New-York tribune., 1919-06-26
Allied Commander in Chief
Got News of Agreement
to Sign Treaty at Kreuz.
mach, a German Resort
No Chances Were Taken
Armies Told to Advance if
Erzberger Was Not ON
Wayto Versailles on Time
Ne1v York Tribune
SDecidI Cable Ser1,ice

Opectdt CUOte SeTCtc6
Copyright 1ole New York Tribune Inc.)
COBLENZ, June 25.-Marshal Fer.
dinand Foch received the news that
the German National Assembly al
We;mar had voted to sign the peace
treaty at Kreuznach small medicinal
bath resort eight miles from Bingen
at 7 o'clock Sunday evening. Of all
the Allied officials who were waiting
at various headquarters in Germany
Sunday afternoon in expectation Of
receiving the momentous news, Mar
shall Foch was probably the last to re-
ceive it.
After waiting patiently from noon
when the German Assembly was
scheduled to meet, until o'clock for
it's decision, Marshal Foch, accompa-
MED by General Weygand, his aide, en-
tered an automobile for brief jaunt
over the countryside. 1t was almost
y o'clock when he returned, and as
he stepped from his automobile a
messenger dashed out announcing that
important news had been received from
Weimar. Within a minute Foch him
self was on the telephone confirming
the news, which was almost equivalent
to the actual signature of the peace
treaty.
Was Ready to Advance
With his staff of twenty Off
GERS Marshal Foch arrived at Kreuz-
mach Saturday, prepared to direct the
Allied advance into Germany in the
event Of Germany's refusal to accept
the peace terms. All the plans we're
laid Saturday evening, and the waiting
period commenced.
Sunday dawned on the great Kur-
haus building in which headquarters
was established, with a clam which
almost amounted to a huge hush"
Direct telephone communication had
been established with all the armed
forces awaiting the signal to advance,
and with Paris, Versailles and Weimar.
From Foch down she officers and
men lolled about the veranda and
gardens, killing time. The news of
the National Assembly's action finally,
however, set the machinery in action.
The sleepy nerve centre of the Allied
armies awoke. Telephones began buzz
ing, and within a few minutes after he
had received the news Marshal Foch
had talked to Premier Clemenceau and
was waiting impaticntly for other con-
nections.
His message was that all the armies
were to advance unless Erzbergcr sent
definite word that they were en- route
to Versailles before the expiration Of
the time limit set by the big four. But
Foch himself and his entire staff knew
that the last scene in the great Euro
pean war had arrived, that no advance
would be necessary and that within a
few hours Europe would be talking def
nltely about peace. which lies for the
future in the hands of the league of
nations.
Armies to Start Home
Marshal Foch's next order will be to
turn the Allied armies around and start
them back toward home. What
prompted the marshal to establish his
headquarters at the little German town
of Kreuznach was due not to it's his
torical Importance but to its geograph-
ical location, enabling him to direct the
Interallied forces in the field again if
necessary, and also the marshal's
health. Kreuznach lies on the edge of
the German Palatnate, and it is an
ancient town, noted for certain medical
springs.
The Tribune correspondent arrived
at Kreuznach Sunday afternoon in time
to see the chief nerve centre of the
Allied armies wake from it's lethargy
Sleepy little Kreuznach may now erect
tablet on the spot where the direct
ing head of the greatest war in history
first received definite news of the end
of the greatest war in history.