Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-05-12
American Army Officers Say
One German Commander
Is Uniting Loyal Marine
Units.
MISUSE OF UNIFORM
R0bber Bands Have Used
Uniform as a Blind in
II Their Work.

With the American Army of Occupa-
ton, April Is. Correspondence of The
Associated Press.) In the opinion of
American army officers who follow day
by day the process of rehabilitation
anu readjustment of enemy forces. it
appears likely that General Won LettOw-
Vorbeck, the German commander who
5 returned to Germany in March from
Africa, is rapidly uniting under his
command all the loyal marine units.
Writing in the summary Of intelli-
gence Of the Third United States army
!. OF recent date one of the American ex-
perts who specializes upon the move
ments of all German "a rmed forces,
says Such a division (Inarines) may
be expected to be one Of tile most pow
erful Instruments of the present gov
eminent and might even by reac-
tionary. power +.
Robbers Use Uniform.
Owing to the popular appreciation Of
the services Of the marines during the
var and to the initiation of the revolu-
ton last November by marines, numer..
GUS marine volunteer units have appear
ed In Germany during the past few
months seeking to capitalize the popu-
larity, So many Of them, however, de-
I velaped into .robber bands composed of
men in marine uniforms who never
served in the marine service that of la te
/ the average German civilian has begun
tOl0ok upon any man in a marine uni
form as a probable thief.
During the past few weeks the status
of the marine units has been clearing
up and from information gathered by
the Third army officers it is now posi-
BILE to give general idea of the marine
units! In an article in the summary Of
intelligence issued daily by the Third
army, one of the American officers says !:
Il, Are Spartaeists.
The marine units Of Spartacist or
doubtful leanings may be considered
4 first. Most important Of these Is the
volkmarine division which went over
to the Spartacists IN the January and
4 March troubles In Berlin, but has now
/ been suppressed in Berlin. However, it
has a branch in Braunschweig Of clear
" Spartacist purposes. Many who
were prominent in the dissolved unit in
Berlin are now in this unit, which APP
pears to be the foundation of the pre-
sent Spartacist control Of Braun
Sschweig. At least two home guard
units Of marines are known, one at Mu-
mich and one at Frankfurt on Main.
Neither of these men has been fairly
tried, but both are unquestiOnably Of
strong Spartacist leanings.
Supporting Minister Of War Noske
and the present government are several
marine units Of excellent morale, which
appear all or nearly all to be in the
process Of uniting at the present time,
under control Of General Won Lettow-
vorbeck, tho German commander who
returned from Africa in March.
Most important of these is the Iron
Marine Brigade or Marine Brigade
ROhden, under Colonel Won Rohden.
This was organized in Kiel. Offered
exclusively by officers of lat least fif-
teen years service. 1t suppressed dis
orders early this year in Bremen, Cux-
haven, Wilhelmshaven and Emden, and
had large part in the restoration Of
order in Berlin, especially at Lichten-
berg, in March,"