The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1919-06-04
WAS WITH ARMY
OF OCCUPATION
Lieutenant c. E. Wier Visits Green.
wood After Serving With U. S..
Troops In Germany Months

Lieut.. E. C. Wier, recently return
ed from France, where he served with
the A. E. F., attached to 31st Pion-
eer Infantry, was among the United
States troops, who on September IL
in their first offensive, advanced $50
square miles within " hours. This
was in the St. Mihiel sector and the
Americans at this time took about
10000 prisoners.
Lieutenant Wier gave a most in
erestlng account of the time he spent
the war zone. He will be remem-
oered by many Greenwood people, as
ne held a position with Wingfield &
Barry at Shellmound for more than a
year, prior to the hostilities. Lieut.
enant Wier was with the Army of Oc-
cupation for several months.
"To me Germany was more >inter-
esting than France" said Lieutenant
Wier. "The fact that every loot of
Germany is cultivated and intensi-
fled farming has been taking place
for many years, accounts in a large
measure for the progress and pros
perity of the German people.
Zone of the most interesting sights
20 me in Germany was the great wine
;ellers, where some of the finest wine
n the world is made. l was billet
I'd at Hatzenport, for four months
md had an opportunity to converse
With German major at length. He
,wned wine cellar which had capa-
;ity of 100000 gallons. Every
AVAILABLE spot of ground is planted in
rrapes. Even dirt is taken in sacks
lp the mountain side, where the
round is terraced and planted in
grapes.
"This major was greatly worried
egarding the peace terms. He said
,e lay awake at night thinking of
nem and stated he was afraid the
illies would make the terms SO strin-
,ent that it would have a tendency
o cripple industry among the people,
,ather than to foster trade. The
major declared that if the terms were
90 rigid, each resident would only
aise enough food just to exist on,
because if he raised more it would
| Ill go in taxes to pay indemnity to
| he Allies, and in this matter the pro-
| ,ress of the nation as a whole would
e hindered.
| "The major was of the old regime
md had implicit faith in his en-
oeror. He was of the nobility and had
| ,een reared to believe in the faith Of
he old dynasty. The younger sol
Tiers now see that they were tricked
| ~ the Kaiser and have lost faith in
lim, as a Divine Ruler.
| Says Atrocities Were Few.
| 81 talked to the major about the
/ atrocities committed by the Germans
nd he said they mostly occurred ir
914 when the Germans were making
N on-rush toward Paris and in some
instances, he said, q few crimes die
ccur, but they were investigated BY
he officers and the perpertrator.
,unished. Of course knew this wa:
lie and that many of the atrocitie!
ere due to the command of tn,
Ulcers.
I'VE were billeted in the most com
ortable quarters in Germany. Afte
,eeping in stables, huts and any
where we could find in France, it wa
welcome change to get comfortabl
odgings in enemy quarters. In Hat
:enport we American soldiers wer
'leted about the town in va-iou
,nies. we weIe we'll treated, fire
yere made in our rooms, bed warm
RS placed for our comfort and ou
,hoes were even shined by occupant
# the houses. In fact we were 5
! comfortable there in the cold winte
nd it was such q welcome chang
hat one of the boys, jokingly sail
he believed we'd been fighting fe
he wrong country"
Lieutenant Wier described th
wonderful Castle Brug Eltx, which /
II .sas<od IN fho Moaallo river and a1s