Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-11
Wedding Music Greeis
1866 Service Wives
As Queen Mary Docks

ENGLISH WIVES of D. c. veterans
arrive here. Page B-1
BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-THE band
played, Here Comes the Bride but
the resounding roar Of I'm Yankee
Doodle Dandy" came from the
threats OF 1866 women-the British
wives of American servicemen.
And with that exchange of song,
the giant liner Queen Mary, con-
verted into a floating nursery to ac-
commodate theses children aboard
was nosed gently into its berth yes
terday-ending the greatest overseas
history.
But the great invasion" did not
get really under way until several
hours later. when the first 500 wives.
who will live within radius of 200
miles of New York, left the vessel
and were reunited with their hus-
bands at the 7th Regiment Armory
why it's reverse -lend!'
shouted former Army Sergt. Santo
Dinara, %, of Bellport, Long Island
after viewing his wife Lilly, 81, and
his twin 4-month-old sons, Santo
jr., and John.
Debt Is Paid Off.
las far as I'm concerned the Brit
iSh debt is paid Off"
From the time the Queen Mary
picked up her pilot at $50 am. yes
terday until she was nosed into her
berth by II Army tugs, her rails
were crowded with wives, many
carrying children and Drawing biting
cold for their first glimpse of
America.
Five trains are scheduled to leave
New York today with their wal
bride passengers bound for all parts
of the country. A train of seven
cars is scheduled to leave the Jer-
sey City Terminal of the Baltimore
81 Ohio Railroad at pm. with one
car each for Washington, Miami
Tampa, Bristol, Va; Huntington
w. Va: Hamlet, N. c.; Charlotte
N. c., and Atlanta.
The ship was met by white
Army Transportation Corps vessel
aboard which a band played Roll
Out the Barrel" and the traditional
wedding air. After the musical well
come, a woman's voice from the
small craft called:
fo lyle
Army tugs brought the Queen
Mary to her berth because the regu-
lar harbor facilities were paralyzed
by the tugboat strike.
Statue Brings Silence.
There was moment of near
silence as the liner passed the
Statue of Liberty. From the bow
feminine voices piped up God Save
the King and then God Bless
America"
Husbands began gathering at the
7th Regiment Armory as early as
noon, although Red Cross officials
had said that none of the wives
would arrive at that general rendez-
vouS until pm.
Mrs. Beatrice Becker, %. OF
Bridgeport, England, who met hel
husband, former Artillery Corpl
Alden Becker, Auburn, N. Y, prob
ably expressed the sentiment of al
the other wives, when she declared
America is wonderful-no ration
ing"
The 81,000-ton Queen Mary was
the second ship to bring a large
contingent of servicemen's wives tc
America. The Argentina arrived
last Monday with 458 wives and It's
children.
Five More Trips.
The Queen Mary is scheduled Il
make about five more trips carrying
wives and children to North America
but this first voyage was epocha
since it converted the Queen Mary
into floating nursery.
The ship may carry more in poinr
OF numbers later as the business O.
transporting about $4,000 English
wives to American husbands is car.
ried out.
Even the unpredictable Atlantic
co-operated in making pleasant the
last stages of the seven-day voyage
one of the longest in time elapsed
for the Atlantic crossing on the los
of the proud liner, still cloaked il
her gray war paint.
During the first days of the
voyage-purposely prolonged by the
fHCT