GERMAN ATTITUDE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 145, 2 April 1945, Page 3

GERMAN ATTITUDE

PEOPLE OF CAPTURED TOWNS. RECOVERING THEIR ARROGANCE CRUELTY TO AIRMEN PHOT DOWN (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) ilOc. 10.20 ;i.m.) LONDON. March 31. Drilisli tanks clattering through dn/.ens of German (owns are hammering into llie Germans the fact that all tile European campaigns have developed into one single battle for Germany. which tlie dying Wehrinacht is unable to. light, says the British United Press correspondent at Field’ Marshal .Montgomery's headquarters. The diminishing area of Central Germany over which the Allied armies are pressing from all sides is becoming more and more jammed with mill lions of refugees, with whom foreign workers are mingling.

Efficient control of the Luftwaffe in the west lias disappeared. Control of the Wehrmaeht will go next, if :it has not already gone. Administrative control will go after that, and hundreds of thousands of homeless, foodless Germans will he milling around.

Another British United Press correspondent with flie United 'States troops said: ‘‘The Germans are licked amt are glad they are, conquered. That is (lie outward attitude I found during two days in which I covered 300 miles of the German countryside trying to catch up with General Hodges’s armoured spearheads; bid in many towns which have been liberated for nearly a week they are recovering some of their arrogance and are demanding food and other necessities, instead of requesting it meekly as they did at first. They do not realise the luck which saved them from the same fate as Aachen and Cologne." Yet another British United Press correspondent, stating that the Germans. hysterical with rage at the Allied bombing, take every chance of being cruel to shot-down British and

American airmen, tells the story of one American airman wlm was shot down near Dortmund. “1 haled out and landed on a wooded hill." said the airman. "A hunch of German civilians arrived while I was trying to cut the glove off my burned hand. Women shouted and men started heating me. One hit me in the face with a shovel. Another kicked me in the hack and others struck me with their fists. German soldiers finally got me away from the mob into Dortmund.”