Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-03
US. TROOPS ON
Rhine ARE GIVEN
COOL WELCOME
Germans Show Neither Enthu-
siasm Nor Hostility as the
American Soldiers En-
ter Towns.

American Army OF Occupation,
Dec. 2.-(By Associated Press,)-
No demonstrations, either friendly
or hostile. marked the entry of MAJ
jor General Dickman's army into
Germany today. The frontier was
crossed early in the day and by
nightfall the Americans had moved
forward II miles, reaching Ragden,
on the left, and Saarholzbach, on
the right. The line extended along
the Saar river and through Saar-
burg and Treves.
The reception given the Ameri-
cans differed from that encountered
in Luxembourg and parts of Belgium
and France. There they we're well
coined as deliverers by almost all
of the population, The attitude Of
the population of Rhenish Prussia
was different. Not a single act of
open antagonism was reported, but
it was evident that even the children
had been schooled carefully in the
role they must play.
Calm Reception.
Officers and men were not sur
prised by the lack of display of flags
and the absence of cheering crowds
to which they had been accustomed,
but they did not expect the calm
silence with which the advance pa
trolls and the columns of marchers
were received.
On the Luxembourg side of the
Moselle river the streets of the vii
lagos were filled with those out TO
say goodby to the departing troops
or by those who paused to or from
church. Across the Moselle the
streets of the villages were almost
deserted. Perhaps IS per cent of
the population remained within their
homes, and in majority of cases
the blinds were drawn. Here and
there a German stood in the door
way watching the troops pass and
occasionally groups assembled at
street corners, but there were no
signs of either pleasure or disap-
prevail.
Children Curbed.
Larger crowds were encountered
in Treves, the largest place occu-
pied, later in the day, but even there
most of the people kept moving,
maintaining always studied air of
indifference. So far as possible the
men in khaki were ignored. Once
in while the youngsters under E
years of age were carried away by
the excitement and displayed an en-
thusiasm over the marching troops,
but their forgetfulness was corrected
promptly by some oldet person.
Brig Gen. Preston Brown, the
military governor of occupied terri
tory, has established his headquar-
tiers at Treves, which also has been
made advanced general headquar-
tiers.
General Pershing will spend part
of his time at Treves Civil affairs
win be directed by Maj-Gen. Harry
Smith. &f T4
The troops marched into the head
quarters town with bands playing,
but even the music and the presence
of dozens of high ranking Ameri-
can officers failed to jar the popula-
ton from its attitude of calm silence.
A curious feature of the situation
was the presence along the line of
march of large numbers of dis
charged German soldiers, both Off
GERS and men, still in full uniform.
Along the roads and in Treves these
gray-clad men moved in and out of
the groups of men in khaki or stood
on the sidewalks watching the
marching columns, At several
places in the city and in the country
districts Germans, armed with rifles,
were seen acting as civilian guards.
They had been placed there by the
German authorities to maintain
order.
A number of released allied SOL
'diers appeared with the American
line as it advanced. Some of them
had been set free by the retreating
Germans, while others had been pers
mitted ito escape" %
The allied commissions which
have been in communication with
the Germans have notified the local
authorities both in Treves and in
other places that where the civilian
authorities are not troublesome and
where they cooperate with the
forces of occupation, they will be
permitted to remain at their posts
and will not be disturbed except in
solar as it is necessary for the car
rying out of military measures.