Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-03
been given the inch and they were
trying to get away with the mile.
Begins to Get "Uppish."


trying to get away with the mile.
Begins to Get "Uppish."
1t seems that the German people
are figuring that the simple hearted
Americans didn't realize that they
were actually conquerors and enti-
tied to run things to suit themselves.
| In obedience to regulations, the
American troops probably would try
to requisition wood and forage and
some other things they needed, but
had not word arrived from down
the road that the Americans weren't
particular about those things and
that one needn't fear the consequence
es of turning them down? Sure it
had!
So in the village of Schlied 20 dis
charged German soldiers got togeth-
er on the day the ll7th ammunition
train from Kansas pulled in and de-
cided to put something over. They
sent a spokesman to Major Frank,
the c. O., to inform him that his SOL
diers could not requisition wood and
forage from the citizens sof Schlied,
The spokesman was very polite
about it, and he was very sorry, but
the Americans had no right to this
forage and wood. and they, the citi-
zens of Schlied, Germany-eXsol-
diers of the all-highest--didn't pro-
pose to give it to them.
In a few well-chosen words-po-
lite. but to the point-Major Frank
told the spokesman to get to hell
out of his office.
/ He ordered the Burgomaster of
Schlied to appear before him Instant
ly. The Burgomaster appeared and
Major Frank hitched his chair to a
table, picked out a spot on its top
that looked as though it would stand
heavy pounding, and launched into
rollicking old chant with bass
drum accompaniment,
Tells EN- What's What.
"Your village has insulted the
American army. 1t has sent a dis
charged soldier of the German army
to tell me that it can't have things or
do things.
First of all, neither you or any
other German in this whole acreage
of limburger can tell me what Amer
ican troops can have or can't have.
Second, no civilians can come in
here and talk to me at all. If | want
to say anything to this gang III say
it through you, and I'll send for you
when | want you.
Third, no more conference of
prominent citizens here. If | hear
of more than 10 people in Schlied
gathering together in one place III
send armed guards to scatter 'em,
"And, lastly, I don't expect to ask
your people to furnish my men any
meat or bread or any food at all.
The American army is able to feed
itself. But if | do want meat or
bread or eggs or butter, you'll fur,
nish it, do you understand? And
whenever | want hay, hay I'll have
! Whenever l want wood, wood III
have! You'll get it and bring it
where I tell you to and you'll get a
receipt for it, and that'll be the end
of it until l want some more! Now,
get out of here!'
And extravagant rumor-hounds DO
say that somebody started a move
ment in Schlied to make the ammu-
nition train ma jor the first president
of Germany.
The Rhine at Last,
On the banks of the Rhine the
Rainbow division halted on the 18th
of December. There, at its goal, it
stood as it had stood SO many
months before on the valley Forge
Hike" through the snow from Van
couleurs to Rolampont- with its
bare feet sticking out of its shoes. .
For the Rainbow had walked all
the way from the front line IN
France to the heart Of Germany.
The food it needed had managed
to follow it. Its wagons and trucks,
though the mud had clutched des-
perately at the wheels, had managed
to keep up. But the shoes it wore
when the march ended were the
same shoes it had worn when the
march began. French railroads had
not been able to handle food for the
American Army of Occupation and
shoes as well.
So all the brave finery with which
the Rainbow had started out from
Brandeville back in November was
gone now. Redeemed France and
Belgium had seen some of it and
had been properly impressed. But
Germany, whose own soldiers were
to have marched into Paris glitter
ing with new brass and silver and
patent leather, saw in the newly ar
rived American Army of Occupa-
ton Cat least in the Rainbow part
of it) a band of men who were al
most ragamuffins.
In Castles Ragged.
The raganuffins brought up the
tail end of the divisional column.
Commanded by officers who had
dropped out along the way to pick
up the men whose marching shoes
had given way under them. they
made a sort of auxiliary regiment.
And almost Immediately they went
from ragamufflnlsm to a state OF
baronial opulence. They took up
a new life in castles on the Rhine.
The infantry regiments and ma
chine gun outfits were in towns on
the very bank of the river. The
artillerymen were in towns from 10
to 20 kilometers west of the river
Division headquarters was in AIR
weller, about 20 kilometers from the
stream
Lordly mountains with ancient
legends fairly oozing out of the
vapors that curled around their
crests covered the earth. Ruined
castles that seemed as old as the
hills themselves etched ragged edged
bIotches acainst the sky line. Near