Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-24
.BOCHE TROOPS SMILED
AS THEY FLED To RHINE
Pennsylvania Officer Gives a
Graphic Picture of the Re
treating Armies After
Fighting Ceased.

Captain j. II. romance OF the 1ainbOw
Division writes to his family In Norris
town, Pa, of the German retreat as follows
Going north from ST. Dlzier through
Ncrdun. which had seen before, we went
through the great battlcficlds north of
that cItv. which had never seen before.
Fighting IN this area has been continuous
for over three years and VIC saw every
where the indescrbablc wrcckage of
fighting up to within "a week before we
came through Us we came up 10 the
cast bank OF the McuSc toward Sedan we
left the sector half by American troops
IN their present following up of the re-
treating hoche and came into Sedan, in
which city we were almost the first Ameri-
cans 10 arrive, and were quite curiosity
to the civilians.
After leaving sedan this morning and
on the way up 10 DInant, we passed all
kinds Of abandoned and partly destroyed
war material left by the Germans in
their retreat rifles, helmets, ammunition,
hundreds of cannon and caisSons. and be-
tween POO and 800 automobiles and motor
trucks. lying on or along the roads. One
thing We noted. and that was that the
hoche are entirely out of rubber, for all
their great motor trucks had steel tires.
and thcIr autos had peculiar tires OF wood
bltr ~ dllt4 Eltti NilItlik~.
There were many columns of French
troops on the roads following up the boche,
who were retreating across the Rhine,
under the terms Of the arnistice. the Allied
troops keeping about ten kilometers he
hind them everywhere We are the first
Americans TO 90 through the many French
and Belgian villages, the general having
taken another route 10 Spa. and all along
the streets the people waved To- us and
called .Nlve Ia France and ''Niye Ameri-
que From Sedan. on way beyond
Dlnant, II was one continuous ovation
About . clock in the afternoon VIC
heard that the boche wCrc not - verv
far ahead OF US and shortly after that
time We passed the last, or rather the
first of the French troops moving cast
All along the roads ye passed hundreds
II French civilians and soldiers. Just
released bv the boche. and coming back
10 their homes or within the French lines
As We came on nearer the rctrcating Ger
mans their rcpatrlots recognized lis less
and lesS - Americans or even aS Allies
thinking we were bochc officers following
up the retreatlng German armies. and as
We went through the little towns and
villages we could see people. civilians,
peepInC out Of windows and doors at us.
and not recognizing US as Americans
until after we had gone by, when they
would run ont INTO the street and wave
after rs
II O clock tins afternoon, Just about
a mile west of the town OF Maffe. We saw
tho first of the GcrTnans-two German
officers at u little cross road village,
who turned and stared At US as we went
bv. not knowing what to make Of three
L. : army cars going along the road
toward their own lines.
At Mafic We ran INTO q large detach-
mont OF German troops. hilleted in the
town and We stopped there. and through
our interpreter called an officer and cN-
planned that We were part OF the Ameri-
can armIstIce commission and asked for
an escort through to Spa. If such were
necessary. The German officer was cour-
tcous and obhgng; told us that We would
find verv few German troops on the way,
and that an escort was unnecessary
Meanwhile lot OF Germans stood around
and stared At US but not al al in a sullen
or hostile way.
pass LoHG CoLrmNs.
We then started on again for Spa. about
twenty miles east and notwithstanding
what the German officer had told US met
many columns of retreaung boche in
fdutrN ana dFtllicfN oil the Wdy. new
Wc-c all pleasant and whenever we stopped
10 ask the way they always directed VI
correctly and IN two or three Instances
cvrn stopped their columns 10 let US cross
+ bridg, ~ get by 4 cross road, and in
every case quickly pulled TO one side Of
tho road 10 let us by For troops In the
defeated and retreatlng army Of once
great nation they appeared TO be q rather |
cheerful lot. all we'll clothed clean and |
apparently well fed, groups Of them sing
ing a. they marched along in the late after |
noon darkness. and their horses and equip |
mcnt all IN good shape
Finally after losing our way only once,
&c reached Spa and found the American |
commission headquarters IN Hlndenbug's |
former chateau. Our quarters are luxU- |
nous, beautiful rooms. furniture, carpets,
pictures, steam heat and electric light, !
hot and cold running water and all on |
the German Government 1t is like |
heaven after living for months IN cellars, |
caves and ruined buildings, and | really |
believe we shall BE- here for some time. |
1t s now ! 30 q m. German time. so |
must stop Wanted To write this to- |
night aS a courier leaves early tomorrow |
who will carry this back through the |
German lines and mail it in France.