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WATCH ON THE RHINE

MIXED FEELINGS AT COLOGNE A BRITISH SENTRY'S IMPRESSIONS Mr. Percival Phillips sends an interesting description of the way in which our troops have been 'received in Cologne:— "When I walked up to the Rhine this ' morning (Saturday), I found the furthest British sentry smiling a little as ho paced the eastern end of the broad suspension • bridge—the successor to the historic bridge of boats. A few yards beyond, at.the beginning of the suburb of Deutz, which has been the bridgehead of Cologne since Roman times, a German sentry, rifle slung carelessly across his long grey overcoat, was lounging along the footway. The bridge was full of traffic. "The red-cheeked hussar who was our outpost paid no attention to the harsh faces of the pedestrians round him or the hostile looks from passing trams—lie simply smiled a little as ho walkod forward and back between the girders, not triumphantly or maliciously, but as though gently amused. The people ,of Cologne give no cause for mirth, and I asked liim why he was so light-hearted in such a dreary place. 'Well, sir,' he said, as the. smilo slowly broadened' into a 'grin, 'a German came up to me a few minutes ago and said in good English. "Good morning! I see you have wound up the watch on the Rhine."' "Even so. The German sentry—last visible fragment of the retreating armies —had nearly finished his vigil. When he departed there would be only British khaki keeping watch on the busy river, fulfilling the dream of four long years. "The German was anxious j:o be off. He did not appear to care twopence about his watch on the Rhine. 'We talked a little,' said the hussar, 'bits of French, that is, and_ he told me he was going to-day, and jolly glad of it. Didn't know why he had to stop.' "Strictly speaking, three different kinds of sentries were keeping the watch on the Rhine to-day. . First, the British cavalryman, looking like infantrymen with their rifles smartly shouldered and bayonets fixed, dividing the suspension bridge between the Friedrich Wilhelm Strasse at the Cologne end and Deutz, on the east bank, into two posts. "Then the lone German official representative of the retiring armies holding the Deutz end, beyond which our men do not go. Lastly, double patrols of 'Burgerwehr,' or civilian ■ guards, in ordinary street with white armlets and rifles, marching. the entire length of the bridge, paying no attention either to British or German sentries." . After alluding to the likeness of the ' Rhine at Cologne to the Thames at London, Mr, Phillips says:—"lt is a dull job watching the Rhine, even from such a busy bridge. Civilians pass the Bri- . tish sentries in a steady stream, but their attitude is distinctly frigid. Demobilised soldiers in field ininics and cloth caps stare curiously at the neat kit and polished boots, of the cavalrymen. They must see marked contrast to their own careless, _ slovenly sentry, whose uniform .is dirty and overcoat covered wjth caked r;.ud. The hussars walk on the inner edgs of the footway; they do not interfere in any way with traffic; in fact, they seem to have cultivated an air of detachment and bland ignorance of their surroundings which is very refreshing. If spoken to, they answer politely. A number of people have addressed them in English, and they told me- that none' of the remarks, was unfriendly. Mostly th?jr were asked what kind nf troops ttey ' were, and whether many English wrjild come, to Cologne."

The Mark of Hunger, - • Mr. Phillips adds that the recent riots —the last of them began pearly a week ago—appear to have been solely inspired by hunger. "Three thousand Burgerwehr, who had been enlisted to protect the city, owing to the helplessness of the police, resisted the attack of the mob with machine-guns. Between thirty and forty people were killed and wounded. The mob then; stormed a large department store containing- men's . clothing, smashed the windowsi' and carried off many suits. Similar incidents occurred on the following but the Bugerwehr displayed great firmness, and succeeded in restoring order. Comparatively little material damage was done. Cologne has Tesunied its normal aspect." "More people showed the effect of hunger than in Aix-la-Chapelle ancl Duren, and I saw many thin, bloodless-looking children.- No British troops were in evidence away from the R-hir."; save a few military ' police . and eight interested Lancashire Fusiliers, who strolled through the narrow Hohestrasse, the High Street, .s.t&red at by thousands of people.. A few cavalrymen were posted along the river quays on both sides of the 'Hohenzollern Bridge,' near the cathedral, and the suspension bridge, and a crowd of pnssengers I in a Bonn steamer watched'the cleaning of a ma-chine-gun beside the boat.

"There are an extraordinary number of German soldiers in half-uniform in Cologne. Many have become hawkers, and I counted six this morning with barrows stationed at street corners. One youth with the ribbon of the Iron Cross was selling boot-laces ,at Is. a pair, another offered little notebooks and cheap pencils, and tliero wore many strolling idlj from shop to shop. •

"Men in ill-fitting civilian clothes, which did not disguise the fact that they, were officers, could be encountered in the cafes and hotel restaurants; they - collected round the British motorcars, and, a.5 in every German town I have visited, stared incredulously at the rubber tyres. "The city looks in nowise. different from what it did in peace time, save'.that there are practically no vehicles in the streets. The burgomaster has issued a proclamation reminding the inhabitants that they must be courteous in dealing with the Army of Occupation, but pointing out that flattery nnd underhand dealing, 'which are contrary to the German character,' are no less detested by foreign troops."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190310.2.27

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 141, 10 March 1919, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
965

WATCH ON THE RHINE Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 141, 10 March 1919, Page 5

WATCH ON THE RHINE Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 141, 10 March 1919, Page 5

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