THE MARCH INTO GERMANY.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 191, 13 August 1919, Page 15

THE MARCH INTO GERMANY.

A PADRE'S iaiPKiiSS>J.OJ\Ss. RECORDS IN KISSING. The Rev. E. D. Rice has been giving the *-ll.iwke"= Bay Herald" some renviniseenscs of the march of the New Zealand Division into Germany, and of their early days in Co'.ogne. Tadre Rice was attached to the Division which was privileged, to march right from Cambrai through Belgium to Germany. It was necessary to march for the Hun?, had broken every separate rail vn the railways?, and oven blown up every cross road, the Division, which covered l.">o ,~:!es of road, got a great reception from.the Belgian?, which increased in in-:-sity as they got east. Towns and villages were decoratod and texts were everywhere, such as "Welcomes ye Em?lisches." or "Ilonneur to our Deliverers"'! t'rowds collected to cheer, and schools were lined up on the side of the road and sang our National Anthem in good English. The sides of the road -.vere strewn with broken down German transport: their whole transport iras in a fearful state in the last months of tie war. There was no doubt that their advance a year ago was their '"last kick, ' but <' v ?n then all say, that if they had gone for the Channel ports instead of Paris nothing could have stepped them. At Verviers. between Liege and the frontier, the reception was superlative, and there were more girls kissed in one hour than almost any other time in history! The inhabitants described how their town was occupied at night while they were asleep, be'ore they knew that war was declared. The Division entrained for Cologne at Herberstal. a hujre Herman entraining station on the Belgian frontier, built not long before the war. At Cologne the inhabitants at first seemed very shy of us --£n<rlish colonials." for they had heard that they were barbarians and perhaps cannibals. But soon they got to like the New Zea'andere better than anybody, because the uigcor acted as a gentleman, when they expected to be treated as the, Huns treated conquered Belgian towns. No one could have treated us more ki.-dly. Padre Rice was billetted in a mansion just built by the head of a big German bomb factory, and he has never received more kindness. However, the Hun is naturally a bully to anyone weaker. One saw it in his treatment of the women and children. Women stood for the men in the trams until the New Ze.ilanders travelied: and then when the diggers had ail given their seats up for women and found Huns sitting, rhev caught the Hun by the ears and lifted. If the Hun hadn't followed his ear, he would have lost it. After a week or two they didn't wait to be lifted up by the ear! Some of the battalions were billeted in line Herman military barracks, of which there tv#»ned to be plenty everywhere. There were forts everywhere, filled with ammunition; one of • r >o underground rooms was full of aerial bombs, some 13 feet long and weighing a ton and a half—probably meant for London. tood for the civilians was very scarce, and there was no doubt that the poor of Germ-any had to suffer very badly. But one was struck by their thoroughness, and the way the people worked. "Foresignt is the weapon of the wise." (Stanu-.) And a most fortunate weapon it is these cold chilly days. If foresight has induced you to have on your shelf a bottle of Baxters Lung Preserver; you are proof against the "bogies" of winter." 2 6 buys big bottle.—(Ad.) Auckland grocers! Your happy facial expre.-sion compares favourably with the smiling world-picture so beautifully lithographed on the Keep Smiling Boot Polish now selling so briskly at Sd per tin.—(Ad.) Seagrass rugs at special reduction— P by 15. now -J.l. li: Ti by 4J, now 10/6 and 13 ti: ti by .'I. now 6/ti cash.—At Tunson, Gariiek'c—{Ad.) Our new method ol extraction ot teeth is absolutely painless. We guarantee this, and make no charge should pain be felt.—Ballin and Russell, Dental Specialists, Symot.U Str^t—l Ad.) If no doctor is available, you'll be quite safe in giving the patient .MarteUs 3 Star Brandy until you get one.—(Ad.) A snip in seatrrass mats —6 by 3. now C./o; :;?. by 5, now o/b' and 4/IS cash.—At Tonson, Carlick's.—lAd.^