Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1920-01-23
NEEDED A MASTER
German Official Helpless in the
Absence of Orders.
Bursermeisters Case Typical Of the
Lack of Initiative Resulting From
the System Of Militarism
So Long In Vogue.

So Long In Vogue.
The burgermeister of B aim Ithe.n
was a person who looked like white
rat that had been thoroughly soaked
and shaved. And he had the faculty,
which i'll Germans have. of congealins
his cords and muscles at moments 8
notice, and could assume the rigor OF
an ep.leptic in the presence of supe-
riors. To watch him slide into. your
office. uncover his teeth, espy you, and
suddenly straighten himself up in
obedience TO an unspoken Achtung,
was an impressive experience.
The American generals aid, ap-
pointed to this particular suburb OF
Coblenz, often wondered why the ar
rest of every vital function should be
considered polite. He distrusted that
German salute. 1t was too much like
playing possum.
When the burgermeister came into
the ortskommandantur the aid told
him that, In so far as he behaved him.
self, he would have nothing to fear
from the American army; and that IN
so far as 1t 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 ofti-
clal act, he felt, had been kindly, yet
firm, just but not harsh. If he had his
way, b would not suffer as north
ern France had suffered. He was 60
ing to show these boches that the
Americans weren't there to terrorize,
or to Americanize, but simply to oc-
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 ortskommandan-
tur, he was met by request that he
grant an audience to his German COL
league. 1t was 10 o'clock, the exact
hour of yesterdays meeting.
He granted the request, and In a
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.
"Ach!" cried the burgermeister, "be-
fore the Americans came we had
government Now we had none. How,
then, can run the town of B as
used to run it? There Is no one totell
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 hurgermeister was
radiant. He had found boss.
In less than thirty minutes platoon
of boches was assembled In the street
before the ortskommandantqr Every
other man carried broom at right
shoulder arms and the man at his side
n shovel. The burgermeister stood on
the steps of the building. with pencil
in one hand and long list In the
other, and checked off their names.
Then, "Hup" said ~the burgermels-
ter.
Out of the ranks jumped four men,
saluted, and faced the platoon.
, "Hup! !" said the first of the four;
and "a little squad Of broomers and
shovelers faced to the right and
marched off briskly northward.
."Hup !" said the second of the four;
and another little squad trotted off, to
the east.
"Hupl" 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, shnvels
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. $1,000"
he said with pride and satisfaction.
And from that day on the aid gave
him orders punctually at 10 a. NJ
George Boas, in Atlantic Monthly.