HITLER'S OLD MEN ARE TERRIFIED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 55, 20 May 1942, Page 2

HITLER'S OLD MEN ARE TERRIFIED

MAKE FRIENDS WITH FRENCH German troops in Occupied France can now see a '.strong red light. So, in Tear of their sk : ns, Ihey arc hiying to make friends with the French. Young soldiers are concentrated at sliategic points along the coast and in Paris. But ail the interior of occupied France is garrisoned by the oldest reserves. They are last war veterans who want to get back to their families at home and fear they may lie the first victims of French fury Avhen the tide turns. They cannot show Iheir feelings openly. The Gestapo is still too strong for that. However, as soon as the German soldier is alone he can easily be persuaded to wink at official regulations. For a consideration, of course. He knows that the big Nazi bosses have amassed fortunes by rackets and bribery. So why shouldn't he—the little man—get his share? Now lie gets it. And his, morals and discipline deteriorate in consequence. Another result is that hundreds of French civilians now pass between the Occupied and Unoccupied zones every day. It was still a risky business. a few months .ago. You had to hire a guide to take you through forests and marshes during the night, and you were quite likely to get shot. Now von can get through in daylight, if you choose a secondary road guarded by a bored sentry. For twenty francs, or even twenty cigarettes, lie will "forget" to ask you for your permit that should be signed by the local Kommandantm-. Letters between the two zones are strictly forbidden. But practice disdains the theory. There is a big illegal postal service, that now functions openly. One shop in a Vichy France city displays a large poster that anJ nounces "Letters for Paris accepted here." The Vichy authorities; ignore it— perhaps because this private post office has proved; absolutely reliableSeveral hundred letters a day are entrusted, to the shopkeeper, who charges five francs on each oneA messenger crosses the frontier -'.L dusk, travels, to Paris, and hand? over his load to local messengers, in another big town in the South of France the system is even more complete. For a fee of ten francs you can not only send your letters to Paris, but receive an answer from your correspondent Avithin a guaranteed period of four days. Tt never fails. It gives evidence of the laxness with Avhich the troops of occupation now carry out their duties. And that is significant of their sudden desire not to annoy the French peasant and business man.