Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-20
Cathedral Bells of Lor-
raine Metropolis Wei
come French Army
fsWILHELM" IN CHAINS
Populace Dazed by Freedom
From German Thrall Cheer
Marching PoiIus
By EDWIN L. JAMES
Special Cable to EUening Public Ledger

COPYRIGHT, 1918, bv NctC York Times Co.
Metr, Nov. 90.
Metz came back to France yesterday
tTuesday), Metz which forty-seven
years ago the gods of war took away
from France, today the gods Of war gave
back to France. For last night Petain and
his conquering poilus entered the metrop-
oils of Lorraine, while from the lofty
spire of the noble cathedral pealed the bell
that for almost half a Gentry had pealed
when the German Kaiser came TO town
and every passing poilu saw in front
of the cathedral Wilhelm" in chains.
Years ago Wilhelm had the head taken
from the statue of the Prophet Daniel
and his own likeness put thereon. To-
day Wilhelm wore the chains while from
his piously raised hands hung a placard
which said to the world:
Sic transit gloria mundi."
There were no Americans in the trl-
umphal entry into Metz because II was
most fitting that the ceremony which
meant to France the Crowning victory
should be purely French But from
the tower and the portal saw flying
the Stars and Stripes, and fifty or more
americans who got here to see the Cere-.
mony were welcome guests
The American army of ocCupation
made no advance yesterday awaiting or
ders. Therefore, after filing my dispatch
from American headquarters, / went to
Metz to see the historic entry of the
conquering French fighting men.
Populace Seemed Dazed
The thing was too big to grasp too
much Tor the 10000 population TO real
ize. They seemed dazed Down the
faces of the aged men and women who
We're French before Germany stole Lor-
raine tears of joy ran in streams But
the great mass of the population seemed
dazed. They cheered and cheered. these
younger folk. but I thought the tears
or the old folks best told the story
of Metz.
1t was incongruous to hear voices in
German praising the appearance of
FRENCH poilus, but they meant it none
the less, with few exceptions One could
not expect the enthusiasm of Paris for
these folk, most of them, were born
under German misrule, and the German
touch could not be rubbed off in one
day, as 1t will be in the happy years
10 come. One felt uncertain standing
IN the great square, one felt the at
lnosphere strained, until some one yelled
for the Kaiser when Petain passed and
after the police rescued that man I felt
again reassured and knew Metz was
really glad she was French again.
1t was absorbingly interesting to find
that the people had been told bv the
departing Germans that Lorraine and
Alsace were to be independent because
Hran nrf NtIa Il
l talked told me that Metz was TO be
the capital of the new republic.
They had been told. too, that the
Americans would occupy Metz It is
no wonder they were dazed when the
French troops marched into town and
when they learned that Metz was again
to be really French.
Germans Left a Curse
It was these sudden DEVELOPMENTS
which dazed Metz. The Germans had
left a curse upon its JOY. even on the
day of their leaving. For, after all.
there was no doubt Metz was glad. To
the Germans who assert that 1t is
really more than half Teuton r would
tell the story of the French flags which
few there today. The German COM
manders would not allow the factories
to make French flags against the COM
ing of this great day. and so the women
set out to make them. They could buy
white and red cloth. colors of part of
the German flag, but when ii came to
blue they found that the supply had
been corraled and the price advanced.
n It cost $40 to get enough blue for
one flag. But those flags flew by the
thousand today. I take that to mean
that Metz Is really French at heart
Traces of the German curse remained
more than traCes-and it will take
years to wipe them out. It win take
much longer than it took TO pull down
the statue of Frederick the Great yester-
day-much longer than 1t will take to
rename the streets with FRENCH names