The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-14
GERMAN SOLDIERS
TURN AUCT|OAEERS
Take Possession Of Anything Movable
and self Same at Alarminxry
Lew PYtees.

Maastricht. Holland Dec. % tby
mail) Some OF the features of the
great German retreat through Iiege.
just south Of this snug Dutch city. and
across the narrow strip of Dutch Linn
LIZ q : Asry@4 =. - "a "a
sical comedy on Broadway. Out of the
tragedies that have marked the pass
ing through eastern Belgium of the
beaten and Soviet-mad Germ n
aFmies-whoiesale lootins of the peas
ants. murders when resistance Was Of
fered and a few instances of unspeak-
able horrors--certain gems Of roaring
farce nevertheless caa be discovered.
A Few OF these instances of values
turned topey -turvy may prove of in
terest.
With the overturning of their Off
GERS authority by the revolution di-
reoted from Hamburg and Berlin and
the beginning of the retreat home
ward, the individual German soldiers
first care was to provide himself with
little money against his return to a
barren and hungry hearth. So he be-
gan TO sell to the civilians whatever
of value he could lay hands on, evil
IDENTIFY acting on the theory that what
had been the property of the imperial
German government was now his.
Automobiles were the nrst to go
for the good reason that through lack
OF gas they were to be left behind any
way. The lucky soldier chauffeur who
for a matter of months or years had
been the dunn driven dog or his Off
Ger master promptly tied a red rag
around his left arm. kicked his officer
out OF the tonneau and trundled his
car TO market. In Liege. in Louvain.
Hasselt and Namur, German automo-
biles were offered for sums that would
make Broadway car salesman turn
faint.
Auto Fer s2A.
In Liege l talked with a Belgian
insurance man who had brought
closed limousine with leather up
holstery. electric lights and tidy lit
tie electric heater for-the sum of 100
marks tabout s24 American at the be-
fore-the-war rate). / rode in the car.
Nothing wrong with 1t except 1t badly
needed new tires The new owner paid
two marks extra for the reservoir OF
gas. When that is gone he'll have to
put his pretty German car in the gar
age for few msntlts until gas comes
again on the market.
I'll say he got bargain. And the
German chauffeur doubtless is sure he
turned a neat penny.
81 MANY VI tucbS C&FS HAVE bStD
sold for such ridiculous prices that
many thrifty Dutchmsn are climbing
over the frontier to do little specu-
lating in war autos. One may predict
a bullish market during the next few
weeks.
have heard rumers of aeroplanes
being sold for ae0 and 900 marks, but
have not been able to verify any in
stance.
Communicated wines, bed linen.
silks. draperies. brass and copper
work. which were taken from the Bel
CLANS under order from the komman-
dantur of this and that city. have been
sold back to the civilian population at
absurd reductions. In the Pare d'Av-
roy day before yesterday I saw Ger
man soldier standing by q hand-cavt
filied with rare old BurRandies. charm
payne, cognac and Benedictine, ven6-
ing his precious wares OF extemporized
auction. His customers were mixed:
belgian gentleman in a fur-lined over
coat overbid a wharf worker wearing
wooden shoes for bottle of "Fin"--a
very fiery cognac greatly favored over
here. The sum he paid was. SO far
as I could catch the passing of money
over the heads of the crowd. three or
four marks.
The soldier aurtioneer was a study.
StubtHy red beard Of weeks growth
had turned his features into a briar
field. His hands were large ss a
catcher's unit Eat as they say on
Broadway. the boy was there when II
came to making dishonest pfennig,
A stoiid Flemish peasant near Turn
out. bought a 10.5 field gun for six
marks When | saw him he was int
ing the gun. which he evidently did
not want. from the carriage by block
and tackle. The gun carriage and
wheels were the valuable part OF that
six marks worth to him I suppose
he'll find some use for the ugly tube
OF steel itself a Flemish peasant
wastes nothing.
Let as trust the council Of allies
at Versailles will never come 20 dis
pute the possession Of that cannon
Anybody who'll buy : f3etf gun de-
serves 70 Keen It,