Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-02-08

Lines OF communicated 0TaHCn q
Army Makes Headquarters In City
n Central France and Are Cordially
Received by the PeopIe-Pian to
Prevent Forcing Up Of Prices in the
Local Market.
Although the influx of hundreds OF
staff officers belonging to the lines OF
communication branch of the American
army has not yet begun and although
their transfer from Paris to q city In
central France is supposed to be deep
secret, this beautiful little city is al
ready aware that it will soon be host
to the newest allies. American flags
are already waving from many build
ings and the citizens are In state OF
suppressed excitement preparing what
promises to be q most enthusiastic well
come.
Preparations for the advent of the
americans, numbering several hundred
officers and twice as many assistants
clerks, civilians and military workers.
are almost completed, SO that when the
men begin to arrive, in a day or two.
each one will find comfortable quarters
arranged for him either in some one of
the half dozen good hotels here or In
private houses that have been rented
by the advance scouts.
CITY q Little Paradise.
They will find themselves Quartered
"for the duration Of the war" in one Of
Frances healthiest and most beautiful
cities, where cleanliness apparently has
been made a cardinal virtue, where
food, especially fresh vegetables In
season, and dairy products are plenti-
full, where the water supply offers none
of the drawbacks that must be con-
tended with close behind the front, and
from which they can operate fully as
advantageously centrally as from
Paris.
For weeks a staff headed by major,
with eight officers, assistants and many
enlisted men, has been c0mbing the
city for the most desirable quarters.
All available hotel rooms have been en-
gagged and private houses have been
rented until the end Of the war. Rooms
also have been engaged In private
homes for additional officers who may
come here. The big clerical force will
be distributed In part among the fami-
lies of the city-who, almost, without
exception, are enthusiastic'overt the op-
portunity of playing host to the Ameri-
cans-and in part will be housed in
huge barracks in the outskirts Of the
city.
The new headquarters will from the
outset be operated with view to the
greatest possible comfort Of the men
and the least possible disturbance of
local conditions. Thus, one of the first
moves will be to install "sales COM
missary," at which foodstuffs brought
from America will be sold ut less than
the local market prices, if possible, so
that the presence of the Americans will
not have the effect Of forcing up prices,
to the distress of the Inhabitants.
Only fresh vegetables, milk, eggs and
such commodities will be purchased,
and for the present at least no effort
will be made to establish maximum
prices for these articles, for fear the
supply will vanish, as it has elsewhere.
Officers messes will not be arranged
for the present, because the food avail
uble here is extraordinarily good and
plentiful. But the men living In bar
racks undoubtedly will have their own
tables.
A medical officer who has made an
exhaustive examination finds the water
even better than in Paris, sanitation
excellent and the houses clean-al-
though they have been fumigated twice
as a precaution-and everything mod
ern to surprising degree.
French to Furnish Fuel.
Arrangements already have been
completed whereby the American
forces can draw from the French all
necessary fuel; thus there will be no
suffering from what at this time is I'M
usually cold weather. The American
officers have found the mayor and
other city officials ready for co-opera-
ton in the fullest degree. The quar-
tiers, In the main, have been secured by
the mayor, who asked the citizens to
show thetr patriotism by giving up a
portion of their houses to their Ameri-
can allies. The payment will be lib
eral, and not on the 1-franc-per-day
basis, as in war-zone towns, where
billeting is the system, with this Off
cial maximum.
The Red Cross and Young Mems
Christian association already have es-
tablished branches here.
Shot by Own Trap.