INVASION TENSION

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 22, 20 October 1944, Page 4

INVASION TENSION

Happenings In Typical German Village (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright./ (Special Correspondent.) LONDON, October 18. How are the German civilians reacting to the occupation of the Reich by the Allies? A description of. the way the positon is being handled is given by Alexander Clifford in the “Daily Mail. ’ In each village, he says, it starts with an electrification of the atmosphere. Inc guns grow louder across the border pc Holland. German civilifins write to their menfolk at the front: “We hear the guns What will happen now? Surely God will not permit Germany to be occupied. Our Fuehrer will do something.” The place fills up with troops. A tremendous spy bunt starts. Circulars arc issued ordering the instant arrest of all civilians who behave in any way suspiciously, and also uufannliar soldiers. Anyone is liable to be picked vn as an Allied agent. The underground fear grows. There is terror of what foreign workers may do as the Allies apThere is also Another new hidden terror in western Germany. People are beginning to hear of “Edelweiss pirates, otherwise known as “the Black Fist.” These arc dissident members of the Hitler Youth who are convinced that tlie war is lost. They are organized and have plenty of food, money, and arms, and failed ration cards. They carry out local attacks on loyal Hitler youths and others. Amid this atmosphere of fear and suspicion the lighting grows nciir and the village waits for something to be done. At last it comes, a knock on the door aud an official buff envelope containing one of two things, or perhaps .both '■ a’ l order for any man in the family to dig anti-tank ditches, aud for the rest of the family to evacuate. ■ Women and children aud men who are totally unfit for labour get an evacuation ticket—yellow if they arc capable ot going on foot, and a blue one for cripples, nursing and pregnant mothers, tiny children, and invalids. The latter, in theory, will get some sort of conveyance. The yellow-ticket people must take up to 301 b. of baggage, including three days rations, and also changes of clothing, bedclothes, lanterns, and all their documents. They can take perambulators and bicycles if they have them. They soon realize that they are going to join one of (hose wcarv columns of foot-slogging refugees which the German airmen used to chase round Europe. There is no transport for them, for the railways of western'Germany are iu a state of chaos, so the refugees must walk.