The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1918-11-21
AMERICAN ARMY
OF OCCUPATION
One Quarter Million Men Under Ma
jor General Dickman on 50-MiIe
Line Occupy Evacuated
Territory.

win the American fOrCeS Oh Oc-
cupation, Nov. 18.-One part of the
American army of occupation moved
forward into Belgium today, while the
remainder of the line swung steadily
forward toward the German frontier.
Throughout the night the army
rested on it's line of approximately
so miles in such tactical position as
to be able to meet any eventuality.
Flanking forces were ready for imme-
diate action, the supports were in
their proper intervals, the artillery
was moved into position and even ma
chine guns emplacements were made.
The instructions that similar care and
preparedness must be exercised
throughout the movement.
The quarter of million men of
Major General Dickman's American
army of occupation, which is the Of
ficial designation of the force, snug
gled into their blankets during the
coolest night of the season. The
roads were frozen and heavily
clouded sky added to the darkness o'
the field of operations, but notwith
standing weather conditions the mer
were cheerful and the scene presented
from the heights overlooking the
area was one of the most spectacular
of the war.
Miles and miles of camp fires be-
trayed the presence of the army on
tbs hillsides and in the valleys. The
lessened need of caution caused the
men to abandon the custom of shield
ing their fires and instead of minia-
ture affairs previously allowed there
appeared thousands of fires some of
which approached the proportions ot
celebrative bonfires.
The|advance into Belgium was made
from Ecouviesv just on the French
side of the border. Advance patrols
of the army had camped there with
Major General Jejeune's second divis-
ion at Montmedy. The men went ov-
er the frontier line just after dawn
Lamorteau, just over the line, was
the first village occupied.
From Lamorteau, the line moved
up the road to Verton, where many
civilians remained. Their joy at
seeing the Americans was given full
play.
Further to the south the line
swung through Bricy, the center OF
the famous iron mining district. The
entire progress was accompanied
without any untoward incident, the
Germans apparently acting in good
faith in accordance with the terms OF
the armistice.
Additional repatriated foreigners
and released prisoners continued to
be encountered trudging along the
roads to meet the Americans, while
hundreds of German soldiers were
added to the list of those who will be
interned or made prisoners of war
A few of these last had been cut off
from their organizations and found
it impossible to rejoin them, but the
great majority seemed to belong to
that class which preferred capture
to returning home under the present
conditions.
Among the prisoners who re-en-
tered the lines between noon Sat.
urday and noon Sunday were 204
Americans, from six different Amer
lean organizations. They had beer
captured about October 15 in vicinity
of Landres st. Georges. They had moi
been treated with great activity, all
though they said they had Jared bet.
ter at the hands of the Saxons and
Wurttemburgers than at those Of
Prussians. The total number Of
Americans who have re-entered the
lines since the armistice was declar-
ed is 244.