The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-07
With Our Army in Germany
cut. Harry Franck, in Harper's Mag


Lieut.. Harry Franck, in Harpers Mag
agine.
Heavy American motor trucks
pounded by, along the already dusty
road beside us. alternating now and
then with captured German one, the
kaiser's eagles still on it's tanks but
criVen now by nonchalant American
doughboy, it's steel tires making an
uproar that could be plainly heard
| aboard the racing express Long
freight trains occasionally ratified past
In the opposite direction. With OPEN
work wheels, stubby little cars mark ed
'Posen," Essen" 'Breslau," Brussels
and the like. half dozen employees
perched in the eubbyholes on the car
ends at regular intervals, they were
German from engine to lack of ca
hoose-except that now and then a
huge gray box car stencled ~. S. A."
lowered above it's puny boche fellows
like mounted guard beside a string
| OF prisoners. There will still be a mar
ket for officers uniforms in Germany,
though their military urge be complete
| ly emasculated--for officers caps par-
ticularly. Even the simple brakeman
OF these freight trains looked like lieu
tenants or captains; major in APP
pearance proved to be a station guard,
colonel sold tickets, and the station
! master could easily have passed for a
feldmarschall. Some did. in fact. For
when the "Yanks' first occupied the
region many an officer complained that
German officers were not saluting
them, as required by orders of the
army OF occupation. Investigation dis
closed the harmless Identity of the
imposing Officers" in question But
the rule was amended to include any
enc in uniform; we could not be vast
infr tir,oa I'M in
wearer of generals shoulder straps
was the recent commander of the
Fourth army corps or the town crier.
Sc that today allied officers are sa-
luted by the police, the firemen the
Misunderstanding the half grown
ones who carry special delivery letters
and even the white wings"
These naughty Observation-Disclosures
take their orders now from plain
American doughboys; take them I'M
questioningly, with signs of friendli-
ness, with docile, accomplishing
shall l say fatalism? The far-famed
German discipline has not broken even
under occupation; it carries on as per-
sistently, as doggedly as ever. A con-
ductor passing through our car remind
ed me of hobo" experience out in
cur west back in the early days of
the century. Armed trainmen had
driven the summer time harvest Of free
riders off their trains for more than
a week. until one day so great a null
titude Of "boes'' had collected in
water tank town of Dakota that they
took a freight completely by storm.
from cow-catcher to caboose And the
blood thirsty, fire-eating brakeman
who picked his way along that train,
gently requesting the unlimited guests
to Give us place for foot there,
pal. won't you please?' had the self
same expression on his face as did
this apologize, square-headed boche
who sdled SO gently past us. My fell
low officers found them cringing, de- +
testedly servile. Put gun in their /
hands," said one, "and you'd see how
quick their characters would change +
It's whole damned nation cry
ing Kamarad'-playing possum until
the danger is past"