RETURN TO GERMANY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1919, Page 7

RETURN TO GERMANY

DEFEATED ARMY’S' RECEPTION. “A HORRIBLE MOCKED:. ’ ’ FOOD AND ORDER WELOOAfED. The return of Carman troops across the Rhine is described'- by a ooryespondeiit of ‘.he London Times. Ho witnessed the* entry into Cologne of the head of the 6t]f Army Service Corps. ;The whole city was beflagged, while over a triumphal arch, decked with tlie old. Imperial colour® and branches of evergreens’, ‘ hung' Tn huge red letter®, on a- white ground the inscription in German, “Gorman river - and Cerman Cathedial greet the hero bands.'’ All .ilong the streets people held ouf cigarettes and flowers to the troops m they i pass : - od. Sometimes, but rarely, a little group of bystanders tried' to raise a cheer, but at failed to evoke a response; ahd the troops marched ‘ an silence -the dead.lest silence imaginable. Carriages were decked with greenery and flags, and I' saw some officers'pass in a car, riage flying the colours- of Germany. Turkey, and, the red, white, and blue of i France. Perhaps if- was a grim- .-s»», tire. /There; were very few red flags, the. old German colours being i most pro* xhinent.

DISORDER BEHIND THE LINES.

Order was kept in the streets by armed civilian guards, with white bands, and apparently by the 18.h Military Police Company of * 6th Army. -On the Whole, the troops seemeia to come, in good' order ; there wereisome scattered 1 groups, but they were moved off 10 Komodien Strasse, . where, they received further route orders. In the evening ! wag abl to talk to many front-line men. They did riot .appear Vo feel the horrible mockery of ihaai beflagged reception, but- they, were intensely bitter against Etappen* troops, who had fled in 1 disolder a';; first and had gravely hindered the’retreat of the front lines. In sdnie cases Targe stores of ’ food left in lines of communication had- been deliberately befouled and rendered unuseable'by the E ’appen troops;.' Tt was' apparently, this desertion and betrayal, 1 as they' edited; it, Milch had • deternrinfed them not to ah low Etappcn- troops 1 to- retain thereontrol of Soldiers I Councils, and thiia ■ also is one of the reasons why The :4th and Sth armies refused to permit themselves-:to-*b6 disarmed. ! The retreat has been, and is beiing, carried out- on an organised • system. The men marched about 25. miles during the day, rested at nigh"-,-- and then marched another 25 miles, then had! a vlhole 24 bouts’ rest, .and..then two flight marches/ followed by another 24 ■hours?’-rest/ I saw .only, one gun brought ; in, /bu.. ' one of the guflnere ipld mb that a'piece of field artillery bad been s6M to a Dutch farmer by Etappen ( troops for £lO.

'OREFELD AND THE ,OCCUPATION.

Prom Cologne I went to see the frOnt-linetroop® arrive ifl‘Orefeld. Crdfeld id still less red 'than Cologne. I saw not one red “cocarde” or red flag. OfficeW woie epaulette® and ’swords, aiid ’ a -colonel was still in command' of the. town, 'discipline* beibg/As strict as ever; ’ When , the itroops began to com* in they were not disarmed. \ ‘ ■ l ln ulrfdbach ;‘BtFai>se T saw a largo body Of factory girls and women gp by, "etch With a -French/- war prisoner on aim-; as’ they passed some* German sob diers they shouted : - “These,'are our mastra *now4 You’re noimm at-all.” Some Creteld people wi hj whom 1 dined vfero very anxious to know how English sdldiera were ■ paid. , I replied, “Better than. German.’.' Whereupon the shopkeeper said, .< “Oh, well,-then, business .will lookv up during the occupation.’’ They- expected' 3000- English there, and did I (not seek / piuiticil'.arly dis'.f’essed about it, ..The truth, seem® to be that the hoplessi muddle of Affaire ma<)e, by the locally nclepeudent council, phis the hectoring of Berlin, have produced- & feeling of actbal; relief that the Alliedtropps are and will at least eh-, stub sdme'semblkhCe Of uniform order. Another Crefeidei’ asked (if it‘was Apt ifud that 1 the ' occupied • places • would -be better fed, told me that some of the plabes,'j ust outside the neutral ■ zone were di*Aks#d al/thc idea that people farther westV would be' Soone- 1 fed, it dovnot mean to say that the occupation ’troops' will ‘be’ welcome, but the-though'" of ' better / food 1 -jflsY' now outweighs “ all other Considerations-. It wa® in Crofeld, tPo>-bha's aCfronßlme soldier assured me’ that’French/Belgian, and British ’’flag® had been sold iathougaudH'to the Bel on ekerprising Belgian' ' merchant Trorn Borar. - > I-1: found everywhere within. the zone of “occupation 5 the same feeling of relief that, though the occupation might be unpleasant, yet it would ensure, cpriet. ,