Sea water for baths
continuous seasickness and weather
that forced them to remain for Ions
periods under deck were outstanding
discomforts.
While the ST. Mihiel was 1854 miles
from Savannah the soldiers, witt
elaborate ceremony, buried the cork
screw" 1t was a formal mourning o.
severance from the "two-cent beer
of Coblenz and formal recognition o.
the "dryness" of the United States
soldiers said. A specially constructed
.orkscrew, lashed to an empt,
Johnny Walker" bottle, was con
signed to the waves while Private
Alva Mcdonald, of Portland. Ore.
formerly editor of the Amaroc News
acted as. chief mourner. Private Nc
Donald's funeral Grafton referred tt
the corkscrew as "Aleck," and re
cited that "Aleck had an awful pull.