VANDALS AT WORK

Evening Star, Issue 20587, 12 September 1930, Page 13

VANDALS AT WORK

GERMAN MOB RULE The mob at Trier, Germany, on July 9 was in a state of such excitement that the police had been supplied with rifles, and a store of tear gas bombs had beeu prepared tor use at police headquarters. The Trier authorities telegraphed to Berlin for police reinforcements to aid in tho trouble, the local force being worn out with constantly patrolling tho streets during the last few days. Tiio energetic measures taken prevented anytning worse than the breaking of a low windows m tho centre ot tho town. llio police had to charge several times to clear the streets. W hiie they were thus engaged a house in tho outskirts belonging to a cigar merchant who is away from home was broken into and sacked. His offence, curiously enough, was not any leaning to Separatism, but apparently severe treatment of recruits during tho war, when ho was a sergeant in tho Imperial Army, i’he culprits had already vanished when the police appeared on the scene. The police authorities received many requests daily from citizens of tho town accused, often quite wrongly, of having shown a leaning toward,Separatism. In an rfficial communique the police president of Trier stated that it was not possible to make any arrests, since members ot the public “ who filled the streets until a late hour of the night were so foolish as to lend assistance to the culprits, ' who are described as " in every respect immature.” “ These conditions,” tho communique continued, “cannot bo tele ated, and the police will use all available resources to stamp out such vandalism.” The local organ of tho National Socialist Party quite openly printed recommendations to continue the work ol revenge. The attempt of French and German swimming clubs to advance tho carse of Franco-German rapprochement by arranging water polo matches led to a very regrettable incident at Zeitz, in Saxony, for which tho National Socialists are responsible. Tho local National Socialist Press had conducted a violent campaign against inviting I rench swimmers to Germany. . After tho match the ears ol Hitlerites were offended by hearing members of the French team using their own language in tho streets and even daring to appear in public in tho company of Gorman girls. The Frenchmen wore insulted in tho streets, and a group ot roughs gathered. The attempt of a Zeitz fellow-sports-man to mediate resulted in his receiv ing several knifo wounds in tho melee which followed. M. Cuvellier, one of the Frenchmen, was accused of dcliyo’ ing them, and, in spite of his denials, condemned by a police court magistrate ix> f our inoiiT,lis imprisonment, largely on the ground that his knife was found on the spot. Ho has been released under bail and has appealed.