THE FATEFUL DAYS OF LAST MONTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23631, 15 October 1938, Page 22

THE FATEFUL DAYS OF LAST MONTH

DUNEDIN RESIDENT’S EXPERIENCE IN GERMANY AND IN FRANCE Mr L, G. Lilly, of Dunedin, was in Germany, wth Mrs Lilly, during the critical days when the issue of peace and war was in the balance. In a letter, written from London on September 19 and received by us last night, Mr Lilly says: I thought it might interest you to have a few lines about conditions as I found them during the last fortnight in Germany and France. Upon arrival in Germany we found the ordinary man in the street appeared to know less of what was going on regarding Czechoslovakia than was the case in England. There is no doubt about the youngest Germans being worshippers of Hitler: but apparently many of the older generation are not particularly ardent concerning the Nazi regime. We had a positive instance of this provided by a young German friend who undoubtedly was 100 per cent. Nazi and who stated his mother had different ideas Many shops were displaying a notice showing a swastika “ 100 per cent.” Some also had notices showing “No Jews allowed.” No Jews were seen in Cologne, Dusseldorf. Mainz, Coblenz or Frankfurt. When in Coblenz we listened-in to Hitler’s Nuremberg speech. This was rousing and martial, to say the least. During the following two days a rather different attitude was perceptible. so much so that we decided to cross the frontier into France as quickly as possible. At the frontier station our papers were examined and all passengers had to alight while a soldier searched the carriages, removing seat cushions, etc. At Metz, nervousness was most noticeable, and upon reaching Paris we found great excitement prevailing amongst the thousands of people parading the Champs Elysees who were frantically buying the latest newspaper. The next day’s news that Mr Chamberlain intended visiting Hitler was very well received, and had the effect of calming down the people. The Parisian papers described him as “ Son of Old Joe." The impression one obtained is that neither the German people nor the French want a war; but the latter realise that Hitler’s ambition must be curbed, otherwise his next objective may be Switzerland! News of the British Cabinet’s next decision is anxiously awaited by the French people. In Germany for a week we seemed to be the only British people about, at least we met none in the hotels or in shops. It had been our intention to proceed to Dresden. Zittau (near the Czech border) and Reichenberg in Czechoslovakia (in the heart of Sudeten German area), but as there seemed to be a possibility of being introduced to a concentration camp, we decided to cancel that part of our trip and leave from Frankfurt for the French frontier without delay. Later events proved this to be a wise decision. It was a very anxious time, and when across the frontier we could not help saying to the French soldier, “ Vive la France.” In France on two occasions the opinion was expressed that had Britain not supported the evacuation of the Ruhr by the French, Germany would not to-day be so strong as to be able to upset the peace of the world. Upon our return to London we found that continuous intercession was being held at Westminster Abbey, where a stream of people stopped and offered up prapers at the grave of the Unknown Warrior.