Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-15

fore, when the car climbed the IN
cline up to the bridge.
The narrow span of the Rhine, with
a pontoon bridge gently rising ana
falling in the swift current; is az
German armies and the advanced
guards of the American Army Hun
dreds of civilians cross the bridge
daily. but those wearing uniforms are
obliged to have special passes. An
! invitation from two members OF the
| American bridgehead commits sion
made it possible for the first Ameri-
can correspondent to cross the Rhine.
| Commercial Life Improves.
The area occupied by the American
Army is in most ways still alive with
tits ordinary activity. Telephone and
Iare running regularly on the opposite
bank of the Rhine. bringing Berlin
newspapers, which print the latest
Quotations from the New York Stock
Exchange. the Chicago Board Of Trade
and the New Orleans cotton market.
There is almost an unendins process
sion of sidewhee1 river steamers tow
ing long strings of barges flying Ger
man flags. up and down the river. The
commercial life of the nation is con-
tinuing and even improving. The sup
ply of sugar already has increased.
needed for the manufacture OF high
Explosives.
Plans Of the fortresses OF Ehrenbrsit-
stein and Asterstein and others OF the
royal chateau, with detailed maps OF
the entire country. were turned over
garrisons occupying the forts are ex-
pecting to move in a few days. The
accommodations are sufficient to pro-
vide a bed for every doughboy.
Bed Caused a Headache.
| One husky American complained to-
day that he had a headache because
| he slept in q bed last night for the
| first time since he left home. There
not enough castles. owned chiefly by
the former royal pefsonages and de-
parted nobility OF Germany. to pro-
vide headquarters for the officers and
billets for the stan.
| 1nartistio American Army sheds are
already appearing in the picturesque
Rhine valley. As We rode south along
the smooth road on the west bank of
the river through the little villages,
nesting at the foot Of steep hills. COW
ruins Of castles from former ages, the
quiet was broken by the sound of
hammers. The Army engineers were
! building platforms and sheds in tho
villages along the railroad. where
| supplies eventually will be unloaded.
On a hill directly above Rhens tower
the ruins OF the fourteenth-century
tkoenigstuhl, whore tho electors Of
Germany met and chose the emperor.
There were also castles at Stelzen-
castle Of Rheinfels. back of the town
Of st. Goar. 1t belongs to the ex-em-
peror, while the castle Of Rheinstefn,
near Bingenbruck, belongs to Prince
Henry.
History says that most of these
hilltop fortresses were destroyed by
the French either in 1888 or 1898.
Heine Romance Dfspelled.
Actually dispels the romance even
OF souvenir post cards A smoking
tugboat was pulling a line Of six coal
barges around a bend in the river
aToi tha the as hldden rocks at the base
passed it. In the nearby town Of St.
Goar they sell pictures of the tower
ing rocks, and on the cards are print
ed: fHeine's legend Of the beautiful
lured mariners to DEATH" on this dull
drab day the vision Of the singing
siren vanished into actually. At the
loot OF Lorelei was stout woman
with two dirty children busily sorting
in Barasch, where a grim life-sized
image OF Christ hangs on a cross in
the. center Of the town. there arc
shrines on every street corner, and
modern houses in all colors of Ger
man paint built against the remnants
of the walls Of struggling twelfth
century castle. Barges are anchored
legendary altar of Bacchus The al
tar in the center Of the river is now
put to commercial use for loading
barges with long-necked bottles Of
Rhine wine, so that it is still veil
named
Farther up the river is the Island
of Pfalzgrafenstein, with a castle
built by Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria
| in the fourteenth century. 1t is stand
ing. but the iron chain which once
spanned the river exacting toll from
every passing boat Is gone and a sharp
ey ed German customs officer has been
substituted. Even Bingen on the
Rhine. inlmortalized by the legend of
the soldier dying in Algiers, is a minia-
rel OH