Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-19
BY THOMAS M. JOHNSON.
Correspondence Of The Sunday Star ant
New York Sun. Copyright, 1878.

Correspondence Of The Sunday Star and
New York Sun. Copyright, 1919.
WITH THE AMERICAN THIRD
ARMY ON THE RHINE, December II.
A country of contrasts Is that strip Of
Germany that the Americans have seen.
The frontier villages. the two cities of
Treves or as the Germans call It. Trier,
and Coblenz, the beautiful Rhine and
MoseIie valleys. are filled with such
contradictions that the average Amer
lean soldier is puzzled.
What manner of people is this?" is
the question that comes often to the
mind. Many an American who has
watched them these two weeks. talked
TO them, tried. as he calls it, TO dope
them out" would probably answer
now: They're half kid and half wild
Indian. that's what they are
OrG- who walks about the streets Of
Ccbleuz or Treves or rides along the
country roads hereabout sees queer
and Interesting sights He sees. for
instance, the central squares heaped
with Christmas trees--which the Ger
nans call "Christenbeaumer' = the
shop windows filled with dolls and toys
o. all kinds and everywhere innumera-
BILE children. He remembers that Ger
n any is the land of happy child life, of
fairies and sprites and games
s,. Wife Does the Work.
.fren down the street. walking IN the
middle of the street usually, comes huS-
band and wife. The husband. with the
waXed mustache, broad shoulders and
straight back that stamp him soldier
just discharged, strides along smoking
his cherry wood pipe. his hands in his
oVercoat pockets. Beside him his wife
is laboring to keep up, and STOPPING.
for she is dragging little cart laden
with what seems to be a heavy load
of clothing. She is dragging the cart,
rot he. They stop at house. The
man opens the door and walks in; the
woman follows.
Look in at the window OF any house
aloIg almost any street just after din
ner in the evening-though here they
cali 1t supper. Coal and oil are scarce
iE Ceblenz, SO there may be only can
dies. but around their yellow light will
be gathered the family, father. mother
and several children, reading, knitting,
sewmg-the picture of happy home.
in a book store in the same block will
be Taper covered books for boys de-
pictig in lurid colors burning French
villages with red flames darting through
the windows Of every home.
sPrivates Wear Uniform.
Marry common soldiers. for they call
them just that in Germany. are dressed
in a. queer half uniform, because they
class in Coblenz and Treves perhaps
half She overcoats worn are the gray
creep army overcoats. More than half
rhe boots. especially in the country dis
tricte, are the strong. knee length black
boots of fine leather that our men used
to envy on German prisoners. Many
mans goes about his business in the
Rhineland clad entirely in his army uni
fcrml save for the little round, soft cap.
That he discards Immediately and dons
a derby or soft hat or cap That change
iof headgear seems to be to his mind
the Outward and visible sign that he is
row a peaceful citizen, just as not long
ago he used to change his steel helmet
tskeh prisoner in token that for him
the war was "gegerdet."
Soc many dirty gray green uniforms
or bts of uniforms in city are apt to
give.h a somber air, but the contrast
is net hard to find. The lilies Of the
field sare everywhere; the petty officials
OF Germany. Arrayed mostly in bright
blues with a multitude Of red facings
and sshining brass or copper buttons,
and LII with the fiat topped round cap
withsa shiny peak that is the peculiar
propsray of German officiaidom, they
are Ubiquitous. Postmen, railroad en-
ployes, street car employees. foresters,
clerks, every known form of official life
is dressed up to look as military as
possible. They even wear silver epar-
let's
There are German women, dressed
mostly in black. with small bonnets
perched upon the tops of their heads
and CARRYING great baskets or bags of
complicated design. There are German
gsrlsp looking very nice, but as the
Americans agree mot half the class Of
tie ktench danes"
J. Children Numerous.
One thing of which there is no short
age ID Germany is undoubtedly chill
drens They are everywhere and every
f1mi3y seems to boast three at least.
photographers windows are full of pic
ture$ of family groups that look like