The Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 191?-19??, 1919-07-23
LIEUT.. LONG
WRITES AGAIN
FROM GERMANY
Tells EntertainingIy of the Conditions
Around Russian Prison Camps and
the Longing for Home of the Rus
SLAMS.
Russian Prisoner of War Camp,
Chemnitz, Germany.
July 8, 1919.
Ny dear father:

July 3, 191
My dear father:
AS / wrote you in my last lette
the train containing the detachmer
of troops for duty at the Russia
Prisoner of War Camps in German
arrived at Coblenz late at night. Tn
officers of the different detachment
were billeted in hotels in the city
and the men were placed in boats OF
the Rhine. We knew that our sta!
in COblenz would be short, as W.
were to leave for our camps as soor
as we had secured supplies of al
kinds for month. On account Of
the food shortage in Germany, it wa!
necessary for us to take everything
from Coblenz.
! am supply officer for our detach-
ment-and the next two days were
busy ones for me. When our detach-
ment finally pulled out on February
18th, / was satisfied that our men
wouldn't starve for a period of thirty
days. Here want to say a word
of praise for the Y. M. C. A., the
Knights of Columbus, and the Red
Cross. All of these organizations
gladly gave us a sufficient supply of
cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, chocolate,
soap, magazines, writing paper for
several months. Every one of these
organizations is doing a great work
over here, and too much cannot be
said in their praise
Coblence is pretty city-modern
in every respect-and far ahead of
any except the largest cities of
France. Some of the buildings, es-
pecially the government buildings are
massive to an extreme, huge but
tresses, heavy foundations, and in
fact as it looks to US, too evident
testimony of the richness of the for
mer German empire. One of the
sights of the city is the large monu-
ment erected on a point overlooking
the juncture Of the Rhine and the
Moselle, in honor of Emperor
William l, the father of the present
ex-Kaiser. The first American troops
who arrived in Coblence rested at
the foot of this monument. A dough
boy, tired and weary from the long
hike, looked up at the massive figure
on horseback, and after reading the
inscription stating that the statue was
erected by the Rhine Provinces in
honor of William l, Emperor of Ger
many, said, "Well, old man, you sure
did play hell when you raised your
boy to be soldier" And l think the
whole world echoes his sentiments.
At the present time Coblence is the
headquarters of the American army
of occupation. At every street cor
ner are American Military Police.
Hundreds of American officers and
soldiers walk the streets. All amuse-
ment halls and theatres have been
taken over by the Y. NJ. c. A. and K.
Of C. and are used for American at
fractions for the pleasure and amuse-
ment of the American soldiers.
On the Rhine boats, formerly used
as sightseeing boats, now flying the
American flag, and now used as liv-
ing quarters for casuals. There are
also many fast motor boats, equipped
with machine guns, which maintain
a day and night patrol on the river.
Only recently a wealthy German Of
Coblence was discovered bringing in =
cognac under bags of coal on the riv-
er bargest. He was promptly fined
two hundred thousand marks and six
months in Jail by the American court
officer, as this is a violation of the
law. The Army of Occupation rules
with firm but just hand, and heavy
fines and inprisonments fall to the
lot of the German man or woman
who breaks the regulations laid down
by the Commanding General. Il
Across the Rhine from Coblence
lies the famous fortress of Ehrenbreit
stein, the strongest fortified interior
Tort in the world. This wonderful
occupies the top of
arge rock, and commands the Rhine,
he Moselle, and the surrounding
country for miles. 1t has been dis
nantled to some extent since the
Prussian war, as Germany
hought that since her boundaries had
,een extended to take in Alsace Lor-
aine, the Rhine would never again
,e in danger But today large
American flag floats over Ehrenbreit-
TEN, signifying to the world that
lew "Wacht am Rhein" has begun,
nd will continue until the allies are '
atisfied that Germany will fulfil the 9
onditions of the peace treaty.
Late in the afternoon of February '