Fraternisation

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23261, 24 July 1945, Page 4

Fraternisation

THERE is a sombre music hall ballad with the disillusioned refrain: "Its the same the whole world over.” That can be applied to reports coming out of Germany describing the results of the lilting of the non-fraternisation rule Im the British Armv of Occupation. It is deposed bv Driver Charles Bowes, of London: "German girls do not reallv interest us. All they want is our chocolate. When we give them our chocolate or cake ol soap tliey suddenly become cold and alool. Driver I fours would probably n«»l have needed Io go into Germany h» learn that voting women of lhi> acquisitive type exist. Il just happens | that in Germany chocolate and soap j are taking the pkice of desirable baubles of higher value obtainable in countries which have not known the stress of war. There are voiing women, who having satisfied their avarieous dream, are prone to chilly aloofness. I his assumes that (‘old human chronicles are Io be believed, and that there is occasional truth in fiction. A young Fraulein has asserted that ■'decent German girls were happier when there was no fraternisation. Then the soldiers did not molest them in the street. “\ow. she sax*. ’*we cannot walk live \ards without a soldier whistling Io us. Whittling i* the Esperanto of the gav-hearted male in quest <»f a casual encounter, and it is for the decent German girls to decide for lhemsel\c< how the inquiring flow of melodv i- Io be | received. The whittling male, like a good salesman, does not waste i much breath on an unpromising pro- i spe( I. \ rebuffing toss of the Irnad. ' or. better still, total unconcern, i- j the onlv protection whittled al fraiileins require. Against this l>a< kground ol j ( \nicism and distaste a brighter in- ■ cident is reported. I'.va Kaulnian.| aged ll*. amiouiK-e- I" the world: I , love Private Bmhcr. who como froll) Ponlvpool. We worked together I for weeks but were not allowed Io speak. We watched each other and I formed a silent fricml-liip. I nlc>s the soldier from Ponlvpool is bi- ■ lingual it mav still be a ".■dlcul I friendship, but the parlie< w ill. no j doubt, have devi-ed simple wavs ol i making each understood Io the oilier. I hat little story of love li iiimphanl ' has the- old familial i ing. Willi i these two it mav be that war - annal- will fade into night • * er limn ■ -|oi v die. I - i atei ni'-al ion will cm tainlv bring its complication-. -oni-’ I fragrant, others even mole di-agrcc- I able than bv w liGtling.