Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-11
YANKEE ARMY .-....
IS WELCOMED
TO THE RHINE
German Population Turns Out
to Greet Pershing's Army
of Occupation

CObIenz, Dec. 11.-The'last German
troops left Coblenz Sunday morning.
There was no trouble of any kind
when the American army entered and
none Is expected. Some citizens OF
Coblenz said they feel better now
that the Americans had arrived.
The friendly spirit with which the
civilians of Coblenz greeted the
americans began to evince itself In
the villages along the railroad over
which the Americans came to Cob
leEz. At many places Sunday crowds
of children cheered and waved their
hands as the Americans passed. The
spirit displayed became more friendly
as the Americans approaching Cob
lenz.
When the Americans arrived and
detrained in an outlying section of
the city they were. met-by a large
crowd, including municipal officials.
Among the others waiting to see the
Americans were two professors with
all the pupils of boys school.
The train which transported the
Americans to Coblenz was, manned
by German crew, the American SOL
dlers occupying coaches formerly
used by German troops. One coach
carried newspaper correspondents.
The battalion is commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel James Locliett.
with Major Fred Hackett second In
command. In addition to their rifles
and ammunition, the soldiers carried
full packs containing emergency ra-
tions, and additional food supplies
were brought by the train to tide the
man over until ration trains arrive.
Face Great Fortress
When the Americans took up guard
of the Coblenz ends of the Rhine
bridges, German soldiers were doing
sentry duty on the opposite ends. To-
night the American sentries along
the Rhine could see the lights of the
fortress Of Ebrenbeitstein, which
stands on a rocky promontory 400
feet above the river. where several
regiments of German soldiers are still
quartered. 1t is said that the fortress
can accommodate 100000 men.
The Americans will not cross the
Rhine until further orders, the bat
TALON remaining in Coblenz more in
the nature of military police until
additional forces arrive
With the arrival of the Americans
at the Rhine a company of engi-
neers was prepared to throw a tenn
porary bridge across the stream.
There were. however, already four
bridges spanning the stream. two here
and one in the north and another to
the south, over which the American
army is expected to cross December
13 in q thirty-mile arc.
Colonel James Rhea, of Texas, head
of the American commission. has been
dealing for four days with the local
authorities on questions incident to
the taking over of the bridgehead.
Instead of antagonism or even pas
sive acquiescence he encountered
lively cooperation.
A local committee was appointed to
assist the Americans in assuming
control and officers of the German
army remained behind after the last
of their men had marched out, in
order to deliver to the Americans
great store of supplies.
Clean Barracks -
Lieutenant Heinrich Prince, one of
the commissioners detailed by the
Germans to deal with the Americans,
was the oGicer who transmitted to
Major Whittlesey, the German demand
to surrender when Whittlesey was
COMMANDING lut ldHlouS lOSl DdI-
TALON" in the Argonne forest. In
talking with officers of the Seventy
seventh division to-day, Lieutenant
Prince said his comrades and superior
officers held the highest admiration
for the Americans in that fight. The
only motive for demanding the sur
render of the lost battalion" was to
save the Americans from what the
In1t h
tain annihilation.
The comparatively light yoke the
Americans have laid on the Germans
appears to have influenced them in
their attitude toward the Americana,
When the American troops went to
the barracks just evacuated by the
Germans they found they had been
scrubbed to state 70 spotlessness,
and that the mattress coverings had
been washed and refilled with fresh
hay.
Here, as at Treves, the Americans
are dealing with the de facto author
tiles. The workmen's council is
maintaining a commission. but the Of
ficials the Americans found were those
who long had been functioning and
the Americans are leaving to them
the problem of arranging their own
affairs in the new party's council. AS
an indication, however, that the de-
termination not to treat with the
council will not cause any trouble for
the American commission is the re-
eeipt OF various messages signed by
Matthias Erzberger. dealing with sub
jects which the Americans have dis
cussed with the mayor.
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