The Alaska daily empire., 1920-02-18
-s-.a-ya 7z59-7 GERMAN kIDDIES
 WANT AMERICANS
 BACK ON RHINE
Children Who Did Not Fear "American Savages" Hun-
 gry for U. s. Chocolate
(ey a Returned Soldier)

The German kiddies want ipe American soldier to come back to the Rhineland.
 The Tank army of occupation might have had it's own ideas apou' "friendships" with the grown-ups but with the children who at once were their friends, there was no cam ouflage, according to returned soi diers.
 A letter just received from little village in the province of Hesse Nassau, by Juneau soldier whc served in the army of occupation says: Little Ely wants the Ameri cans to come back so the children can once more have all the chocolate candy they want
 When "the fighting first division" marched up the Moselle valley into Germany in December. 1918, the re ception the Prussians accorded them was anything but hospitable. The first division, vanguard of the Am erican troops of occupation, arrived in many towns only a few hours after the German troops, retreatinG beyond the Rhine in accordance with the terms of the armistlce Wreaths and flowers were still in the streets, over which, in many cases, were hung banners greeting "our victorious troops" It was un mistakably clear that German officers had told the people that the Ameri cans were ga gang of sayages," for the people who had money had sent their wives and grown daughters far into Germany to escape the fate the Prnssian officers had told them they might expect from the barbar ous Americans
 AS the troops filed through the little villages, only the children greet ed them. The German child is like the small boy or girl in any other country. It was novelty for them to see the khaki-clad soldiers. who smiled as they trudged along the roads under the weight of their heavy packs. They were child-cur ious, and the soldiers made up with them instantly. Occasionally tooth less hag would appear in the door way for a moment and yell "Schwein hund," the Moche for "pig dogs" but the Americans who understood what 1t meant, took it more as joke than an insult. Often window blind Hastily drdwn reveaied to the troops that there were curious Germans among the adults. too.
 When the 18th Infantry marched into Coble .s-am-Rhein early in Dec ember, things were a little different The Germans had heard that the Yankees had wrecked no towns on their march that far, and many were out to see the triumphant crossing" of the Rhine. On the morning of December 13, the 18th In fantry crossed the mighty stream at Coblentz, on the big pontoon bridge that spans the river at that point. High officers of the first division stood by to allow enlisted men to have the honor of being first across A drizzling rain was falling, but the doughboys went over singing and whistling.
 Life in the occupied territory was anything but happiness for the aver age American soldier. for with the great conflict over, thoughts of of ficers and men turned to America, their homes and families and friends It became very irksome waiting for the orders that would send the troops back to America.
 : Meanwhile the Germans treated the Americans with stolid courtesy There were few quarrels between the military and civilian population. The troops took over the villages, and took rooms in the homes, and shel- ter for the animals owned by the or ganizations. The billetng fees were paid the Germans in German coin which the American army command CT received from Berlin for that purpose. AS the weeks passed, the civilians who had fled far into Ger many returned to their homes, no longer afraid of the "savages."
 : Fraternization of troops with Ger man civilians was taboo-"by orders" ," Yet the soldier learned to know the German fraulein, and a few asked permission to marry German girls. Marriage was absolutely forbidden by the commander in chief.
 You readers probably have often heard that "the American soldier liked the Germans better than they did the French"
 Nothing could be farther from the truth. T The American soldier is the equal in intelligence, if not the su- perior of any other soldier in the world. The Germans did not fool him. nor could they. The doughboy knew that the reason that he slept between clean sheets in Germany, instead of blankets on the ground or on floors as in France, was not due to voluntary generosity on the part of the Germans. He knew the Germans were compelled to make him comfortable because they had submitted to the occupation of sev. eral of their proyinces.