The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-11-30
100000 GREET
FRENCH TROOPS
IN STRASSBURC
Gen. Gouraud Leads 18th Army
Into Beautiful AIsatian
City.
FocH TO ARRIVE TUESDAY
Soldiers March Arm In Arm With
Happy PopuIace, While Every
where the TricoIor BIazes
Forth Again.

Strassburg, Alsace,N Nov. 26.-Gener-
al Gouraud entered this city Sunday
at the head of the 4th French army
amid the tremendous enthusiasm of
100000 people. Never did an army
have such triumphal greeting.
"Such a spectacle pays all our suf-
ferings," said General Gouraud, who
issued a proclamation to the city be-
ginning with the words of the MAR
seillaise:" "The day of glory has
come"
The ceremonial entry at which Mar
shall Foch will take possession of the
city in the name Of France and the
allies is fixed for 1 80 p. m. Tuesday.
Petain to Lead French Troops.
The solemn official entry led by Mar
shall Petain promises to be anything
but solemn. The inhabitants are inn
patient for the moment to arrive when
they can acclaim the leaders of the
victorious French armies. In honor
of the occasion the French soldiers
will be entertained In score of diff
ferent ways by the residents.
A quick inspection of the Alsatian
capital shows that the de-Germaniza-
ton of the town is proceeding with
prodigious rapidity and is character
ICED by the frantic rechristening OF
business houses. Every few yards
there appears white cotton band
with a French name that has hastily
been draped over the German firm
name or the German trademark. There
are now the "Cafe de Paris" and the
Restaurant de La Marne, replacing
Teutonic names, while some proud
houses have hung in their windows a
discreet card on which is written:
'eFrench house, dating before 1870"
strassburg Gay With Flags.
The enthusiasm of the French
troops grew with that Of the popula-
ton as they advanced toward the
Rhine, and when Strassburg was
reached by the advance guar(s day
afternoon came the climax Of the cele-
bration The superb Alsatian capital
was already one fluttering mass of
red, white and blue.
Automobiles arrived with officers in
advance of the troops and the officers
were taken out and carried in triumph
into the city. All afternoon and all
evening the troops marched through
the town arm in arm with Alsatians in
their national costume.
March All Day in Capital.
All day Saturday they did the same
and Sunday evening they continued by
tOrchlight-long lines of horizon blue
hterspersed with the gay colors of the
Alsatian costumes; ribbons stretching
from curb to curb; singing, dancing,
the people seemingly Oblivious to the
sharp cold that would slow up every
thing less ardent than the enthusiasm
of these people, which is really that
of a long lost child coming within
sight of his home.
Today will take place at the cathe-
dral a symbolic manifestation of this
great historic event. The great clock
at Strassburg will then be set to
French time. Thereafter the cele-
brated old timepiece will beat in uni
son with those Of the capital Of
France.
The reoccupation of Alsace- Lorraine
by the French troops has been accom-
panied by growing enthusiasm on the
part Of the population in proportion
as the forces penetrate farther toward
the Rhine. Nearest to the old Ger
man frontier the rejoicing is greatest
and the manifestations most pic
turesque,