Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-04-02
j. s. SOLDIERS
IN GE ERMANY ARE
CONTROLLED BY
THE PRESIDENT
Field Marshal of France Has
No Jurisdiction Over the
Troops in the Rhine Zone,
Wilson Tells House,
ARE OPERATING UNDER
TERMS OF ARMlSTlCE
Gen, Allen Has Power TOI
Police Territory, Keep Or-I
der and RepeI Any Attack
Which May Be Made,

tsV aoRHiNo JOURNAL sEEc'hL LEAoEp wi~u'
Washington, April President
Wilson informed the house today
in response to a resolution of in
quiry that American troops on the
Rhine still were controlled by the
terms of the armistice and We're
subject only to his orders as COM
mander- -in-chief of the army.
Field Marshal Foch of France,
the president said, has no Jurlsdlc~
ton over the troops nor are they
in any way controlled by the decis-
ions of the allied Rhineland COM
mission which makes ordinances
and rules for the governing OF the
terriotry policed by the allied arm
les of occupation.
Major General Allen, command
ing the American troops, the pres
ident wrote, has authority to po-
lice the territory under his control
to preserve order and ito repel any
attack which may be made upon
him"
The president said the American
forces in Germany on March rs,
were TeDOTltu W COllnpl ~ "
flcers and 1876 enlisted men,"
1.-The American forces in Ger
many" the president wrote, are at
present operating under the terms
of the original armistice and the
subsequent convention prolonging
the armistice. The instructions are
proposed to be issued to the COM
manding general, American forces
in Germany, at the time of their
occupying the Coblenz area were
submitted to the war department
by General Pershing and conta' 4
the following statement of policy:
1.-THE American forces will un-
dertake no action beyond the occu-
pied regions, nor beyond that In
strict accordance with the terms
of the treaty. Any use of the AM
erican forces beyond that mention
ed above must be specifically au-
thorized in each case by the gov
ernment of the United States.
'In reply, 1t was directed, that
1T should be stated in the orders
issued to the commanding general,
American forces in Germany, that
the function Of the American forces
in Germany at present Is to en-
force the conditions of the armis-
tice, and that when peace treaty
shall have been ratified by the
United States, the function of the
American forces will be as out
lined
Upon the ratification of the
treaty of peace by the allied pow
ers, an nter-allied Rhineland high
commission was organized in the
manner set forth in G message
from the president of the United
States to the senate, containing the
agreement between the allied and
associated powers and Germany
with regard to the military occu-
patton of the territories of the
Rhine. ..
This commission having been
organized and having formulated
ordinances for the zone Of occupa-
ton, the question arose as to
whether these ordinances should
govern in the American sector, and
the representatives of the state de-
partment and the commanding gem
eral of the American forces in Ger
many were instructed as follows:
This government cannot admit
jurisdiction Of that commission
over portions of Rhinish provinces
occupied by the American forces.
Consequently neither you (repre-
sentative of the state departmenO
nor General Allen should issue any
ordinances which conflict with or
exceed the terms of the armistice,
which the department (of state)
regards as continuing in force as
to the United States. You should,
however, maintain the closest
touch with the high commission
and endeavor insofar as possible,
to conform administrative regime
within territory occupied by Amer
lean forces to regime adopted by
high commission or other portions
of occupied territory. There is no
objection to your sitting informally
with high commission provided you
are requested to do so in connec-
ton with special committees to
handle distribution of coal, etc.
Ordinances, orders, regulations,
etc, relating to financial and econ
omic matters, including those SIM
liar TO one adopted by high COM
mission, which it is desired to put
into force in territory occupied by
American forces should be issued
by General Allen as commanding
general of American forces in Ger
maay, but only after having first
been approved by you. In general,
endeavor to cooperate fully with
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