Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-12
OUR RHINE ARMY
WOULD WELCOME
MARCH ON Be RI IN
Deadlock Over Economic Truce
Conditions at Spa BrightenS
Hopes Of American Soldiers
at CobIenz.
BY Cyril Brown
(Staff Correspondent of the Albuquer-
que journal ard New York WORLDLY
Copyright 1919, by the Press Publish
ing IN
Especial Cable Dispatch. J


Especial Cable Dispatch.)
Coblenz, March 1.-THE American
army on the Rhine would welcome
eagerly a glimpse of Berlin, and the
chances appear suddenly brighter to-
day, following the breaking off of
economic negotiation at Spa. The ru-
NOR in Germany that notice of the re-
pudiation of the armistice already has
been given finds the staff of the army
of occupation, which is fully prepared
for every possible contingency on
edge Tor further developments.
An inspired German news bulletin
states that Germany intends to main
tain a firm attitude on the economic,
shipping and food propositions, and
that this may lead to the revocation
Of the armstice surprises no one in
we'll informed circles here.
Look for Radical Steps.
While the bulletin was obviously
put out in Berlin primarily for pur-
poses of propaganda, yet it is believed
the rupture of negotiations at Spa
may well mark a radical change in
Germany's policy, with complete re-
pudiation as the next step. This pos
sibility has been considered in all mill
itary calculations on the Rhine front
The army of occupation has never for
gotten for an instant that a state of
war exists until peace treaty is
signed.
The possibility of the revocation of
the armigtice, the resumption of war;
fave and the reed CT "tcurising" Ger
many has full justified the Americana
mthtary pojtt CT net relaxing disci-
pine one iGta and keeping the army
Of occupation a. tn. top CT the fight
ing form ty i.a:G drilling, elaborated
menc,lvcrs aud I-a Ctical battle dem
oEsrrations.
A tour of CT. front lines in the
hrrlgehead is wildly reminiscent of
actual war conditions. Our outpostsi
on the edge of the neutral no mans
land keep watch just as seriously,
day and night as if fighting was still
on. All roads at the ultimate front are
heavily patroled, and interlocking
machine gun nests equipped with new
Brcwnings, are ready in our front line
beyond the Rhine
Men Always Alert.
False alarms are equently sound
cd to keep the men on the qui vive,
the sound Of rifle, machine gun and
light and even heavy artillery firing
Is heard frequently in the bridgehead
as the American battalions are turned
loose to fight very real sham battles
with an mag nary enemy but with
live ammunition. thus keeping the
veterans in battle form and accustom-
ing the draft requirements to the ac-
tual fighting conditions. There isl
even bloc ished, for accidental casual
ties are unavoidable. / am authorita-
lively Informed that the army of oc-
cupation could move toward Rerlin
within on hour after receiving orders
DESPITE, or perhaps because Of. the
possibility of tour to Berlin. the
lot of the doughboys in the Rhine
land is Frightening so rapidly that.
in some credible military circles. the
opinion is expressed that in the near
future many men will be in no hurry
to get home but will want to stick
around to revel in the joytime that is
coming on the Rhine.
undeniably. the last few days have
seen a joy-of-life wave roll over the
American area. Another reason is
that an abnormally premature spring
is here apparently to stay. On trees
and shrubbery, buds are greening and
according to native prophets, the
Rhine vale. will be in leaf in an
other week. German girls and dough-
boys may be seen carrying home
pussy willows. not together, of course,
for the anti-fraternIzation law is
still on the statute books of the army
Of occupation.
Spring Wandcrlust Comes.
Sno~drops AMI violets and the
first robin on the Rhine have been
reported and the men on leave srow
unmistakeable signs of spring wan
derlust as they roam around the