The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-31
By SISLEY HUDDLESTONE.

 Germany was the wumba. The wurnba Is a name which was applied to the department of the War Office in Berlin which dealt with stolen property.
 English magistrates have the dic- tum that the receiver Is worse than the thief. Certainly, this Wumba was without heart or soul. It simply collected all the property that was filched from France and from Bel gium, and sold it to civilians.
 In this way German manufacturers are much better equipped than French and Belgium manufacturers. They have set themselves up with machinery of the occupied countries. Obviously these goods cannot be left h their hands.
 Information which comes to
 me convinces me that Germany
 in certain circumstances could
 become easily the most formid-
 able trading country in the
 world, or, at least fin Europe
 She is beaten and broken in cer- tain respects, but in many ways she has a real pull over the Allied na- tons. Notably is this the case in the matter of machinery. Her factories stand intact. and they are filled with Allied machinery.
 Stolen Machinery.
 Fortunately, the Allied High on- mand is not blind to these facts. My exposures, made in the Empire News of the enormous quantities of goods which the Germans openly boasted of having removed to a place of safety" called public atten- ton to an important phase of the settlement we must have.
 4T,o
 command. French. British, Amer ican. and Belgian, in occupied
 areas, expect soon to complete
 the reports which are being com
 piled of articles belonging to the
 Allies which are now in German
 possession.
 It is now impossible that they can remain in Germans hands. Happily the danger was seen the injustice of permitting the Huns to retain their war booty was appreciated.
 The task is first to trace the plum der, and then when the authorities have received lists of puloined goods. which we hope will be more or less complete. to insist on the stolen property being given up and distrib- uted as far as possible, among their original owners.
 Many of these lists have already come in. It must be remembered that much of the machinery has been in use in Germany since 1914. Ob- viously it cannot always be recovered fin good condition. If it is possible to make the Germans pay rent for the use of such machinery 1t would be certainly proper to do so. am afraid that in some cases the unhappy own CTS will receive perfectly useless in- struments in return for those of which they were robbed nearly five years ago.
 Ono Factory-15O Machines.
 On the other hand. of course. good proportion of these instruments are certainly worth recovering. Some of the reports are amazing.
 One firm in Mulhofen admits
 receiving nearly 150 machines.
 or portions of machines, just
 after the German advance to the
 Marne.
 The search for plunder Is. am as- surod, being carried out thoroughly Not only manufacturers. whether i'm dividuals or cooperation. are required to report accurately. but the munici- palities are bound to lend their of ficia1 aid in order to make the regis ter precise and complete.
 Besides, we have the records of tho wumba. do not think 1t ought 10 be difficult to trace the bulk of property which passed through the hands of the authorities.
 Of course there is an immense amount of stolen goods which were more privately dealt with. From the Crown Prince downwards, great num- bers of officers in the German army deliberately pi1fered clocks and pie lures and valuable ornaments. It is notorious that books and furniture were sent direct from the battlefields to the private homes and mansions of Germany. Those things 1t will be hard to identify. Very many thieves will get off and never give back their ewag.
 We cannot help that, although we should do our best to discover the culprit and to get back that which help the destruction which they showed wherever they went: the saw age smashing of furniture and of ma chinery.- the veritable campaign of sabotage. is another problem.
 But we can make the Germans disgorxe the beds. the clothing. the furniture, and other domestic articles which were dealt with by the Gov ernment department known as the Wumba.
 learn that some factories are
 going on using the machinery
 which they obtained through the
 wumba. well knowing it to be
 stolen. through which they have
 sent their report though. They
 count upon the delay that Allied
 red tape will cause.
 They believe that it will be Ions time yet before the order for the actual surrender is given.
 Using Them Up.
 The German factories are quite content to wait for that day, which they hope will be distant
 In the meantime they do not sec why the machinery should be wasted They may as well wear out Allied machinery as not. Therefore, the de- cision has. been taken to continue to work as long as possible. Why be idle if the Allies postpone their orders to cease work7
 If the Allies do not immediately