city departments and civil establishments will be continued under the supervision of the American Army. The existing laws and regulations, insofar as they do not interfere with the duty and security of the American troops, shall remain in force."

The orders to the troops were intended as a guide and to secure a uniform practice. They were as follows:

PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE AMERICAN ARMY ENTERING GERMANY

1. In entering Germany the marches will be conducted with the usual precautions for security. Halts in the towns should be avoided.

2. On stopping in a town where a halt for the night or a longer period has been ordered, the commanding officer will send for the burgomaster, chief of police and other prominent officials.

He will hand them copies of the proclamation of Marshal Foch and the commander-in-chief. He will inform them that military government has been established in the town and surrounding district, that the principal object of this government is to provide for the security and efficiency of the United States Army, that so long as the inhabitants conduct themselves peaceably and quietly the ordinary civil and criminal laws will be continued in force, and will be administered by the local officials, and that private property and personal rights will be respected. Should an official decline to serve, the commanding officer will direct the burgomaster to name his successor. Should the burgomaster be absent, the commanding officer will direct the next official in rank or a suitable civilian to act as such.

The commanding officer will obtain from the burgomaster a map of the town showing the location of all banks, hospitals, railroad stations, libraries and all public buildings. He will inquire if added police protection is needed. If in his judgment such added protection is needed, extra guards will be posted.

At each halt for the night, brigade and regimental commanders will inspect the arrangements made by all detachments of their commands.

The commanding officer will direct the burgomaster to inform his people to avoid assembling in crowds and to go quietly about their ordinary affairs of life.

He will direct the burgomaster to prohibit the sale of liquors, except beer and light wines. The sale of beer and light wines will be prohibited between the hours of 9:00 PM and 9:00 AM.

He will direct the burgomaster to forbid the sale or carrying of fire arms or deadly weapons.

He will direct the burgomaster to furnish billets for so many officers, so many men, and so many animals and such supplies (fuel, forage, straw, etc.) as may be needed for the troops under his command.

(The attention of all officers is called to the fact that requisitions shall only be demanded on the authority of the commanding officer in the locality occupied.)

He will inform the burgomaster that these requisitions will not be paid in cash, but that receipts for all billets and supplies furnished will be given. Requisitions should generally be made upon the municipal authorities, but may be made upon individuals, if necessary. The receipts given should be filed with the burgomaster.

All receipts should be signed in duplicate by a supply officer and approved by the commanding officer. One copy will be given to the municipal officer or individual furnishing the supplies and one will be forwarded to the officer in charge of civil affairs through military channels.

It is worthy of note that with these simple instructions as a guide, the American Army made the march from the Luxembourg border, down the Moselle Valley, across the Rhine and into the bridgehead without a single hostile act.

Belgian and French Orders

These simple instructions are in marked contrast to those issued by the Belgians in their advance. The Belgian troops entered Jeulich, December 3, 1918, and the commanding officer issued, among other instructions, the following:

"2. All inhabitants must be and remain in their houses from 7:00 PM until 5:00 AM. All traffic in the interim is forbidden. ******

"6. Hostages, which I will designate, must remain at my disposal in the town hall and will be regarded as the guarantors for the security of the Belgian garrison in the town. They will present themselves this evening at 8:00 o'clock and remain there twenty-four hours. They will be relieved daily by replacement. ***

* * *

"14. The entire civilian population must salute a passing officer by removing the head covering, at the same time leaving the side-walk.

"15. Whoever disobeys my order and does not carry it out will be arrested and shot without ceremony.

The

inhabitants in question, as well as the city, will be furthermore subject to a fine."

The French issued similar instructions, in some cases. The 2d Dismounted Cavalry Division issued, among others, the following:

"The town major will inform the burgomaster and the notables that they are responsible for the attitude of the population toward the French Army. He will designate for that purpose two or three hostages, who will remain at the guard room. ****

"All doors to remain open in every house. Civilian traffic inside the town forbidden from dusk to daybreak. All men to salute the French colors and all officers."

These instructions show in principle one difference between the American occupation and that of the allies. Another difference was in the number and character of orders issued. The Americans issued few, but simple instructions, and these were enforced to the letter. The other armies of occupation issued more complicated and voluminous orders.

On December 13, 1918, Orders No. 1 from the officer in charge of civil affairs in occupied territory was issued. This order organized the office of the Officer in Charge of Civil Affairs with the following departments:

(a) Public works and utilities.

(b) Fiscal affairs.

(c) Sanitation and public health.

(d) Schools and charitable institutions.

(e) Legal department.

It was never the intention of this office to build up a large machine, but to leave all matters of detail and the execution of all plans to the Army of Occupation, reserving to the department only the larger matters of policy.

All civil and criminal laws in the occupied territory were continued in force and were administered by the local officials. Crimes, not of a military na

ture, and which did not affect the safety of the army, were left to the jurisdiction of the local courts. The German administration is highly centralized, and the people and officials accustomed to obeying orders. Probably no military government ever exercised by the United States ran so smoothly and easily and with so little friction between the army officials and the civilian officials as this particular government. The higher German officials, such as the President of the Rhine Province, the regierungsprasidents and the burgomasters of the larger towns, such as Coblenz and Trier, are skilled administrators and able officials. They yielded readily to superior force and complied strictly with all orders issued to them. Elections were held in January to elect delegates to the National Assembly and to the Prussian Diet. These elections were orderly and were in no way interfered with by the American troops. In March the government in Berlin issued orders directing that elections be held in Rhineland to elect new local officials, burgomasters in small towns, and landrats. As this might have resulted in removing from office officials with whom the Americans had worked successfully and might tend to upset or confuse the machine, these elections were forbidden in all occupied territories. No laws of a purely local or administrative character were suspended.

Inter-Allied Commissions

In another respect the civil administration instituted by the Americans was different from any heretofore exercised by our army. The simple and well understood laws of war and of hostile occupation could not in all cases be applied. In some instances the terms of the Armistice took precedence and the views of the allied governments had to be

taken into consideration. There were appointed some sixteen inter-allied commissions, with eighteen or twenty sub-commissions, for regulating different phases of the administration. In many cases the duties and scope of these commissions were not clearly defined and there was of necessity conflict of opinion and authority.

A board of officers was appointed for the American section to co-ordinate the action of all inter-allied committees and sub-committees.

Trade

In the beginning of the occupation the economic policy included two basic principles, which mutually contradicted each other. One was that announced in the proclamation of the marshal that the economic life of the occupied territory was to continue as far as military necessity permitted. The other, that the blockade of Germany was to be maintained. The line of blockade cut the industry of the occupied territory from its sources of food and raw materials, and from the markets for its manufactured goods. To expect food and raw materials to come into a country, at the same time forbidding all exports, was to ignore the most elementary principles of political economy; to deny existing markets to manufactured goods, without providing others, would make it impossible for factories to continue work.

An economic section was organized in the American territory and given authority to issue permits for the exporting and importing of all articles deemed necessary for the industrial life of the district. Factories were inspected and when stocks accumulated, permits to export to Germany were given. The Belgian and French commissions were always kept informed of the stocks of manufactured goods on hand,