New-York tribune., 1918-12-05
First Line Troops Blame
Ludendorff for Defeat i'm
Asking the Impossible
Is the Army i'm Misery?
German Girls FIout Men
Returning and Parade
With French Prisoners
Tribune Cable Se,'uice

NIopyflEht lNlS, New N0rk Tribune Inc.
ROTTERDAM, Nov. 80 (Delayed).-
Interesting accounts are now COM
ing to hand Of the arrival of
the retreating German armies in
the Fatherland. The impression one
gains in Cologne and Dusseldorf,
writes an observer, is that this is
a manifestly defeated army. Day
and night, without end, trains composed
of an extraordinary variety of vehi-
cles cross the Rhine bridges, while
wagons laden with foodstuffs, straw,
bicycles and munitions make an end
less procession. Occasionally one sees
machine guns and mine -throwers, but
there is practically no artillery The
retreat, generally speaking, is orderly
but now and then confused groups are
| seen wandering aimlessly about.
The feeling of the front line troops
toward the soldiers councils formed
by troops already in the country S far
from friendly, and the fourth and fifth
armies have decided not to allow them
selves to be disarmed. At Crefeld
fully armed troops passed through,
with officers and men wearing all their
distinctive badges and carrying revolv-
ers. The hostile feeling of the front
line troops is based on the fact that.
the councils are formed. for the greater
part from troops in garrison or on
ilneS Of communication and marin.
units, most of whom. according to the
men from the front have never expert
enced the terrible sufferings of war.
Front Line Troops Bitter
Very bitter, too, is the feeling over
the action Of the troops behind the
front, who by their sudden and unor-
ganlzed departure at first endanger red
the whole retreat of these men. Fur
thermore, they have at several places
purposely rendered unfit for use pro
visions needed by the soldiers coming
along behind them. Pollution of these
provisions was done in the most repul-
slve manner, and as result some Of
the units have had nothing to eat for
twenty-four hours.
This retreat of the German army in
misery makes a stranger spectacle in
that towns along the route are deco
rated as If for some high festival.
There arc flags in all the streets. Very
Few are red ones. Almost everywhere
1T is the German red, white and black
that Is flying. Triumphal arches have
been erected and garlands hang from
the houses. In Cologne. at the corner
OF Aachener Strasse and Hohenzollern
ring, which still retains its name, there
is a large white cloth with the in
scription, "The German River and the
Cathedral Of Cologne greet the hero
band Near the station at Dusseldorf
g the inscription, "Welcomc to our un-
conquered heroes"
Troops Wretched and Weary
Wagons of the retreating army are
decorated with evergreens flowers ant
flags, as are also the heads of the
horses. The soldiers wear flowers ir
their buttonholes, but all these out.
ON~S
ward manifestations only accentuate
the wretchedness of the retreat The
men are very weary, for they move By
forced marches. After two days con
tinuous marching they rest for full
twenty-four hours, then make twc
night marches before resting another
twenty-four hours, after which the,
journey by day again.
AT Crefeld, in Gladbacher Strasse
!, soldiers were made the objects of de
rsion by group of factory girls
Each OF them, arm in arm with
French prisoner of war, shouted t.
, them, "These are our masters now. 70,
, are no men," The rest of the publ
and the soldiers themselves were silent
5 In Rhineland, the feeling is anythin
but friendly toward the government a
Berlin. Many fear that new an,
much greater misery awaits the state
and one often hears it said on tn
left bank of the Rhine that foreip,
occupation will perhaps save the Ger
mans.
Conversation in cafes over this sam
Y foreign occupation is resigned in tone
9 and hope is repeatedly expressed tha
= it will result in the supply Of food be
: ing increased.
, Officers Deathly Pale
One who has witnessed the passag
4 of troops of the German 4th Arm
4 through the streets of Aix-la- Chapel
: draws vivid picture of the men
n some staring indifferently straigh
= ahead, others forcing a smile, bu
"