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Show LONDON GREETS 0. S. SDLBIEHS CK 10 FRONT Populace Wildly Acclaims Regiment of the National Army as It Swings Through Streets. PREMIER LEADS IN THE CHEERING Each Officer and Man Receives Re-ceives Personal Message From King; British Troops Take Part. LONDON, May 11. Troops of the national army of the United States arrived ar-rived in London this morning for a parade through the principal streets of the city. There was a regiment of three battalions in line. The men were brought in from a near-by camp. Large crowds cheered them in the streets and they were reviewed by King George and Ambassador Page. The Americans came through the archway of the Horse Guards' parade into Whitehall to begin the march through the west-end streets and thence to the embassy and Buckingham palace. pal-ace. Members of the war cabinet, including in-cluding Premier Lloyd George, Chancellor Chan-cellor Sonar Law, Viscount Milner and J. Austen Chamberlaio, came out on the balcony at the war office and watched the scene with interest. Premier Leads Cheering. The premier, hands iu pockets, looked down intently until the last American was out of sight. When the American flag was carried past, Mr. LloVd George led in the cheers, which were taken up by other members of the war cabinet and by the people in the streets. - Shortly before the troops swung into view before the palace, King George and Queen Mary walked from the palace pal-ace to the street before the front gate, where they mot Major General Biddlc of tho American army. The king carefully care-fully observed the men as they passed in review, and afterward congratulated congratulat-ed the general on their appearance. He then inspected the guard, while the queen conversed with General Biddle. Scene at the Station. Bright sunshine and groups of cheering cheer-ing people greeted the Americans when they arrived at the Waterloo station. The place was crowded with British troops. Although the presence of American soldiers in London has long been a familiar sight, this was only the second time Americans had ever been seen in marching order, and it was London's first opportunity to view a part of the national army. As the Americans poured from the bitr train shed, a large crowd gathered, cheering and waving friendly greetings. greet-ings. In a few minutes they passed into the streets, marching over the nearest Thames bridge, on the way to Wellington barracks, at Hyde Park, where thev were marshaled for the parade. pa-rade. Message From King George. On arriving at the barracks, each American trooper received a persona) message from the king. The envelope boro the royal arms ami these words: "A message to you from his majesty, King George V." The message, on the note paper of Windsor ca.stle, and written in the facsimile of Ihc king's handwriting, was us follows: "Soldiers of the I'nitcd States, the people of the British Isles welcome you on your way to take your stand beside the armies of the many nations now fighting in the Old World the great battle for human freedom. "The allies will gain new heart and spirit in your company. I wish I could shake hands with each one of you and bid you Godspeed on your mission. mis-sion. ' 1 Route of Marrh. The route of inar-'h through London was past the British admiralty, the British war office, the United States embassy, the American navy headquarters, headquar-ters, the American army headquarters, the American Ked 'ross and American Nurses' Home and Buckingham palace for the march past King George and General Biddle, t". S. N'. A., command ing the American forces iu the United K i ngdom. At the head of Ihc procession was the United Slates regimental band. (Continued oi Pace PourA LOil GREETS THE Mill TROOPS (Continued from Page One.) Heading the second battalion marched the band of the Scots Guards, with drums and pipers of the regiment, while the band of the Irish Guards and drums of the famous Grenadier Guards played for the third battalion. Reviewed by Page. Ambassador Page reviewed the troops from a point just in front of the embassy steps. To his right and left, and slightly behind him, were Vice Admiral Sims and Colonel Slocum and a detachment of the United States troops as an embassy guard. The troops moved in columns of fours, taking about twenty-five minutes to pass. The greater part of the crowds was at Buckingham palace, but the sidewalks, windows and porches about the embassy were black with spectators. The approach of the column was preceded pre-ceded by a wave of cheering that reached a volume when the colonel and his staff appeared in front of the embassy. em-bassy. The American band immediately struck up one of the popular American marching tunes, and, above the chorus of cheers, came, the whistled accompaniment accompani-ment bv hundreds. j The " embassy staff reviewed the parade from the windows of the building, build-ing, where also were stationed many Americans identified with the war work. Among them were Miss Mabel Bonrdman, of the. American Red Cross, and Bishop Brent, just back from France, and Mrs. Whitelaw Reid. widow of the late ambassador. Scotch Band Plays. Near the end of the. line of march, the, band of the Scotch guards played "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," while passing the embassy. The cheers from thousands were not all for the Americans. Small detachments of British Brit-ish troops, which accompanied the Americans as an escort, received their full share. Two aged representatives of the local Grand Army of the Republic, the total membership of which now is about twenty-live, took part in the procession. The old men were accompanied by three younger men carrying a banner bearing the inscription: " United States Civil War Veterans. Not for Ourselves, but for Our Country." American flags flew from the tops of houses and balconies all along the line, but they were more numerous in Gros-venor Gros-venor square, where the various embassy buildings are located. The Americans returned to Welling ton barracks for luncheon as the guests of the British Guards regiment. They returned to camp by an early afternoon train. A touch was given the parade along the line of march by several banners and flags. On the front steps of the ministry of munitions, girls held up a banner with red and bine letters on white, reading: "Gee, this is bully. Sav, where do we go from heret" |