ACROSS THE RHINE BRIDGE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 143, 12 March 1919, Page 4

ACROSS THE RHINE BRIDGE

BRITISH CAVALRY ENTER COLOGNE MEMORABLE AND THRILLING SCENE (From a Special Correspondent of the ' "Morning Post.") Cologne. December 12. Our seizure of tho Middle Ehinois complete. We have now . established ourselves in force on tlio further bank and marked out , those league-long amphitheatres of territory, tho menace'which goes by the modest name uf bridgeheads. To-day General Plumer .and. his Staff reviewed the'cavalry as they crossed tho new Hohenzolleni Bridge here at Cologne, and torinorrow he commands a combined movement of infantry crossing by all the four bridges simultaneously. The only flaw iu to-day's historic scone was the slight; but persistent rain. Through the Aachen Gate, at the westernmost point of the town, a troop of Lancers, as the.guard of honour,-came cantering soon alter i> o'clock, tp line up on tho north side of the inclined approach to the bridge. Above them, as they took their stand, the bridge walls were lined by the staff of the adjoining railway station, tho one which, our airmen bombed so successfully some monthsago, and directly over the,line of route tiie windows of' the bridge towers were thronged with interested .faces. The lowers themselves are of. the heavy heroic order of Gorman architecture,, rather resembling the armoured' .cars that were presently to figure .in the--pro-cession, and relievo the tension of the crowd. For as these rolled they obeyed the-command "Eyes right," like sentient beings, whisking their conning towers about and dipping their guns with mechanical precision, while the crowd laughed and cheered, and even the statuesque and immovable guard of* honour relaxed into a- smile. . Procession of Conquerors. • ' "The arriving squadrons' found a pic-, turesque background in the mediaoval houses of the old part oi.the.city, but the- most striking spectacle of alt was when, against the pinnacled and reticulated carving of the- cathedral and among its grey Gothic shadows, the line of living khaki emerged from a-dis-tance that was avenned by speechless crowds. As they rode up these troopers of ours seemed to impress tlie natives most first by the superb condition of their mounts', and, second, by their, own iniperturable impassivity. ; "This is the stuff to give them,".,said an orderly standing 'admiring the spectacle outside one. of the headquarters, and men who know their Germany and what this new. experience stands for echo the sentiment. Nothing, not even the deposition of the Kaiser or the promulgation of indemnity demands, can so search the inward feelings of the natives as watching a procession of conquerors crossing their sacred Rhine. This bridge, ben' , in-mind, is.a point of territorial significance, for armies have crossed and rccrossod ■ herd ever since tho Romans, and Germany. thought tho /Rhine, was secure from "foreign-conquests for ever. Cologne put back the clock an hour at midnight. It was the,first sign of.a ne-v ■ British-regulated- -life. . Other changes will follow. Tho people will be disciplined .with a firm hand, but without unmerited harshness. .Much .will depend on their attitude. They show so far a disposition to obey all tho British regulations.' Although, tho proclamation already posted over the signature of General Plumer, commanding .the Army of Occupation, lias , caused considerable, nngiiish, .there are no hints of rebellion.' Tho people acquiesce. more in sorrow than in anger. All the 'newspapers voluntarily suspended publication this morning, and the theatres are closed .forths samo reason. All .appeals for.mitigations of military .rule are being carefully considered. ■ Shopkeepers, and others . of. like standing., with .whom I have talked voluntarily admitted that the plight of Cologne at the worst will not equal that,of,Lille or Brussels/although they expected.'full retaliation; To-day there are. long -'orderly queues outside tho photographers' - shops: portraits are ; being iukou 'for the'.new .police cards. I do not se,e-a single!hint of trouble in the people's .attitude; - Disciplined as they are from babyhood to recognise authority, broken as they are by utter defeat, they seem to ino to be determined to give no cause for complaint. I heard a British officer issue .a certain.order to a civilian official yesterday. "If my orders are' obeyed things will go smoothly," he added. "Your orders will be obeyed promptly,", said tho other. That, I think, . expresses the spirit of the people of Coiogne to-day. One cannot -'prophesy as to tht! future. The city is full of Idle, moneyless men seeking work, and there is undoubtedly hunger in some quarters. The show of force already made it) a right way has effectually kept under' any discontent, industrial as well ns'pblitical, and the lawless .element already . knows something of. the might and efficiency of the British' Army of Occupation,- .. " , cslv's Naval and Marino Forces. A Fine Spectacle, The formal crossing of the Rhino by cavalry to-day was 'a sight which filled us with the deepest admiration. They 'took up the march after" a brief rest wi,th ail the ■ appearance of 'troops: on parade. . Advanced detachments had already occupied the eastern end of-the city's'bridges, but the.general movement to tWfinal-British line did not begin, until ten o'clock this morning. The cavalry moved out of Cologne in the pre,sence of an enormous crowd. They were played on the Iloheuzollcrn Bridge, past the Army Command, mid over the Khine into the suburb of Deubs'and tlie unoccupied area beyond. For the first time the people ,saw British cavalry, in bulk, and the effect was cue of .astonishment and unwilling admiration, with a dash of incredulity. One German officer, undisguised by his shabby raincoat and old Alpine kiitj-vas Tieard to declare that such troops could not possibly have come ffiTougS fbnv years of war—"they must be show detachments sent out from England to impress .the Khine Provinces." Of course, ho was wrong. They looked ns iiiough they had just, left c, London barracks for a musical ride at Olynipia. Their appearance .gave one the impression {Tffit tney had just detrained from the coast. ■ . . Many critical p.vm watched their progress, eyes searching for flaws. ■'. Hunarbtts" oi German'soldiers and not a few officei'3 of high as well as low. rank, mingling unobtrusively in the throng, saw for tht first time- the van'gunrd of the Army that .hail pursued them relentlessly across- -the Bcarrcd ridges of Flanders. Tho day was raw and damp, yet the crowd waited patiently in the drizzling rain (o see' them pass. All vehicular and tram traffic was stopped, and the Cologne police marshalled the people with, a .simple wave of tho hand or a single word of command. The people \yere silent and very observant, giving ho. 6Jgii of. disapprobation or hostility, making way in- 1 stniifiy for every British officer, occasionally with the uplifting of a hat, and usually with a polite nuinnur of apolopv for being in tlie way. The Hnhcnzoilern Bridge was an ndniirable background for the meeting of the cavalry with their Army Commander. It is very broad, and is halved -between "tlio railway and ordinary city traffic with r. sixty-foot rond-bed for the latter. Lofty massive stone screens resembling mediaeval gateways flank eitlver m<l of the bridge arid are surmounted by towors. Two bronze equestrian statues of heroic, size keep watch at the Coloeiie end. Tho familiar figure of the fallori AVar Lord, recently erected by himself, gazes sternly, at tho cathedral from the south side of' tho gateway; ho is in full uniform, with spiked helmet, and his prancing chariror nnnears (o< be about to divn into, the Rhino. This morning Hie Union .Tack was raised besido his effigy. The British Commander. On a little stone railed enclosure beneath and slightly above the level of the footway stood General Sir Herbert i Plumer. Behind him were tho StafY of ! tho Army of Occupation. His escort of Lancers faced him from tho opposite sido of tho rising approach to the bridge. At his left tho gigantic bulk of the cathedral roso into the grey eky. ■ Vmm tho higher lovel of tho railway

linos alongside the approach to the bridge careworn women niid youths it the coarse, soiled uniforms of shunters and pointsmen leaned over the railing abovo the heads of the troopers ami watched 'them with expressionless faces. Shunting engines lingered opposite tho Unioii Jack and incoming trains slowed, down suddenly in order that the passengers peering' through the windows might better see the group of generals and the regimental band? beside them. Swinging up the slippery Toad from the- shadow of the cathedral the squadrons went past with eyes fixed oh the Army Commander. They' were played through' tho archway by musicians, who nqver seemed to pause for breath. Every. • troop, every battery, even the canvas- , covered wagons, guarded by complacent dogs, crossed tho. Rhine to the strains of eonle lively familiar .air. \ They followed each other without pause, spaced and timed by an expert hand. Lancers gavo way to Dragoon Guards; Hussars followed. General Plumer saluted them all. He saluted every soldier who passed under tho archway, and his hand was' never way from the peak of his can for i more than a few seconds. I thought he \ was thnnking every man from his heart ! as he stood' thero beside the Union Jack, , ! his keen eyes looking straight into the' eyes of the cavalry,, missing not a eingle trooper, cyclist, driver, 1 or gunner. . He had a swift glance for every- ljhaki that seemed to',mean" more than mere , words' of -praise. ■ ' .