The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-21
YANKS ALONG
Rhine EAGER
FOR ADVANCE
AGAINST FOE
Stirring Activities Among
Troops After Absence of
Seven Months From War
Show New Life.
PREPARED FOR ACTION
tRy Associated Press,

COBLENZ, June 21.- Divisions of
the third army. after being away from
battle fields and war scenes for seven
months, have again been plunged into
the stirring activities which generally
precede the actual thunder Of war. An
army, unperturbed by the work of the
peace conference and thinking much
Of home, has suddenly been galvanized
Into the life the soldiers knew before
the armistice and endowed with re-
newed vigor. 1t Is today moving for
ward toward the edge of the great
semtcircle which marks the dividing
line between the occupied areas and
the neutral sections of Germany.
This was a most stirring day at
third army headquarters and among
the first and second divisions holding
the east bank Of the Rhine since the
Americans moved in about six months
ago. Late yesterday, orders were
flashed from headquarters In CoblenZ
to the divisions across the Rhine, or
dering them to prepare to march into
the zone Of concentration. Within a
short time the orders were transmitted
to officers commanding companies and
soon non-commissioned officers were
routing their superiors out Of their
billets and clubs and relaying the con-
centration orders which had come
from Marshal Foch.
While the civilians in the small
towns looked upon the military activi
ties, simetimes with bewilderment, the
soldiers rushed to finish their packing
and to find their helmets, rifles and
gas masks, which had been issued
previously.
Second First to Move.
The Second division was the first te
move, getting under way early today
Under the Sayne Valley, which meets
the Rhine near Neuweid, which has
been the division headquarters, the
Second, with its infantry, machine
guns, artillery and all the parapher
MALTA of war, pushed forward. Ordin
arily, the Sayne Valley is cool anG
peaceful in summer. but today 1t ap
peared somewhat like the valley O.
the Ourcq last summer, when the
Americans were driving the Germans
back to the Vesle.
All day clouds of dust followed thu
movement of the tractors and guns o
the Seventeenth field artillery which
moved from the fortress of Ehrenbreit
stein out to the edge of the bridge
head, where the great valley stretche
away toward Berlin. Snorting AM
trembling, but ever moving forward
the tractors surprised civilians alon,
the roadway into some realization o
real warfare.
The American soldiers sleep beneatl
the sky in the open fields, while tn
country in every direction is dotte,
with smouldering fires where the so
diers' hurried supper had been pre-
neers, sanitary trains and signal cor
men who strung wire as they wen
ahead. Even observation balloon
moved up to get better peak int
Germany II the allied peace terms ar
not accepted.
The concentration of the first div
sion is well under way and will b
completed before tonight. AS the me
worked and marched today they san
as only American soldiers can. Off
GERS said the doughboys wanted Ge
many to sign the treaty and after ths
to go home, but "If the Germans di
not sign-look out Germany"