The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-09
TOWN Of SPAI IS
INTERESTING SPOT
AS ENJOYS MEET
Daily Conferences of Allied
and Teuton Delegates Are
Being Held Under Formal
Conditions.

SPA, Belgium, Dec. 8. (By the Asso-
Ciated Press. There Is no more inter
esting spot along the German border
today thai this famous town in~ which
the international armistice commission
Is holding conferences amidst a dra-
matte setting which, were II seer Oh
the stage, would be recorded as a mas
terpiece Of the histronic art. Here, in
the former seat Of great German head
quarters, representatives Of the United
States, Great Britain, France and Ger
many are meeting daily with the ut
most diplomatic Formally, dealing with
the problems arising from the Teutonic
capitulation.
To the conferences the entente rep
resentatives motor from their temporary
homes which a month ago were the
personal headquarters of three OF the
greatest figures in Germany in recent
h~istory-the emperor, Gen. Ludendorff
and Field Marshal Won Hindenburg. TO
add a final touch to the piece, while
The main actors hold the stage there
markable lines OF supernumeraries.
Grave-faced officers, CARRIED in field
gray. stalk about with tragic tread and
salute with military precision as they
meet other grave officers wearing allied
uniforms,
The German soldiers make thlr way
unohtrusively through crowds Of en-
tente troops. No recognition passes
between these recently active enemies
except p~erchance when the former sa-
lutte officers. German lorTies flying
white flags trundle on local missions
along streets through which British
troops and transports are moving on
their steady march toward the Rhine.
It Is all like an endless cinematograph
film with never ceRsing attractions.
Big Change Occurs.
The commission began its sittlngs
about three weeks ago, At that time
the enemy was still occupying Spa.
Since then long lines Of hurrying and
~disorganized German traffic and troops
have sped eastward through the water
Ing place. There are now something
more than a hundred German officers
and men in the place attached to Gen.
the German government. These men
came to Spa in civilian clothes under
orders Of the republican soldiers and
workers council, but donned uniforms
on their arrival. Among the entente
representatives are Mat.-Gen. Charles
p. Rhodes and staff for the United
States; Mai. Gen. Sir Richard c. Max
ing and staff for Great Britain, and
Gen. Nudant and staff for France.
Maj Gen. Rhodes Is OCCUPYING the
villa Bous-Bois which was Field Mar
shall o Hlndenburg's headquarters and
the American general is using the same
bed In which the odd Man Of the
Lakes" must have spent many sleep
less nights, The kaiser's headquarters,
the villa Neu Bois, fell to the French
while the British are III the cottage
on a hin which housed Ludendorff. The
Germans are living In hotels or are
billeted about the town, The confer
enCes are being held in the Grand
Salon of the Hotel Brltanique. which
was part Of great headquarters and
in which the emperor finally resolved to
quit Germany.
The sittings begin at 10 o'clock daily.
Prior to that hour the German dele
gates take their places at a huge table
and receive the allied officers stand
ing. The later walk silently to their
chairs where each delegate bows pro
found,y to the mai opposite before sit
ting down.
There Ia no word OF greeting and No
p~leasantries exchanged and the bust,
ness Of the day Is conducted through
out with the same grim precision. .Just
what problems are under consideration
OF course is not a mater for journal.
istie discussion but things are reported
To be running smoothly.