The Little River news. (Ashdown, Little River County, Ark.) 1897-current, 1918-11-23
METZ WELCOMES
MARSHAL pETAlM
People Rejoice Over Liberation From
Prussian Yoke After Forty
YearS--Bar All Things
German.

toric event accomplished at Y clock
this afternoon when Marshal Petain,
connander-in-chief of the French
armies, made his entry into Metz, the
great stronghold of Lor1aine and the
pivot of Germany's effort to crush
France, may be said more than any
other happening to concentrate the VIC
tory of the allies in this war. The
occasion, in which the french com
mander figures for the first time as
marshal of France, also gave rise
to one of the most picturesque demon
stratiOns ever carried out Dy the peo-
pie of Lorraine.
From early in the morning all the
roads leading to Metz we're crowded
with Lorrainers on their way to@the
! city to raise their voices there for
/ Marshal Petain and for France. Peo-
pie unaccustomed to any tongue other
than the German for years, began
many days ago brushing up their
! knowledge OF French in preparation
for this occasion, and although the MAJ
! jority of the population Undoubtedly
has a perfect acquaintance with nc
other tongue than the German very
little OF that langu3 ge was Aeard in
| Cilo SLTe6JS CCudy.
Statutes OF Kaiser Are Destroyed.
Other things German had disap-
pearea overnight, including the
statutes of the German rulers which
had been hauled down by the people
! William l had toppled over from tine
horse of his equestrian monument
while Frederick Ill, wnc ior many
long years had pointed a menacing
finger at France from the pedestal up
On which he stood, had come down
with rope around his neck. Former
! Emperor William II was still left to
figure grotesquely as statue on the
facade of the cathedral. Ine hanas
had been chained during the night
snd into them had been pu: Danc
with this inscription: sic transit
gloria Mundi
+, Flags were flying from INC statue
~ French heroes still standing i'll
Metz
lnese preparations were made rs:
aasight after tie departure OF the aefe.s-
ms, and today every inha oltant o.
the city, with the exception OF those
OF German origin, was ou: early il
readiness to receive Marshal Petsin.
Petain Enters in Triumph.
The marshal made his triuenphal Ell
try together with a staff OF allied
officers at the head of the FAMOUS
Iron division, the 39th Div:s.on of the
2Oth Army Corps. Following Was :.
long procession OF Lorn' lie societies
land other groups, including :. greai
number of girls in the national cos
tune Of Lorraine. This procession me;
r. c'at11 of thn
f7d conducted him in triumph TO tlps
Esplanade, where, surrounded by re-
markable group of generals and othe.
: nigh officials, he received tie troops
that had earned the honor by CON
tributing to the victories OF the al
4 lies on almost every battlefield OF
France.
The day was one OF no:abie en
tEusiasm throughout. which dusk fail
ed to diminish. Bands OF torches ap-
peared as soon as the lign; began
to fade and jubilant professions con
tsnued gaily to circulate through the
town until q late hour. From the
/ French lines, all around the fortres
fthere was a brillisn MT display of ,fir3
works which brightly lighted the sky
Signal fuses and star shells SERVING
IS skyrockets.
It woul5 be untrue to 10y that al
Metz was gay today. A considerable
number of Germans still remain here.
Some of these tried to put good couI-
teaances on the situ7 ton ana join tne
throngs out Of doors, but tae;r gluni
faces were mostly seen from open WIN
doWs peering out with c>ic:oslty
mingled with interest Those Germans
that were met within the crowGs were
! treated with consideration that pre-
yened Incidents.
{, IIr @ O.