The Washington herald., 1922-05-14

be held.
bid for the attention of American
common sense. 1 gather.
I see that Mrs. Douglas MacAr-
thur. formerly Louise Cromwell
Brooks. is closing her Washington
home after all: saw them moving
all of the furniture out of there
the other day. had understood
they would keep this house open.
The house has for sale sign on 1t.
/ ran across the following item
in the Paris edition of the Chicago
Tribune the other day which you
may find interesting because Of the
account of Billy Corcoran's part in
it, giving him credit for defending
the French cause during the early
days of the occupation of the
Rhine. ! believe he was the only
newspaper man of experience on
the Amaroc News and wrote most
Of the, news articles and all Of the
editorials. However, here is the
story as the Tribune ran It:
Announcement that the Amaroc
News. the daily newspaper of the
American forces in Germany, will
be discontinued on May 81 means
the passing Of an organ which, dur
ing the early days of the Rhine oc-
cupation, was the one powerful an
tidote to Francophobe propaganda
among the American troops.
Almost from the first week of the
publication of the newspaper, which
was edited by William W. Corcoran.
now American vice consul at Bou-
logne- and then a lieuten-
ant attached to the headquarters
of the Third Army pro-French
feeling among the troops in the
occupied area strengthened.
The paper did much to correct
any idea among the troops that the
life they had led back in the war
zone, the discomforts they had suf-
fered, and the prices they had paid
for foodstuffs and pleasures had
been due to desire for gain on the
part of their allies, the French.
When the American troops hrst
arrived in the Rhine valley the or
der went forth to all the burgo-
masters to be as agreeable as pos
sible to the Americans.
Coincident with this the poisoned
pen" began its work against the
French, harping continually on the
prices paid by the troops to French
merchants and the prices paid to
the Germans, never mentioning the
effect on prices of the difference in
the exchanges Of the day.
So effective was this propaganda
that the army stores began to be
depleted by the soldiers drawing
edibles and clothing with which to
appease the supposed needs OF the
German population.
Maj Gen. Dickman Immediately
saw the need of something to COM
bat the insiduous propaganda Of
the burgomasters and through the
efforts of Lieut.. Col. Godfrey, of the
First Engineers, and Lieut.. Theo-
dore Damn. of the 101st Pioneer
Infantry, the Amaroc News was
founded, Lieut.. Corcoran being
elected to the position Of editor.
within a few weeks the entire
army of the Rhine had been we'll
posted on what to believe and what
not to believe from enemy sources
and the gifts of sympathy, the
charity. to the poor Germans de-
creased. During the first months OF
publication, the paper attained a
circulation of between 10000 and
$4,000.
I had an interesting letter the
might interest you. 1t goes on to
say, among other things: "Buda-
pest is a lovely city and there are
more pretty girls to be seen on the
streets than any place I have been
in a long time. / stopped while
there at the Szechenyi Palace,
Gladys vanderbilt's home. They
have let Grant Smith. the United
/ oh "a
use of 1t so as to keep the govern
ment from taking it. I had a suite
on the third floor that would have
appropriately housed a king. and
had valet to wait upon me that
would not let me have anything
to do with my clothes at all. /
was out for dinner almost every
night and most of the days out for
luncheon. / left there for
Belgrade.
TT is the most backward of the
Balkan capitals. Kenneth Roberts.
in the Saturday Evening Post. calls
II Hickville, and the name Is very
appropriate. However, the place is
interesting for all it's lack of de-
cent streets. sidewalks, hotels and
stores. This is where the Orient
begins. Budapest is the last really
western city; that is. city having
western civilization, and Belgrade
is quite Oriental. There are all
kinds of weird costumes to be seen
on the streets. Tight embroidered
breeches, queer sandal-like shoes.
sheep-skin coats and caps. en-
broidered jackets and many Turks
and Mohammedans with the fez,
and red jacket. They are to have
coronation and a royal marriage
within the next few months and
they are trying to polish up the
city, pave some of the streets.
plant small parks and gardens, ETC..
before that event takes place. 1t
looks like a big task but these peo-
pie are fairly prosperous and are
pretty good workmen. so it may be
done In time.
Il am looking forward with a
great deal of interest to my trip to
Sofia. 1t is a much larger, more
me dcrn city with better hotels. yet
4 Is much more Oriental than Bel
grade. ThScostumes are more In
teresting.''
. st1I11 -. ~.