March 7, 1929

The Cabinet and Staff came with Quezon and Roxas to the Palace to say good-by and go with us to the pier. Quezon brought a beautiful silk Governor General’s flag made by Filipino ladies, and Roxas a beautiful but enormous Filipino flag also made of silk. . . . Manila certainly did its best to give us a warm send-off. A committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Torres had been appointed and a crowd had already assembled on the grounds of Malacañan. All the whistles blew at two o’clock and again when the ship sailed at four. On our way to the pier the streets were lined with people. The University cadets were in one place and another corps of cadets at another place, while drawn up at the pier was a guard of honor consisting of the entire battalion of the 3131 Infantry of the American Army. At the pier itself, I should conservatively estimate the number of people assembled at ten thousand. They not only crowded the entrance but they crowded the entire length of the pier, which is about twelve hundred feet long. As we walked the length of the pier through the upper gallery, the entire way was lined with constabulary on each side keeping the way open but with the people grouped on each side in rows two or three deep. When we got on board, a great many friends had been permitted to come on and say good-by to us
there. The boat pulled out at four o’clock, and as it pulled out the entire pier, both upper and lower, was lined the entire length with friendly brown faces.