Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-18
AMERICANS GET WORD
OF GERMAN COLLAPSE
Arrival OF German Parlcmcntaircs
Awaited With Keen .Ltcrcst at
Pershing's Headquarters.
RUMORs REACH OUk FORCES
But Soldiers Did Not Relax Efforts
to Advance Against Enemy De-
spite Knowledge That End Was
Near.
by DAMON uuNyoN.

WITH THE MERICAN FIRST
ARMY. November Iii, Is no per-
missiblc to tell detailed story OF
the beginning OF the end of the great
war
On the morning Of November Cen
eral Pershing was notified In his pri-
rate train up near the American front
OF the arrival of the German parle-
mensa1res. me American commander
in-chiet usually sleeps on the train.
which is constantly on the move. All
division commands along the trout hi
been keeping a lookout for the par
lementaircs In case they should appear
before the American lines Late We'd
ncsuay night our wireless Intercepted
mentaires had left Berlin. The mes
saRes were not coded. The Germans
probably wanted them intercepted. All
through that night the French had
been sending out wireless messages
across the from, addressed TO German
general HEADQUARTERS telling the en-
iying The roads for them to follow.
Evidently they had received no ac-
acknowledgements from the Germans, for
At o'clock Thursday a message was
sent out from Marshal Fochs head
quarters which was received at Amer
lean First Army Headquarters saying:
Foch's headquarters is transmitted for
necessary action.
IF the parlementaircs present them
selves at any point on the front to
submit Il request to Marshal Foch they
viii be stopped at the front-line divi-
This division will Immediately IN
form Marshal Foch of their status and
the objects Of their mission. They
will be detained at the division head
quarters until Marshal Foch has made
his reply
The final word In this message was
acknowledges"
sage came from group OF French
armies OF the center saying that the
parlcmentaires had presented them
Major Forsythe Mickes. of New YORK
who was our laison officer with the
French. called up American headauar-
ately notified. Word was sent ON 10
the division commands TO keep an eye
accompanied by Information that the !
arriva, of the enjoys would probauiy
be preceded by cessation OF firing o.
the Germans.
They had not ceased, SO far as the
American fronts were concerned, up to
Wednesday night, which was the turn
artillery was still pretty active. and
through the blackness Which smo,h-
cred the land that night.
American front-line troops had not |
been officially Informed Of the peace
proceedings. one reason being that
them. However, there is an under /
ground rumor system in every army /
faster than by wireless. /, is by no
means improbable that our troops hau ,
some inkling OF affairs.
back OF the nes pF or we w.k
the American army had been thorough
ly satisfied that the collapse OF the I
tion, however. made no dire cnce In
their 1ghtinS, as the results show. |
The Germans had been just as . us
ned OF their Impending doom, Judging !
from what prisoners said.
In the American CAMPS. where all |
the details of the situation arc known !
as far as, as anyoooy ,a az the front can
ing of relief that the bloody business
was nearing its end.
Yet at The same time the Ameri-
cans were prepared 10 80 ii nee
cssary. In fact. there had not been the
slightest abatement Of the armies ef-
forts in any res. ect. Men and guns
were still moving forward. L.au and
steel still whistled along the front
line where Liggett's veterans were
bivouack!ng. waiting for the coming
dawn TO resume their triumphant march
that began three weeks ago.
The people in the French. towns
behind the American army were greet
ing their friends from across the seas
With, la guerrc est fini." meaning,
the war is finished" an expression
they had been using for some days
ptSl iHeS were convinced as the
Americans that Germany was through
The first thing that the girl waitress
in the Office club at the town where
the headquarters is located asked OF
one OF her patrons Thursday night was
weather the Germans had sent parle-
men,aires TO- the Americans or ne
French. When told ii was the French
she was intensely delighted. She ex-
emp.ihed the quite natural feeling on
the part. OF the French people that
the enemy who had ravaged ;his BRAY.
country tinai!y bent his knee in sup
nliance TO it.