The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1921-01-13
AMERICAN ARMY IN RHINEEAND
Over Twelve Thousand Soldiers Took
Trip on Famous River.

: ceipt of a copy of The Amaroc News,
published at Coblez, Germany, in the
interests of the American forces in
Germany and the Inter-Allied Rhine
land High Commission, containing an
account of the doing of the army and
more especially descriptive of an ex-
cursion enjoyed by the American SOL
diers up the Rhine, the account being
as follows:
NEARLY 10000 yank soldiers, almost
400 American women and children
and number of Belgian soldiers
viewed the scenery of the Rhine from
the vantage point of the decks of the
excursion steamer Kaiser Wilhelm III
during the season which ended with
the last trip run Sunday week ago.
Twenty-Five trips were made, Ia up
stream and II downstream, and prac-
tically every man in every unit of the
A. F. G. was at one time or another
given a chance to go along. The
schedule as arranged by army authori-
ties provided for a trip in both direc-
tons for every man interested and it
was closely adhered to throughout the
season in almost every detail. Men
from the End Brigade embarking at
Andernach were, of course, able to
travel downstream farther than those
of the 1st Brigade embarking at Cob
LEM. These trips usually took the
party downstream as far as Vessel
ing, almost in sight of Cologne. The
highest point reached up the river,
when LIST Brigaders made the trip
from Coblenz, was Bingen, the boat
turning just below the big bridge
within plain view of the famous statue
of Germania, keeping her watch on
the Rhine" Thus the most scenic
and historically interesting section of
the entire river was covered by TIE
sightseers.
"Kaiser Wilhelm II, easily the
speediest and best equipped and most
comfortably appointed boat on the
Rhine, was requisitioned for the use
Of the Army three days per week
during the season. 1t was manned
by German crew, the fuel and other
operating expenses being borne by
the Army and costing approximately
$4,000 marks per trip. The steamer
was turned to its owners at Dussel-
dorf last Thursday where it will re-
sumo its former passenger services on
the Rhine.
"Hot meals at noon and afternoon
lunches were furnished by the cafe
terra staff Of sixteen workers, in
charge of Harry J. Snyder, director of
Festehalle Cafeteria. The same quail
ity Of foodstuffs and practically the
same menu as that in the big center
were served the soldiers on board. The
meat was cooked previously on shore
but all vegetables, etc, were cooked
in the steamers kitchen.
Following are a few of the most
interesting figures showing the guam
tity Of food consumed on the % Rhine
trips: 16,431 pounds of meat; 1870
rolls of bread; 800 cookies; 22,25O
cups of coffee; 25,050 services of ice
cream. The call for chow was usu-
ally made at Ills and as a rule the
500 or 600 men on board were served
by 1915. An average of 525 men per
hour was maintained through a sys-
TEN of self-service at once efficient
and thoroughly satisfactory to the
men. The record was reached on the
last trip when 600 men were served
in little under an hour.
-. c. Breuninger had Charge of the
entertainment on board and was lee
turer and guide on each of the %
trips run. To him, probably, as much
as to any other one man, be-
long sthe credit of making the excur-
sions so thoroughly entertaining, in
structive and enjoyable to the men.
With the aid of his megaphone he de-
livered brief lectures concerning the
legend and history of each of the cas-
ties and towns passed He also dis
tributed booklets of the Rhine among
the men as well as Amarocs, song
books and playing cards.
'The entertainment of each excur-
sion party varied with the passen-
gers making the trip. When a bevy
of 'Y' girls were on board boxing
matches between fair opponents were
in order or impromptu stunts, songs
and dancing were INDUCED in. At diff
ferent times concert parties contrib
uted their talent to the days enter
tainment or local amateurs, such as
the 'Oh! Lucille Company and individ-
ual soldier Thespians would assist in
amusing their comrades. The 'Y'
Brass Band, led by Herr Witt, made
each trip and furnished an excellent
brand of popular and appropriate mu-
sic as the various castles were passed.
Occasionally bands from the three in
fantry regiments of the A. F. G..
TUOuld no naceopoa,.c ooJ oil