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Show FOR ANY SURPRISE BY HUNS WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY OF OCCUPATION. Nov. 19. (By the Associated As-sociated Press) Well Into Belgium and within a few hours march of the German frontier on the south, Major General Joseph T. DIckman's army gathered itself today for another jump into evacuated territory. The line was unchanged. In accordance accord-ance with plan, -the march has been halted for a short time, while the heavier artillery, supply service and other elements can be brought up. However, General DIckman's headquarters head-quarters were moved on to Longuyon tonight and corps and division commanders com-manders made similar advances. As the Germans withdraw, the concentration con-centration of the army of occupation Is Increased and not for a moment has vigilance been relaxed. All possible tactical advantage is carefully ta"ken and the forces nre so deployed that the peaceful march might easily, in the presence of the enemy, be converted Into a hostile operation. The second day of the advance served to confirm the belief at the American headquarters, however, that there was no thought of treachery in the minds of the German general staff and that the terms of the armistice will be faithfully' carried out. There have been a few isolated cases where surrendered materials have been damaged, but it is not thought such damage was wrought under un-der orders Of German commanders. The surrender of damaged airplanes at the airdrome in Tellancourt is regarded re-garded as a case where Individual aviators av-iators determined to put their machines ma-chines out of commission, rather than have thcni fall into the hands of an enemy much as a cavalryman would shoot a favorite horse to save him from a like fate. Enormous stores of ammunition and many guns left at Longuyon were little impaired and the machine shops there had not been damaged. The electrical machinery in the shops was fully wired and the tools were of the best. The railway yards at Montmedy and other places along the line that served the Germans are one of their main arteries ar-teries of copimunication during their last stand against the allied advance were filled with locomotives and cars ready for use, while great quantities of general stores not mentioned in the terms of the armistice had been abandoned aban-doned to the allies. Undamaged stores left behind on every ev-ery road over which the Americans advanced, bear evidence of the great retreat. At Virton was found a great salvage dump where tons of clothing, gas masks and helmets had been thrown by the German troops. A road near St. Leger over which j the correspondent drove just behind . the evacuating armies was so thickly thick-ly covered with big iron German helmets hel-mets that at times they interfered with the operation of his automobile. However, it was not the litter of a battlefield that one saw, or even that of a disorderly retreat under fire. It was merely the evidence of the passing pass-ing of a tired, disheartened foe, who was going home. The country generally presented a strong contrast to that fought over for camped today in towns, most of which bear no trace of warfare. Here ami there was one which showed evidence of the fighting at the time the French attempted to 'check the German march through Belgium. In most of the towns every house was intact. Among the exceptions are Longuyon and Montmedy, where a few torn buildings tell of French and American air raids and aerial photographs photo-graphs of whose 'scars have long been on file at American headquarters. The roads over which the Americans Ameri-cans traveled are in excellent condition, condi-tion, due to their distance back of tho former German lines and the limited use made by the enemy of motor trucks. This, coupled with the almost constant work upon the roads by the Germans, kept them in a condition almost al-most equal to those of France before the war. The retreating army left on the roads dozens of steam rollers, J which had been working almost to the day of its departure. Although early victims of the war, Belgium's inhabitants in this quarter appear better off today than the French civilians a few miles back. When the American army entered Virton restaurants were being operat-i operat-i ed and demands for coffee brought not only this commodity, but also sugar and cream to go with it. Meat was scarce. One meat dealer told how the Germans entered his shop an the night they left and threw part of his stock Into the street. But he had some left, including smoked hams, when the Americans entered. Tho shops are better stocked than those in the French towns the same distance back of the lino. Women's clothing, ranging from the lacy and be-frilled be-frilled to smartly tailored garments is prominently displayed in the windows, while tobacconists have their show cases filled with various brands of cigarettes and cigars. Tho wine shops have not much varied stocks ns in France but Just as abundant; much of it is chnmpagne. The civilians in Virton and other villages toll stories of German arrogance arro-gance and oppression but taleB of ntro-cities ntro-cities are few. Apparently those Gor-nians Gor-nians who were in power in that part of Belgium ruled sternly, but not viciously vi-ciously after the early part of tho war. St. Leger is one of the places thai felt the torrlble grip of the Gorman hand In tho first year of warfare It waB there that 100 civilians wcro oxo-suted. oxo-suted. When tho Americans began pour-I pour-I Ing Into Virton tho lnrgost of tho ro-occuplod ro-occuplod towns, tho Inhabitants had nothing too good for thorn. Flags of tho allied natlonB flow from almoHt ovory hoiiBo front, side by sido with tho Belgian colors, whilo women, especially es-pecially tho youngor ones, appeared In thoir Sunday flnory In, honor of tho occasion, Tho mayor had a busy rolo an official hoHt, Women and. children gathered about tho men In khaki, reKfirdloB.s of rauk, thtj onllHtod mon rucc'lving nimofit uti muoh attention jib he who wore, tlio In. ftlffnln of rank. Old women cried while Ihey smiled, nnd ohoked over exDrcBBiona of greetings ftna thanks. Aged men spent the day In the streets shaking hands with American soldiers, while children followed about, eager for a glance or a word from the strange beings whom they addressed alternately alternate-ly in GernTan and French, not comprehending compre-hending why they were not understood. But they did comprehend the unusual un-usual and. unheard of manner of their own reception. American soldiers lifted the little ones to their shoulders, shoul-ders, bought them chocolates and did their best to entertain them. J Two tots of about four years watch-1 ed the marching troops from the seat, of a motorcycle sidecar which was parked by the roadside, and a boy a year older sat on the driver's seat, "guarding" it for a dispatch rider who was getting a cup of coffee nearby. At St. Leger all the civilians gath-1 ered in the main street an hour before1 the troops marched in. One old man! bore the flag ot his country and be-' 14nd him was a small, hastily recruited recruit-ed brass band. When the troops ar- j rived the crowds shouted themselves hoarse. The old man's flag was saluted sa-luted by the officers of the American command. Children began to race after the marching columns. Crowds gathered about every detachment. The mayor j opened his house and insisted upon' serving wine and offering his hospl-; tality to any American who would ' lodge with him. 1 There, as in towns further back, was 1 met the unending stream of repatriated repatriat-ed men. Prisoners of war, soldiers of almost every allied nation, tramped toward to-ward the advancing American line Most of them were In fair physical condition, even if grotesquely clad. All are being sent to the rear for classification classi-fication and transportation to their own armies, or to their homes. j Germans had one hospital In Virton. When they found it inconvenient to evacuate all the patients some were left, the civilians agreeing to care for them. The mayor's proclamations calling upon the inhabitants to care for the sick, feed the prisoners of war, and returning civilians were posted prominently about the city, alongside German prders regulating the sale of, drinks, designating certain restaur- ! ants for officers and others for men. I Beside them appeared theater bills of concerts and ' vaudeville. The Germans Ger-mans were not without amusement! wherever they stayed and motion pic- j tur shows and theatres are preparing' to open tonight. It has been suggested that the apparent ap-parent prosperity of the villages entered, en-tered, as indicated by the quantities of food in the restaurants may not be wholly real and that perhaps it is duo more to the fact that the Germans had seen to it that the restaurants and shops they patronized were well cared for. What were seen by the Americans, Ameri-cans, after all, were but limited stocks. |