THE LEOPARD DOES NOT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 45, 27 April 1942, Page 5

THE LEOPARD DOES NOT

CHANGE HIS SPOTS Twenty-five years ago, General Falkenhayn's divisions were preparing to invade Rumania. They were massed near the Hungarian frontier for an offensive in a part of Transylvania largely populated by Germans of Saxon origin: Hermannstadt, Kronstadt, Temesvar, etc. Hundreds of trains brought German troops and munitions to the spot, but they didn't go back empty to Germany. They went full of 100t —loot before the war against Rumania began, loot from the houses, shops, estates, factories and workshops of the Transylvania Saxons, who were not merely their allies but actually their kindred. One of these trains was left standing in the station at Arad, while the troops guarding it went for a meal. In their absence the stationmaster had the forty-two coaches opened, [n each of them he found six pianos carefully packed, 252 pianos in all. each with a label saying where it was to be sent: Frankfurt, Kottbus, Gelsenkjrchen, and so on, in fact the load was for distribution all over Germany. The >stationmastev protested, but without effect. The German officer in command of the train showed him an "Open Order" from Falkenhayn's headquarters stamped ''Commissariat: Plunder detachment" The German officer said: "The junk

we're commandeering here is some sort of repayment for getting you cut of your fix." On the 'Open Order" was the name and peace-time occupation of the officer.: "Lecturer at Freiburg University."