South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-25
Short Of Food,
German Troops
Rob and Pillage


mand that the retirement on the
/ Marine Is part OF a set program is
I given the lie 10y an order of Gen
Won Boehm, commander OF the
+ seventh army. The seventh army
( has borne the full weight OF the
I Foch counter-offensive on the west
and its divisions around Scissors
/ suffered heavily al the hands OF the
/ Americans, while those east of cha
I teau Thierry We're thrown back
/ across the Marne by the pressure
\ Of the French
For this reason the order OF Gen.
Won Boehm. written a month prior
/ 10 the beginning OF the battle. is of
unusual significance He deplores
the lack OF discipline which re-
suited in the pillaging of stores in
\ the back areas during the advance
1 in May, when all edible booty found
m the wake Of the retiring French
speedily vanished. instead of being
distributed among the hungry troops
+ in due proportions
| The order continues:
Gen. Boehm's Order
\ the beaten track. which has been
followed i'm the utilization Of mate
/ rial and provisions and stores from
the occupied territory Hopes of the
utilization OF captured food as ra-
! lions and OF the distribution of "a
fixed portion Of the provisions 10 the
lighting troops have proved 10 be
I fallacious. owing TO the fact that
/ the troops have taken these provi-
sions themselves and eaten them
without treating them as part OF
the authorized scale Of rations
In this way some units. which
have CHANGED 10 have the oppor-
tunity to capture booty of this de-
scription. have lived in abundance.
while others are suffering priva-
tons. Further, il has not even been
the troops in the front line to whom
this more abundant supply of food
has fallen. but second line troops.
train echelons. and especially suag-
slers. who are roaming about be-
mind the army
Take Food by Force.
1T has even happened that men
.
and by force from the stores in the
military occupation and admins
tration, and, l regret to say. some
officers have rot been ashamed 10
interfere with the guard i'm the exc
cution of their duty and TO insult
the officials TO whose charge the
provisions were entrusted IL APP
pears to be necessary for the supply
officials 10 follow the first line
troops as closely as possible and 10
be accom- panied by escorts Of police
so that important stores and depots
may at least he administered by
them with as little delay as pos
sible
III our progress results in the
occupation Of a new area. this must
be placed under a regular system
Of exploitation as soon as possible
order must be maintained i'm the
villages by sentries and patrols
These troops must be prevented
and prohibited from making requi-
sitiops on the fields and taking the
crops. The people at home are so
short Of all provisions necessary to
life that enough can never be done
10 diminish the amount which they
have 10 supply 10 the army in the
field.
Rapid and complete seizure and
economic use OF provisions may
prove of capital Importance for the
continuation of the operations
Trains Held Up.
The pillaging in the back areas
Of which Won Boehm complains. APP
pears to have become widespread
Recent orders issued by the COM
manders of the eighteenth and sec
ond armies. opposite the British.
have revealed excuses which seem
almost incredible. considering that
the German military machine has
been notorious for its iron discip-
line Trains have been held up and
the guards killed and provisions
carried away by gangs Of desperate
soldiers intent upon satisfying their
hunger. even If they are shot for il.
As g rule the troops in the front
line are well fed and prisoners taken
corroborate this. but i'm order TO
supply them with adequate provi-
sions the rations OF the divisions
resting or training in the back
areas are cut down TO a minimum
and the amount given 10 ach man
per day is not sufficient 10 satisfy
his norma! needs
discipline Orders Mild.
All the orders issued on the de
cadence of discipline have been
couched i'm curiously mild language. /
being in effect more Of an appeal
than a threat as though the high
command realized that the men
We're in a dangerous mood and dis
inclined 20 submit 10 severe punish
meut.
While too high hopes must not
be based on these reports OF In
subordinatiou. IL remains fact
that the discipline OF the German
army. at least on the western front
- in bad way and the present
defeat on the Marine does not seem
likely 20 improve r.