River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1919-06-05

We had expected to remain in
Coblenz over Sunday night and go
somewhere Monday morning, we
hadn't been notified where.
Lieut.. Coffey who has our work in
charge. notified US at six o'clock to
be ready to start for Ahrweiler,
thirty miles north at 7::3O. We
started at 800 and reached our
destination 0. K, but found that
we could not be billeted there. So
we went to Neuenahr for billets.
We were in luck. Neuenahr is the
Saratoga" Of Germany. 1t is filled
with elegant summer hotels all of
which have been taken over by the
Americans for billets. We had the
pleasure of occupying rooms in one
of these hotels for two nights. 1t
seemed queer to be occupying an
elegant room in Summer Resort
Hotel free of charge. We don't pay
the Germans anything for service.
We are not even allowed to "tip"
them. We pay no railroad fare nor
street car fare. They open the car
doors for US to get in, but never
show up again. We feel almost like
"hobos.''
Lieut.. Coffey is strenuous in
dividual. like his pep. He
believes it doesn't hurt people to
work and think he is right.
He billed us for three sessions
here in Coblenz on Wednesday
forenoon, afternoon and evening,
beginning at $50. At the end of the
evening session we were to take a
9:2O train for Esch in the province
OF Gutenberg. We reached Trier
at 1l:3O and were to leave at SIT the
next morning. This trimmed the
night to some extent but that isn't
all, we were sent to the other end of
the city by the billeting officer to
sleep at the Hotel Schmitz. This
sounded all right for Germany but
thorough investigation by us, assist
ed by all of the I'M. P's" we could
find and a dozen natives, convinced
us that there was no such place. We.
consequently went back to the,
billeting office and enjoyed ourselves
in chairs until 4:30. This gave US
time to get "hand out" at the Red
Cross Canteen before proceeding on
our journey.
For the evening, Mr.. Beckmar and
| were billed to go to village in
Belgium. This was about thirty
miles from Esch. In making the
trip we travelled in three different
nations inside of twenty minutes.
We went from Gutenberg across
the corner of France and into
Belgium. There had been no fight
ing in the part of Belgium where we
were.
| am back at Coblenz tonight
(Sat.) am going down the Rhine
tomorrow to Coblenz. Another ex-
cursion is to be run, starting at 800
q. m.
Lieut.. Coffey, just appeared on
the scene and says I am to remain in
Coblenz for week and give series
of lectures. This suits me O. K. as
| may be able to get in touch with
Wilbur Ensign. am writing him
tonight to find out if he can come in
some day.
Americans are in complete control
of all villages and cities. 1t looks
queer to see the stars and stripes
floating in every direction. The
German people seem resigned to
their fate. The middle and lower
classes seem glad to have the Amer
leans here. They know they are safe.
They say they don't know what may
happen from within when the Amer
lean army leaves. They seem to feel
that they need protection from their
own country more than from any
outside nation. The upper class set
their jaws and say nothing. If they
said what they thought, they would
not last long, and they know it.
The Armies are being moved out
at a very rapid rate. The report is
now afoat that the French will re-
place the entire third army. No
one knows.
The educational work has gone
uyalI co For h,,f 30 not ooinor RI Loot