Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-02-16
GREAT HOSTS
GREET TROOPS
last thousand of Americans
Warmly Welcomed Home
II BRING ALIEN WIVES
Thanked BY Nation-Barbecu Ban
quet And Dance Features
Of Reception BY

Savannah, Ga. = Americas elast
thousand are home from Europe.
signalizing the close OF the nations
participation in the World War
From the deck Of the United States
Army transport ST. MihieI 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 r. Seabrook and other
State and local officials and Army Off
GERS boarded the ST. Mibiel from the
cutter Yamacraw
As the transport neared Savannah
she was greeted by salvo from two
historic cannon presented to the
Chatham Artillery by George Wash
lngton and from a battery of French
75's, 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,
overpoweriHg 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-
xle 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 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-
tions that are now existing there"
The st. Mihiel brought back 90S
officers and men, comprising two
battalions and service company Of the
sth Infantry, detachment Of the first
Engineers, who wear the French four
raguerre for valor, the Goth Service
Company, signal corps and detach-
ment of medical corps men. The first
battalion and service company of the
Eighth Infantry will be stationed here
at Fort Screven, while the Third Bat
talon will go to Fort Mouitrie, S. G.,
to join the second battalion there.
The engineers aboard with the signal
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 long
periods under deck were outstanding
discomforts.
While the ST. Mihiel was 1854 miles
from Savannah the soldiers, with
elaborate ceremony, buried the cork
screw" 1t was formal mourning Of
severance from the "two-cent beer"
Of CobIenz and formal recognition Of
the "dryness" of the United States,
soldiers said. specially constructed
corkscrew, lashed to an empty
Johnny Walker" bottle, was con-
signed to the waves while Private
Alya Mcdonald, Of Portland, Ore,
formerly editor OF the Amaroc News,
acted as chief mourner. Private Nc
Donald's funeral grafton referred to
The corkscrew as "Aleek," and re-
cited that eAleck had an awful pull,