New-York tribune., 1920-03-16
U. S. Won't..Join
FOch Advance.
Baker Explains
American Activities To Be
Limited to Maintaining
Order in Coblenz, Where
Troops Are on Patrol
War Status Still Exists
Fact That This Country Has
Not Yet Declared Peace
Makes Position Delicate

from The Tri1une's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON. March 15.-Apores q.
slve military action by the America
troops on the Rhine will be taken onlv
TO put down disorder in the Coblenz
sector where the United States forces
are on patrol, Secretary Baker said
to-day in making plain the military
policy of the United States toward
Germany.
Without specific instructions from
Washington, Major General Henry r
Allen, commanding the army of oc-
cupation, will not participate in anv
advance movement. should one hc
ordered by Marshal Foch, Mr.. Baker
said. Although the United States
troops are technically still under
jurisdiction of Marshal Foch, Mr..
Baker said the fact that the American
government was the only one now at
war with Germany made it necessary
to proceed with caution in all military
movements.
The American force in Germany.
Mr.. Baker said, "is there by the terms
of the armstce. If any question
arose that required military action
beyond the terms of the armistice
General Allen undoubtedly would COM
munlcate with the War Department he
tore taking action. The duty of the
American troops on the Rhine is to
Keep peace IN the sector they occupy"
NO Special Instructions Issued
Secretary Baker said no new in
structions have been sent to General
Allen because of the German revolu-
tion. He said the American COM
mander Is aware of the extent to which
the troops under his control can be
used, and that specific orders from
washington are unnecessary
Dispatches received at the War De-
partment from Coblenz confirmed press
dispatches in stating that no disorder
or indication Of disturbance had been
noted in the territory controlled by the
United States forces. No direct com
munlcatlon has been established be-
tween the War Department and Colonel
Davis, military attache at Berlin.
Several dispatches on the German
situation were received at the State
Department, but all we're confrmatorv
OF published press reports. The State
Department made public the following
excerpts of the dispatches:
without any indications of mill
tary resistance to the revolutionists
Berlin was quiet yesterday. The new
authorities in control of the city have
removed the barricades, and the SOL
dlers and their impedimenta have been
removed to the adjacent buildings on
Wilhel.n Platz. Publication of news
papers at Berlin Saturday night and
Sunday was prevented by the general
strike, and the authorities are occu-
pylng the Offices of the radical and
liberal press. Tramcars have ceased
operating in the streets of Berlin and
the supply of water has been reduced. +"
According to Netherlands press dis
the tram and railway services
at Berlin were practically at stand
still and soldiers occupied the rail-
road station
Railway Strike Scheduled
"At Magdeburg there was fight for
the possession of the postoffice. Mag
deburg is in Prussia, on the Elbe
River, about eighty miles southwest of
Eerln. Pursuant to the decision of
the council of railway workers, a gen
eral strike on the railways was ex-
pected % begin at Magdeburg to- day,
and it was expected that only food
trains carrying coal would run
'Of the political parties, the Conser-
vatives, the German Peoples party
and the German National party are
to have declared in favor of
the new government.
"The members of the Ebert govern
ment who went to Dresden when the
revolution seized control at Rerlin
have now gone to Stuttgart, where the
National Assembly will be held. Their
last action was to sign the appeal (al-
ready published in the American
press), in the names of Ebert, Nosko
and Bauer, to the workers. to proclaim
a general strike, directed against the
revolutionists.
THE opposition of the governments
Of Bavaria, Wurtemberg and Baden to
the coup d'etat on the ground that it
IS a crime is reported in the Neither
lands press, which says these govern
ments will oppose the revolutionists by
all means in their power"