Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-24
Fighting Over, Doughboys
Are Only Anxious to Get
Back Home
PET GERMAN CHILDREN
Soldiers Make Comrades Of
Little Ones, but Must
Shun Adults 49,.
BY EDWIN L. JAMES
Special Gable TO Evening Public Ledger

.Lt tODltuL, DCN' ~
Now, 1t is like sitting in the bleach
ers on a rainy afternoon when the
game is over. II the people back home
want to know what is happening with
the American army Of occupation, the
answer is nothing
once upon a time the American SOL
der used TO dream of going to the
Rhine. He has now done it. and so far
as his desires go, that ends it. 1t is
six weeks since there has been any
fighting, and so the impression IS grow
ing among the men that the war Is over.
That being settled. the doughboy wants
to go home soldering as just soldering
doesn't apeal to him. He does not see
any charm in drilling for a fight that
ii not going to come. Anyway, If he
must drill he would prefer 10 do 1t IN
the United States, where all the land is
not hills.
When one thinks about it seriously
one wonders If the important fact ABOUT
thu. Americans ~sojourn along the Rhine
is not that nothing happens. h first
Irritation of the inhabitants over our
presence is vanished and the people
hereabout are about as cordial as the
army rules will let them be. As one
walks along the streets one would think
the Americans naturally belonged here
No one bothers them they bother no
one. The American method OF occupa-
zion of enemy territory is a success so
far as maintaining order goes Ut is
succeeding better than was expected
Regulations Never Issued
Two sets OF regulations have been
drafted for the control OF the German
population. They got even beyond the
nrinter. but were never Issued, for the
simple reason that the wise heads gov
erning the army say that they have no
use for them. What is the use of driv-
,nr people off the streets IL they behave,
ii is argued, or what is the use OF clos
ing cafes II nobody gets drunk"
when the military police came they
took an ambulance and reftted it for a
Malice patrol, but every time = have seen
II the Black Maria was empty.
We are governing about 5000 square
miles of German territory. and about
900. 900 people with about as much
friction as on a Sunday afternoon in
Brooklyn.
THE are behaving we'll. This
is. perhaps, not from any other motive
than discretion, but nevertheless they
are behaving well.
AS for the Americans. they also are
behaving well. 1t has not been found
necessary to discipline either officers or
men,
The French and British and Belgians
are rather more severe with the German
population than are the Americans. and
is but natural. They have more TO
Remember against the German.
Then, again, the doughboy Is different
from any other soldier on earth. On the
battlefield he is the toughest customer
that the wal brouhgt to France off the
battlefield he liz the most human of all
the soldiers.
1n a hundred ways he shows this, but
in none so much as in his devotion TO
children. In France the doughboy Off
duty is always surrounded by a group
of youngsters. and here in Germany it is
much the same, for children are the
same the world over, and so is the
doughboy.
This fondnes of the American soldier
for children impresses itself upon all
who see him. The French remark upon
1t here along the Rhine and sometimes
irown. That Is because they don't I'M
derstand the doughboy. O.
The poilu, when he sees a German
man. woman or child, thinks of ravaged
France and four years of suffering. The
d~oughboy when he sees a German child
thinks OF a little brother or sister or son
or daughter back home. He has already
forgotten the suffering of the battlefield.
Yesterday l was coming down the
Rheinstrasse when I saw a doughboy
and a German lad Of seven or eight
years standing in front of one of the
many stores in the city. They entered
the store. L waited until they came out,
and the boy walked away with a bundle
under his arm.
I asked the soldier about 1t. As he
turned away I saw he had two wound
stripes. Maybe IL wasn't right and
maybe 1t was,' he said. Maybe he Is
n boche, but he's a kid all the same, and
j bought him a Christmas present" Then
he laughed and asked:
"And what do you think the little son
Of gun wanted?-a rifle"
AS we walked down the street the
ddughboy told me he was wounded south
OF Scissors and again north OF Verdun.
We were in front Of what was once
4 candy store. Now, there Is not much
candy in Germany this Christmas. The
window OF this store was filled with poor
limitations of candy, unpalatable and
p~ninviting.
I did not say anything about it. buI
this doughboy said: You know, to me
one of the tragedies Of this war Is tina
these kids haven't any candy for Christ,
mas. l don give a d IL we die
fight their fathers and lick them. l wlsl
4 could give them all a bag of candS
such as they hand out at the churcl
Christmas trees back home"
with the American Army OF Occupa
tien, Dec. 24.-(By A. P.) - Genera
John J.. Pershing. commander-in-chie
Of the American forces, slept In a castl
on the east bank Of the Rhine Saturda,
night as the guest OF Major Genera
Hines. corps commander, with headauar
tcrs at Neuwied.
General PershinE crossed the Rhin
III an automobile at 1895 o'clock Satur
day night over a pontoon bridge a
cobIenz. after having entertained tn
Newspaper correspondents at dinner l
his private train. This morning he wa
iolned at Neuwied by Major Genera
Bioifman and, with Major General
hickman and Hines. visited the thre
division headquarters within the bridge
hoad and other points OF interest on tn
eastern side of the Rhine.
Returning 10 Coblenz, he left by sps
elal train Sunday night for Chaumon
going by a of Treves, Luxembour
and Vardun.
On hss way 10 Coblenz Saturday Gen
arnl Pershing was a luncheon guest {
Major General Muir. commander OF Tn
Fourth Corps. IN a castle on the Moseli
overlooking the town of Cochem. TIL
castle, which is owned by a major VIII
~ stu In the Germany army was com
IlnIsdeered by the Fourth Corps a
headQuarters. II stands on the SUNNI
on n great blum rising above tho Mosell