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STARS AND STRIPES IN LONDON

GREAT WELCOME TO AMERICAN TROOPS

MARCH PAST THE KING

IHI London was out in tho streets on. Wednesday morning, August 15, to- oheer the American soldiers who marched through the town to the sound of musio provided by tho Guards' bands. The troops were the advance guard of our newest Ally, mainly engineers for the military railways. It was an historic day in an era of historic things. One's memory.would have to travel back fax— to the days of the Diamond Jubilee—to recall such scenes, to <iast again such a crowd, and to hoar such full-throated cheering as tho music which shook and swept the streets cn Wednesday. .-The' crowds aurgod up suddenly—magically— from everywhere.

TJp to about 11 o'clock London was going on serenely with her; morning's business, and there was nothing much to ! wonder at except tho sudden change oi the sober West from its workaday dress to a fluttering blaze everywhere of Old; Glory. Prom every tall flagstaff in the West End the Stars and Stripes rattled and flapped. Starred and striped were the windows and the balconies, starred and 6triped were the buses, the taxicabs, the hofses, starred and striped were we all—and mightily proud of it. At 11 o'clock the American troops were assembled behind the railings of the Wellington Barracks square and talking freely with tho crowd. Then an officer suddenly said the single word "Go!" The easy, lounging khaki swarm shook itself with extraordinary swiftness into, business formation, and in another five minutes the whole string was off in wellformed array and marching with & springy, light step' to the clashing music of the band of the Grenadier Guards which led them. In another f.ve minutes they were in the thick of it. From the park a great roar of cheers went up; the music travelled onward and into Whitehall. The little army was epllt into four detachments and headed, _ in, turn, by tho bands of tho Urenadiers, the Scots, the Irish, and the Welsh Guards. Most of the men topped the sixfoot measure. They looked tough • r.» twisted wire, and all—or nearly all—of them preternaturally grave, uiu solemn as judges. They were not playing at soldiers; the mien of them made that clear enough. Yet their gravity was almost comical until you watched their faces closely, noted the twinkle in their eyes, and observed (with almost a jump of surprise) the gloesome wink and the; nearly imperceptible softening of the grim lines around tho mouth.

i ; Cabinet on the Balcony. ! Whitehall this day added another chapter to its everlasting history. The Cabinet was sitting in solemn council when the crash of the Grenadiers' Band came through th» open, windows . ~ the members broke -up like excited- schoolboys and hurried to the balcony at the "War Office to add their tribute to the echoing: tumult in tho street below. The Prim® Minister, Lord Derby, Lord Milner,- and Mr. Balfour stood together under the waving flags, around and behind them thronged a distinguished gathering. Trafalgar Square, with its picturesque living framework of wounded soldiers in. "hospital blue," took up the cheers from Whitehall with tenfold clamour; in. Cockspur Street, the temporary horns of so many American institutions, there never has been such it tremendous morn-" ing or «.ueh a mingling of Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack, or such jolly cries from the high windows from <vhere pretty American girls showered posies upon the boys swinging along far below them. The staid clubs along the Pall and in St. .Tanics'6 Street awoke to gaiety and revelled with the rest in juvenile flow of spirits, and Piccadilly in its summw gala dress was never gayer.•At Hyde Parw corner the great mass of people roared their welcome, and as the triumphal march, swelled into Grosvenor Gardens, where the American Embassy ■is' situated, there were Dr. Page and Mrs. Page, Admiral Sims, and all the Embassy officials to crown the procession with more garlands and the sincerest of fflad farewells. Gravely the men saluted awd passed ofi.

The King's Salute. The cliniai of the wonderful march I came when Buckingham Palace was ! reached. It was not only that hero popular enthusiasm reached, its highest expression, there the <irowdo were densest —even the white marble sanctity of the Victoria Memorial was clustered back with spectators—but nho'"thero i in an open space between the Memorial and the centre of the 'palace the King was standing to welcome them and with His Majesty .was Queen Alexandra, wearing a miniature Stars and Stripes. There also were Princess Mary, the Prime Minister Lord Trench, and other exalted personages, all manifesting just the earns admiring friendliness -that the puckcd masses everywhere had shown them. Tn© Guards came 'to "the present." the colours were drooped, and the King stood in the gateway until the Anthem had concluded. Within a minute the Americans had arrived. The officers saluted the King and tlw men were given the order of "Eye* right! as they passed the King. When the Stars and Stripes was passing him_ the King w»d homage in the u6ual military way. The march-bv occupied twenty-five minutes. A welcome rest for refreshments in the cool Green Part followed before, the Americans proceeded to Waterloo to entrain to eamn. Their route to the station was thronged _ with • chesting crowds, and hundreds or- children lined Tip in rows, pelted the soldiers with little bouquets of flowers.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19171030.2.29

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 30, 30 October 1917, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
903

STARS AND STRIPES IN LONDON Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 30, 30 October 1917, Page 5

STARS AND STRIPES IN LONDON Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 30, 30 October 1917, Page 5

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