The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-26
FOR HEARTY
GREETING TO WILSON
BY Damon Runyou

BY Damon Runyou
With the American Army OF Occu- !
patton. Dec. 22--t By courier 10 Nam
cy France Over at general head !
quarters they have been anticipating
a visit from the commander In chief
for some days. wherefore the atmos-
phere of the big stone building 'front.' /
ing the Hhine. which used to be some
sort OF German government edihce.
has been buzzing with activity. The
interior OF the building is decorated
in barbaric fashion which is probably
splendid from the German viewpoint.
but which Is rather depressing toi
some callous young American officers
who have TO work there Their de-
preston is increased by the sudden
military rigidity which always affiicts
a headquarters town once headquar-
ters gets to functioning thoroughly.
Romance and frivollty got up and
busted out as soon as the first roll
| tops are wheeled into action. Bright
spurs and high polish appear on boots
ana shoes. Uniforms take on a
| Valeted aspect General staff colonies
! and majors clutter up the premises.
| The careless glory of the fighting
front Is replaced by military pomp.
| There is vast. widespread saluting,
| Voices become ceremonious
| Laughter is infrequent unless some.
general should spring a whecze. Then
! 1t is quite in order for all hands to let
/ a guttaw.- Nobody knows what would
happen If a man should fail TO laugh
| when general cracks a joke. be-
cause the point has never come up.
/ Coblenz is thoroughly headquar-
| tered. They have a formal mount Of
evenings in the public square. Bands
| play, There is talk OF drill for the
troops in the field, This news is about
as popular as IL you told the soldiers
an epidemic OF smallpox was about
to break out. There are rules for
every little thing, Over at headquar-
tiers the officers have to register when
they go out and when they come in.
detailing the purpose OF their alb
sence. no matter how long.
I Must Register Details.
You will find written In the book
the truthful assertion of one young
man that he absented himself for the
leVening to look at movie show. They
have also been ordered to take regu-
lar exercise certain hours every day.
Another youth recorded in the book
the fact that he had gone out for ex-
Iercise and that his exercised consiste ed
OF punching the bag"
4 Then he went to pr9ss headquar-
tiers and spent the morning in blithe
lconversa ton
Second only to general headQuar-
ters in its rigid atmosphere Is the big
Coblcnzer Hof hotel. next door. The
rooms have ornate signs on the doors
reading;
. reserved for fied officers of general
;. headquarters. ,.... N y .ss57s g-F ..,g
r. No one below the rank OF ma for II
lin the hotel.
Lesser officers go BY and gaze I'LL
with envy. With its all apparently
, good officers outfit headquarters after
lall cant help it's being headquarters
can il? They arc always about the
(same. This headquarters is the best
we've seen. and il is certainly full
cooked and ready for a visit from Cen
erai Pershing.
Remember il he finds anything to
criticize, III accept no excuse, y
warned one of the high officers the
Iother day.
/ The General Arrives.
, Today some automobiles suddenly
buzzed up TO the entrance.
There was a wild clatter of booted
feet over tbe tiled floors. There was
a hasty shutting of papers on the
desks, There was shutting of doors
land a lowering OF voices The gen.
eral had arrived.
Up the steps he came while back
bones for blocks around stiffened per
cepubly You could fairly hear the
salutes snap as he went past He van
ishcd indoors. He was cioseted with
General Joe Dickman for a short
thine. Presently he reappeared under
a barrage OF saiutes and re-eutered
his automobile. Zip. and he was
lgonc.
fp bttt p-1t te
hailed
/ Gosh" muttered sentry outside
surreptitiously hopping his brow.
! However. they are still punching the
time clock over at headquarters
In the doorway OF the Press Dr.
visions dining rooms in a hotel on
the Rhine there appeared tonight the
| tall, gawky figure of a soldier who
! was evidently suffering from stage
fright. He wore a uniform which did
not mt. His coat collar wasn't high
enough to conceal more than a foot
| of his neck. II had a ''seemore" ef-
feet in the back.
His pants were 80 tight that stoop-
ing suddenly would have been a haz-
| ardous proceeding. Moreover. the
face OF the uniform had fuzzy whis-
kers. where the nap had been rubbed
the wrong way. The rude machin-
| cry Or tHt De LouiStuE HttioHS Will
do that any uniform. The piece de-
| resistance TO this soldiers makeup
however. was his ~ 1t was not
d regulation army cap. 1T was u cap
with IL forbeak. 1t had dewiars to
| keep the ears warm. 1t rode high
| on the soldiers head and gave him the
appearance of duckhunler.
| Greeting to Stranger
! There was a sudden overturning of
| chairs down the long table and shouts
| OF greeting and the bunch of corre-
| spondents and officers jumped up at
the appearance OF the strange figure
About the same moment there arrived
in the doorway behind MIN a tall, en-
barrassed soldier in group Of trim
looking chaps in officers uniforms.
| They had the silver wings of the avia-
ton corps spread across their chests.
They also wore significant little bars
betokening the ownership OF the
croix de guerre OF France and the
distinguished seryice crosses of
America. awarded for deeds of brav-
cry on the held OF battle.
! The embarrassed soldier wore no
decorations save one on the left sleeve