Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-16
AMERICAN TROOPS Gaze
At WILLIAMS STATUE
Learn Inscription Says That Ger
many Can Never BE
Beaten"
GURGLE ROLLS OVER RHINE
Some Residents Complaining That
Rules Arc Severe Brings Quick
RctOrt From Yankee officer on
Duty nj CoblenZ.
ny DAMON RuNYON.


WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY OF
OCCUPATION IN THE RHINELAND
tby courier to Nancy. France). Decem-
Der l5.-ln Coblcrz there Is an enor-
nous bronze equestrian statue OF wi
liam the Great. towering over the end
of The Espl'nadc. where the Moselle
flows into me Rhine here. Two pri-
Yates of Lieutenant-Colonel locks:ts
advance guard were gazing up at IL
this morning trying to read the inscrip-
ion on II. when young German sol
der who speaks a little English. came
along and one Of the doughboys asked
him To interpret the sign.
The German made several attempts
but could not give the literal trans
l:tion. II cannot read the exact words,
but | can tell YOU what II means" he
said ~ says that Germany can never
For the next i've minutes the hoarse
gurgle Of American laughter rolled out
over the Rhine
Nearly all advanced elements Of the
army have arrived at different points
along the riv.r. Formal entrance into
, cnblenz will probably be made to-mor-
troop un:t here. The soldiers patrol
the town in detachments of three or
four. with rifles slung across their
hacks. Their bhyonets are always
Tonight some restrictions we've
placed upon the night life OF Coblenz.
Taies We're ordered 10 close at 9 O'Clock
ne order came from the burgomaster.
said to he due TO lack Of coal Up TO
! now the cafe have stayed open about
az late as they pleased.
II Is pretty hard on us to have 70
cipsc so carly. one proprietor remark
ed 10 an American officer "If lust one
!1urtn OF the restrictions you laid on
,h G, french and Belgians were put on
you now. you would still have Il
miShty easy was the reply. They sang
,;M,lehon "a; the opera here last night
M, ,nG huuifnce was not large. and was
made up of almost as many American
officers and soldiers as OF German
civiiians one OF the numbers PLAYED
by Sy the orchestra was George 81.
Ionhns Popularity"
They do not have much opera these
days in such towns In France as
rheims and Verdun
GERMAN OFFICERS TO
TAKE OFF UNIFORMS
German officers were still poinr
around to-day in full uniform. altbommSS
!. ~ said they viii not be allowed TO
wear them later. Others who We're
AAsn1ing AGAINST the Americans in the
tcW weeks ago. walk the boulevards in
ne" CIVILIAN attir' swinging canes. iii.
Ing .helr hats TO PC another. In the
| ana u, stores are filled with per'
t toi making purchases. The proprie-
la, busi6es N ei hsd store boae told us o-day
year he said persons had plenty NJ
mon" ana nothing else to spend it
Ger the jewellery offered for sale was
MOI particularly elaborate comnared
Win tina, to be seen in Fifth Avenue ue
S" Hmonr rice, ices are ,reo very high.
and Third Divisions and the Tirtw.
second, the pride of Michigan and Wis
The "Rainbows" the Nineteenth. o,
Texas, and the Fourth are coming IN
behind Well back the Eighty-ninth.
from kansas Missouri. Nebraska and
the Rocky Mountain States. is movinr
( along. 'o' ms
The old duchy of Luxembourg.
,hroush which the army is passing. IL
cans are moving into Germany. but
the children there have not lost the
habit OF shricking "Vive" to the pass
ing troops.
AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE
WELCOME IN LUXEAIBURG
1t is . big relief TO go.to Luxembury,
where Americans are genuinely well
come. from Coblenz. where the people
This is assuredls pV Germ AMY gwen EVEN
down by the borders il is pleasant
contrast from this Rhine town. The
atmosphere there is much different
/ Coblenz is not yet formally occupied
ny the american men, who are here
merely as sort OF preliminary police.
| when our forces really take over the
| city IL is likely there will be numer-
| Gus changes in civic conditions gen
F! orally.
! No Americans are yet allowed across
! me bridge TO the right bank OF the
| khine. where the fortress OF Ehren-
| 1reitstein frowns over the city. All
| day to-day that bank was quvering
under the movement of German wagons
/ ana other transports moving an army
on its way back 10 the interior.
Americans are not even permitted to
/ wander into the suburbs. where COR
| geous dwelling houses line the Rhine,
and where German children play.
/ The former German soldier who lived
| in the States is bobbng up in Coblenz
/ these days with stories of how he was
/ visiting Germany when the war broke
/ out and he was forced into service by
| the German government. Most of them
| wan: some kind of assistance from
| American officers