Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-28
YANKS EASY BOSSES"
FRENCH ARE TYRANN|Chl
Vast Difference in Occupation of
the Armies of the Two
Great Republics.


Mavence. Jan I5.-American occu-
patton and French occupation of Ger
| many are rs far apart as the poles in
character. The French occupation i'm
presses one not unfavorably, but the
two systems are strikingly different.
The American Army of Occupation
does not force itself on the attention
of the casual tourist He gets the inn
preston, not of an army on - war loot
ing in the enemy's country but OF by
no means obtrusive American police
force
Coblens and in fact the whole Ameri-
can area, with its good natured KHAKI
police. has "a look OF almost peacetime
nurmalitv II docs not seem TO he heavily
garrisoned. nor are the towns and villages
choked with troops, or the roads latnmed
| with military traffic.
Natives go about their business taking
little notice of the Americans IN their
midst The Germans IN general certainly
do not regard the Americans as friends,
hut they don't act rs they felt these
American soldier police to be enemies
There are none Of those innumer-
able warnings, ordinances, promulgs-
tions and what not which marked the
German occupation in France. There
appears TO be only one American nIi-
tary barrier-the pontoon bridge over the
Rhine but natives with legitimate huSi-
ness can obtain passes. The American
occupation gives practical expression
10 the ideals for which America went
into the war, and for which America IN
sense Is still fighting by the example
the American army is setting in Germany
EVERYTHING is avoided which might
ntiict needless hardship on the clvllIan
population; nothing needlessiv Is done
which might even hurt German scnsl-
bihtics. There is no Haunting Of American
flags They are not flung out over public
buildings and IN other places where
they might be legitimstely. You sec
Old GLORY occasionally floating on the
Rhine at the stern of marine patrol
boat Otherwise the American flag is
displayed only on military premises and
occasions.
FRENCH MILITARY RIGoR.
As one nears Mayence he runs into
real French barrier; real war stuff
sharp control passes mlnuteiy sCrl-
tinized. The French flag is flying: mill
tarv bands are playing French airs;
French bayoncts arr IN evidence; one
sees few military police. but troops
abound. None of the formal trappIngs
and trimmings of Continental mllltarism
is lacking.
The French Tricolor waves on the
top ot the Grand Ducal palace as once
the German flag in occupied France.
While waiting 10 be received BY Gen.
Mangln, commanding the district, |
watched the impressive ceremonial OF
the changing Of the guard. a platoon
OF fine French fighting troops came
swinging down the main street At noon,
preceded bv a band reinforced by
score OF buglers. And to the Teuton ear
there could he no mistaking the mean
ing of that French martial music. At
the palace the guard was changed with
minutest military formality; then the
guard withdrew, accompanied by re-
newed blasts OF victorious trumpets.
loNG OCCUPATION, SAYS MANGIN.
..Our occupation must be very long"
Cen Mangin said tn me. ''The Boche |
l. unchanged In heart. He has merely |
put on new disguise temporarily TO |
serve ms purpose After criminally sully |
ing our devastated areas for four years |
the Boche has cunningly escaped with |
ms armies largely intact and his homes |
untouched by feigning complete, crawl |
ing submission.
The only hope remaining to the |
b he. beaten but not broken, and |
the hope To which he now pins his faith, |!
is ms propaganda, aimed first TO alien |
ate America and France. The Boche is |
irving hard and cleverly TO drive a wedge |
between us and make permanent breach. |
Yesterday the Boche was al for
brute force; today he has changed front
completely and stimulates enthusiasm
for democracy, freedom, justice and
the brotherhood Of man. You cannot
trust this sidden pretended change of
heart You cannot trust Germany.
BoCHEs EVER CUNNING HYPoCRITEs.
What the Boche loudly proclaimed
as revolution amounted to nothing
more than q sudden change OF ministry,
and President Wilson. Only two weeks
before the armistice, even, the the Boche
propaganda literature branded Wilson
a. Nero, a Caligula and worse. Inside
OF two weeks the whole Boche press
and propaganda turned about and hailed
President Wilson a. q Socrates, q latter
day Savior When the Boche thought
the Prince Max regime did not look
democratic enough to make 2 hit with
" lIson. the Boche put ia q Socialist
Chancellor as figurehead, and when
il occurred 10 them that that would not
impress Wilson favorably, either, as
evidence Of good faith, they promptly
put IN more radical regime, and now
they are trying fourth government"
Gen Mangin closed the interview
with a tribute to the American divi-
sions which fought under his command
and sincere plea for continuance Of
fr1a