Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-09-09
GERMANS ARE
TIRED OF WAR
British Officer in Cologne FINDS
Only Professional Soldiers
Anxious for It.
CHANGES IN CITY on RHINE
People Submit Calmly to British H"'s
Street Car Officials Are Now
Almost Servile-eusi-
pess Picks Up.

Cologne.-The British army appears
TO have acquired strong grip on tn's
section of occupied Germany, and the
soldiers get along very well with ti'e
people. They mingle freely with them
in the streets, restaurants and cares
and nick ND collOquial phrases very
readily. There has been very ht.ie
fpiction between the Tommies ana 'ie
Inhabitants. All disputes between the
army OF occupat ton and the people OF
Cologne have been brought before
court of arbitration, and the Gerihhhs
so far have not complained OF any OF
the awards.
There is more business in Cologne In
commercial and trade circles than Ill
the other large German cities, which
Ia owing to the business transacted
with England and Holland. Inc Du'ch
merchants are sending all the 1000
stufrs they can lay hands upon into
Germany, which keeps the praoas very
high in their own country and is caas-
ing strong protests to be made o! 'he
working classes ia Rotterdam, Amstef-
dam and other cities. The goods are
brought from Holland to Dusseldor1
and Cologne by freight STEAMBOATS,.
There Is considerable activity IN the
factories In Aachen, Dusseldorf ana
Cologne. The people in these centers
are paying attention to their business
and are more optimistic In regard 10
the outlook than the Germans In Der
lin. Hamburg and Frankfort.
Fight All Gone.
The British officers Of senior rank
with whom I have cOnversed here say
that they do not believe there Is any
probability of the nation wanting 70
fight for many years to come. The
Germans, apart from the officers and
underofficers of the old army. VINO
have been trained to arms as calling.
will not 20 to war in hurry because
they have realized very clearly that II
does not pay, and they do not wish
their sons to be trained as soldiers as
soon AS they leave school and sub
jected to the tyranny of the drill SER
geants.
An English officer of high rank. who
speaks German fluently and has trav'
eled all over the country In the last
year, said, in speaking on this subject:
"At the present time Germany could
put a well-eQuipped army of 80oooO
officers and men into the field II they
could be organized to fight together.
The major part of this force Is the
army Of the Baltic and the smaller
bodies of troops who have not yet
been dlsbanded The ordinary German
workman, so far as my knowledge
goes, Is fed up with war, and desires
to live with his family and pursue his
trade peacefully.
"The French military authorities do
not agree with this view In regard to
the Germans and believe that they are
secretly organizing to avenge their de.
feat. The officers. especially the Prus-
SLAMS Of the old regime. would no
doubt like to do this, as fighting Is
their trade, but the rank and file would
refuse to follow them into the field.
"The Germans have plenty OF air
planes, arms and ammunition. Out OF
2SOOO field guns they possessed when
the armistice was signed they have de-
stroyed only 1000 SO far. 1t Is very
difficult to get the German govern
ment to carry out the conditions OF
the peace treaty, which demand that
these guns should be destroyed. and
that the forts and strategic railways
constructed In the course OF the war
should be demolished. The claim Is
put forth that all this work would &C.
cupy a long time and would be unpro-
ductiye and expensive to the govern
ment, which has no funds to meet 1t.
Personally, judging from the slow
manner in which things have been
done so far, l think 1t will be years
before these conditions are fulfilled, II
ever.
''There is one thing certain to any
sane person who knows the conditions
existing here at the present time: that
is, If Germany is to pay the indemnity,
or any portion of 1t, In the near future
she must be supplied with raw mate
rails to start the factories to work and
with foodstuffs for the people.
Officials Are Civil.
"There Is a good deal of talk among
the better class in favor Of a constitu-
tional monarchy on similar lines to
that of Great Britain, but that would
be impossible so far as any Of the
German princes are concerned. They
do not know the meaning Of such a
form of government and would imme-
diately become autOcratic dictatOrs
directly any one of them assembled the
throne. 1t took England nearly hun
bred years to persuade the Hanove-
rian sovereigns that they were to be
seen and not heard, so far as the gov
eminent of the country was con-
cerned, and 1t was not until Queen
Victoria had commenced her long reign
that this was accomplished finally by
Lord Melbourne, who was prime min
ister."
It was strange sight to visitors in
Cologne on Saturday, June 8, to see
the British troops with massed bands
parading the cath sdral square In honor
Of King Georges birthday. The people
filed all the side streets AID crowded
the windows Of the shops and houses
which overlooked the scene. They be-
haved in an orderly manner, and the
mounted German policemen who were
on duty had no difficulty in keeping
the big crowd back.
Before the war Cologne was very
prosperous and had large garrison.
There is a great change In the bearing
a@f ha rat ND ofr on nfHNfoIc