Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-04-21
H0OS|ER OFFICER LEAD
ARMED men TO BERLIN
Lieutenant Charles a. Grimes
Threatened With Court-Martial
by Pershing.
ARRIVES AT NEWPORT NEWS
Was In Charge Of Detachment Sup
posed to Go TO German Capital
Without Weapons, but CoblcDz
Guards Passed Them.
RRIvEs AT NEWPORT NEWS

Especial to The es-Dispatch.J
NEWPORT. NEWS, VA, April 90
Lieutenant Charles A. Grimes, Of Ethel.
Indiana, the only officer in all the al
lied armies who ever led armed troops
into Berlin. arrived here today with
the Headquarters Stafr Of the Thirty
Fifth Division, on board the transport
Dekafb. Lieutenant Grimes was Sec
retary to Major General William NJ.
Wright, commanding the Thirty-fifth
Division. and his detail of three mess
sergeants, six cooks and sixteen pri-
Yates OF the One Hundred and Thirty
seventh Ohe Hundred and Thirty
eighth and One Hundred and Fortieth
Infantry, have the distinction OF being
the only allied soldiers who ever full
filled their promise to march into
Berlin.
Lieutenant Grimes received order
March 16. 1919, to organize. his detail
of twenty-five men and proceed to
Berlin. by way of Coblenz and Cologne.
and report to Brigndier-General Har-
ries, in charge of American Army
Headquarters in Berlin, for duty. The
orders read that he should proceed
without ammunition to the German
capital, land he was supposed to be
disarmed at Coblenz. The guard there.
however. failed to relieve his men of
the heart OF Germany.
Germany Makes Protest,
They reported as ordered, and it
was then the German Government pro-
tested. de'laring the action of Lieuten-
ant Grimes had violated the terms of
the armistice. The matter was taken
up with the War Department direct,
by German authorities, and in few
days General Pershing himself started
an investigation. Lieutenant Grimes
was threatened with court martial.
But the copy of his orders. which
he has retained. will eXonerate him
it is thought He believes the fault
Lies ts;,o with the guard at coblenz. which
Grimes told his story here today. and
insisted that he felt he was CARRYING
out his orders to the letter. He stated
armed troops in Berlin caused much
of sensation. and that they marched
In the Unter Den Linden on their way
to headquarters. The armistice com
mission ms was notified Of the act at once.
Dekalb left France. after Lieutenant
Grimes had been relieved Of duty in
Germany and ordered back to his
vestigating the matter. The enlisted
men in the detail are still on duty in
Berlin.
Aecordeonixt Returns.
Lorenzo Mastropictro. known to
hundreds OF American audiences. as
here today on board the Dekalb. after
nine months in France with the Thirty
NTH Division. Pietro was drafted i'm
sioux City. Iowa. and laid down his
famous pearl studded music box to
answer the bugle's call.
He was attached to Division Head
quarters over there. and was one of
me chief attractions of the Mo- o-Kansas
Minstrel Show, which made a tour Of
France as the representative of the
,Thirty-ffth Division. He also was n
favorite of General William NJ Wright
commanding the division, and during
his entire career in France played regu.
iariy for the genearl and his tasff.
Retro, whose music made him known
throughout the entire United States.
fought for five terrific days in the Ar
Eonne, where the Thirty-ff lost 1000
men. but he came away without n
scratch. He hopes to be DISCHARGED
soon. and return to the concert stage.
lie has made many records for phono-
graphs. and has toured America MANY
times in vaudeville