The courier-index., 1919-12-19
NEEDED A MASTER
German official Helpless in me
 Absence of Orders.
Hurpermeister's Case Typical or the Lack of Initiative Resulting From the System of MiIitar'sm
 So Long in Vogue.

The burgermeister of B. am Rhein was a person who looked like white rat that had been thoroughly soaReu and shaved. And he had the faculty i which all Germans have, of c0ngeallng l his cords and muscles at moment ] notice and could assume the rigor or an epileptic in the presence of supe- riors. To watch him slide into your office, uncover his teeth, espy you, ana suddenly straighten himself up ln obedience to an unspoken Achtung, was an impressive experience.
 The American generals aid, ap- pointed to this particular suburb or Coblenz. often wondered why the ar rest of every vital function should De considered polite. He distrusted that German salute. It was too much Ike playing 'possum.
 When the burgermeIster came into the ortskommandantur, the aid toid him that in so far as he behaved him. self he would have nothing to fear from the American army; and that m so far as it didn't interfere with the satisfaction of American interests. he was to continue governing the town as usual.
 The burgermeister stiffened himself and withdrew.
 The aid was pleased. His first 0m- cial act. he felt, had been kindly. yet firm, just but not harsh. If he had his way, E would not suffer as north ern France had suffered. He was go- ing to show these boches that the Americans weren't there to terror1ze. or to Anericanize. but simply to oe- cupy territory according to the terms of the armistice.
 But he could not see the scene in the burgermeister's office overhead-the holding of cheeks in hands, the strik- ing of chests. the weary and rapid breathing of bewilderment. the groans of despair. And the next morning, when he went to the ortskommandnn tur. he was met by request that he grant an audience to his German col league. It was 10 o'clock, the exact hour of yesterdays meeting.
 He granted the request. and in moment the shaved rat slid in through a slit in the open door and ran hiS tongue over his pink lips. His little black eyes shone like shoe buttons, and he kept scratching the palms of his hands.
 He wanted to know if the Herr Oberleutnant had any orders for him.
 The Herr Oberleutnant wanted to know why.
 F "Ach.- cried the burgermeister, "be- fore the Americans came we had a government. Now we had none. How, then. can T run the town of B. as used to run it? There is no one to tell me what to do. If only the Herr Ober- leutnant would express his wishes"
 The aid narrowed his eyes and looked at him in disgust.
 Have the streets cleaned" he said, and turned to his work.
 The face of the burgermeister was radiant. He had found boss.
 Tn less than thirty minutes a platoon of boches was assembled in the street before the ortskommandantur Every other man carried a broom at right shoulder arms and the man at his side a shovel. The burgermeister stood on the steps of the building. with a pencil in one hand and a long list in the other and checked off their names.
 Then. "Hupi' said the burgermels- ter.
 Out of the ranks jumped four men, saluted. and faced the platoon.
 'Hupr' said the first of the four {; and a little squad of broomers and shovefers faced to the right and marched off brfskly northward.
 'Hupl" said the second of the four ; and another little squad trotted of, to the east.
 4Hup!' said the third, and "Hup !'' said the fourth, and soon all points of the compass had received their squads. | And the voice of the gefreite was heard in the land. Clouds of dust hung over B. am Rhein, shovels changed on the cobblestones. brooms scraped the roadways. The town was being cleaned.
 | The burgermeister stepped into the burgermeisterei and jabbed his pencil three times into his right ear. "So-o-o,' he said with pride and satisfaction.
 And from that day on the aid gave him orders punctually at 10 a. m.- George Boas in Atlantic Monthly.