The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-11-18
FRENCH ENTRY OF
LORRAINENARKED
BY REJOICINGS
OF INHABITANTS
Province as Much French
As 1t Was When TAX
en- By Germans
(By Asgoeiated Presa.l

With the French Army In Lorraine
Sunday, Nov. IL. French troops
made their first entry into recovered
Lorraine today.
Moroceans Lead The Way.
The honor OF leading the advance
fell to the Moroccan division, incIud-
ing the famous foreign legion. The
soldiers of the legion wore their dec
orations, the highest accorded to any
unit in the French army during the
war.
Soon after dawn the boys of IsOr-
raine who had unearthed bicycle tires
/ that had remained hidden fsssm the
Germans during the many long
months, rode out to meet the column
marching toward Chateau Saiins.
The French tricolor could be seen ia
the early morning light flying from
the first houses OF the town although
the last OF tho German troops had
not left.
Entrss Hailed With Joy.
The streets were filled before the
troops came In to sight and when
the head OF the column appeared
with General Dogan in the lead. il
was received with shouts Of Joy. Old
men, women and children rushed out
with fmprovised paper flags, laugh
ing, shouting and weeping in turn.
The first automobile containing
French officers, were taken by storm
and loaded TO overfiowing with boys
and girls dressed in their Sunday
icIothes. cheering and singing the
I''AIarseiIIaige while wheezy phono-
graphs, the only music the town af-
forded, executed the national
anthem from records that had escap-
ed the eyes OF the Germans.
Lorraine Strongly French.
It was difficult TO conceive that
Chateau SaIins could ever have been
anything but French. After ~ years
OF German rule the town appeared
more intensely patriotic than French
towns that had never known other.
than French rule.
General Dogan's entry was preced-
ed by the formal surrender Of the
town by four German officers. With
grave dignity the Germans met the
advancing column, while the in
habitants looked on in silence. After
turning over their powers the Ger
mans Withdrew and watched from
distance the scene OF delirious joy
that moved all other spectators to
tears.
AS the zouaye band marched down
the main street playing the Mar
seiIlaise," the inhabitants pressed
forward singing the French national
anthem. They seemed to have taken
it up just where they left of ~ years
ago.
Hungry But Happy.
Chateau Saiins is hungry but
happy. The inhabitants have for
gotten most OF the trying privations
of the last four years and have be-
gun to live in the joy of the future.
A mounter patrol OF Moroccans.
which preceded the column, created
the first sensation OF the day as their
uniforms had never before been seen
in Chateau Salins. The khaki uni-
forms Of the Zouaves and the foreign
legion also caused some arnazement
as the population knew only the old
French uniform Of blue and red.
Kissed the Flag.
The foreign legion was drawn up in
the square before General Dogar
who saluted and kissed the flag held
by the colonel He had scarcely let
fall the folds OF the tri-color when
the inhabitants rushed in and pressed
the red, white and blue silk to their
lips, turning away with tears mois
tening their cheeks.
The eyes of all again we're wet
when, as the ceremony was drawing
to a close, half a dozen British pris-
orers OF war, turned adrift in Ger
many few days before, f1obbied into
the town on their way toward
France. They were road stained
foot sore, hungry and emaciated.
Prisoners Left Hungry by Huns.
Thousands OF returned prisoners
In the same wasted and exhausted
conditions are arriving by all roads
leading through Alsace and Lorraine
after a tramp of four days during
which they lived only on what the
population could spare from the
meagre supplies that had been left
to them. The British prisoners who
came into Chateau Salins were re-
eeived with great emotion by the In
habitants who did everything pos
sible to make easier the rest OF their
pilgrimage.