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Show FRENCH TRODPS OCCUPI TOWN; IIS INDIFFERENT MAYENCE. Saturday. Dec. 14. Entries En-tries of Genorals Fayolle and Mangin into Mayence today created a profound impression among that part of the population pop-ulation that did not remain Indoors. It was one of the most memorable ceremonies cere-monies of the occupation. The strong guard of French troops requested by the authorities of the city had put an end to the pillaging of the military stores oil December 9. Their conduct since that time had won most favorable comment on (he part of citizens citi-zens and officials and that fmpiession was strengthened today when tho men of tho Tenth army marched through Mayence with the same dignity that has characterized the forward movement move-ment of the French everywhere into Gorman territory. The Frenchmen swung through, the old Hessian town which was French ror a score of years after occupation by the revolutionary army with the business-like gait so familiar in the last four and a half years, apparently unconscious that they were victors marching into a conquered town of an adversary. The people of Mayence maintained greater reserve than the inhabitants of the other towns occupied by the French. Many of the houses and buildings build-ings were tightly closed and a large proportion of the people on the streets were women and children. After a review of tho troops of the Tenth array, General Fayolle and General Gen-eral Mangln wero presented to the city and provincial authorities in the old Hessian grand ducal palace. Tho burgomaster, the president of the provincial pro-vincial government and the president of the chamber of commerce address General Fayolle, expressing the hope that tho military authorities would cooperate co-operate with them in maintaining order or-der and keeping the economic life of the region going General Fayolle, in reply, reminded them that the war imposed by Germany Ger-many was ono of the most cruel and unjust in history. He drew a picture of tho devastation in France and Bel-glum Bel-glum and the distress of families without with-out shelter, their goods, products and ! manufacturing machinery having been carried off into Germany and their soil left a desert. The general recalled how, after repeated re-peated defeats since July 15 the Germans Ger-mans had been obliged to ask for an firmistice. He assured tho authorites that however neutral that reprisals might be expected they had nothing to fear from the troops of occupations, either for their persons or possessions so long as they realized tho situation md accepted the French occupation in a proper spirit. nn |