Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1919 — Is Lonesomest Man In Germany [ARTICLE]

Is Lonesomest Man In Germany

American Lieutenant on Outpost Duty at “Stepping Off” Place. Has Quarters In Great Castle at Coblenz, and Under Anti-Frater-nizing Order He Cannot Visit With Other Inhabitants. Coblenz. —In a great castle on a hill and with a count and countess and their four daughters as his nearest neighbors dwells today the lonesomest American in all the occupied territory of Germany. He is Lieut. John W. Scott of Detroit, commanding Company K, Twenty-eighth infantry, on outpost duty at the “stepping off” place of the Coblenz bridgehead where it skirts a beautiful valley stretching away toward Berlin. Just across the hallway from the quarters of the lieutenant on the second floor of the castle, Count and Countess von Walderdorf have been allowed to remain by courtesy of army officers.' But the Germans keep to themselves, looking upon the Americans as invaders, and an army antifraternization order prohibits Lieutenant, Scott from visitiu & thsfem - ~ Spends Evenings Alone. . _ On the first floor of the castle 50 American soldiers have their beds and mess and a large living room where they play cards and enjoy each other’s company during the long winter evenings and tell of their war experiences, and of all the wonderful things they Intend to do when they get home again. Lieutenant Scott spends his evenings, alone, devouring book after book. Visitors are few at this furthermost outpost across the Rhine twenty miles from Coblenz. During the day the lieutenant makes his rounds, visiting one sentinel after another, always alone. At the foot of the hill crowned by the castle qf Molsberg is the village of Molsberg, of which Lieutenant Scott is military commander, but he talks to the townspeople only on questions of business. And so, day after day. the lieutenant meets no one excepting his soldiers and the civilians on routine matters of duty. • The meals of this loneilest of Americans are served in his quarters, where he dines, alone, with giddy green warrior tapestry figures gazing down upon him from their places on the walls, just where they were hung something like 300 years ago. The figures of one panel picture a gay and jolly party and all the others suggest companionship in some form. < • ’ / • Phone for Business Only. The officer has a telephone which reaches to Montabaur, the Ist division headquarters, but its use is restricted

to business only. There are other conveniences, too, Including electric lights and running water, and a wonderful stove reaching halfway to the ceiling, and at the bottom the old German maker’s name and the date, 1764. But to the lonely lieutenant even the fire in the stove sometimes seems almost cold. Lieutenant Scott’s nearest American officer neighbor is five or six miles away out across the 8,000 acres owned by the count After dark visits are out of the question. And so, when overcome by lonesomeness and weariness from reading, the lieutenant tumbles into a seventeenth century bed which stands in the same position it has been all these years. And within easy reach is the telephone, by which he knows eventually will come the welcome news for which so long he has been longing i-r“ We’ve been ordered home.”