Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-10-17

sey saw a medico already working
on the wounded. The other four all
were hit. The lieutenant was groggy
and confused, but otherwise unhurt.
He rose to his feet in the same
instant three Germans appeared
coming up the ditch firing machine
pistols.
Doctor Saved Lives.
THAT medico-we call him Doc
Ritter and he comes from some
where in East Texas-saved our
lives. He jumped up and showed
them the red cross on his uniform
and hollered that the men were all
wounded, and then they stopped
shooting at U.S."
1t was a German sergeant and
two privates. They stopped firing
but the two privates kept pointing
their guns at the Americans and
their voices were menacing.
Il could tell they were arguing
with the sergeant" said 1t. Lind
sey. Those two guys were tough.
They were all for finishing US. The
sergeant finally got tough, too, and
ordered them away from us. Then
he came over to me-"
In faultless English he introduced
himself. He said his name was
Rheingold Badt and he added
proudly, Il am entitled to call my
self 'doktor.' I am a professor of
philosophy from Hamburg Univer-
sity.
Justice Department Man.
Somewhat surprised, the lieuten-
ant replied that he was a lawyer by
profession, formerly attached to the
Justice Department.
The German bowed and said:
This is very strange two pro-
fessional men like ourselves here
in the mud and the war. 1t is no
place for a man who thinks, and
yet there is no reality except in
thought. Perhaps you don't aereeo'
1t. Lindsey grimly mentioned the
reality of bullets.
A great many bullets were singing
over their heads as he spoke. They
were coming both ways. The two
Navy privates, plastered against the
ditch bank, were firing fusilades in
the direction from which other
Americans still were coming.
Il finally told the sergeant" 1t.
Lindsey said, that If they kept It
up our own artillery would start
firing at the ditch, or somebody
would toss a hand grenade in on
us and we'd all be killed.
Ordered Fire Stopped.
Believe 1t or not, he ordered those
two men to sit down and stop Shoot
ing"
Sergt-Professor Badt then began
to expand on his theories of war in
relation to reality. He proved in
dubitably that for the Germans
neither this war nor any war could
have any meaning.
He interrupted himself only to
remind 1t. Lindsey that he and all
other Americans there were his pris-
oners.
Also" he said, II notice YOU are
not wounded, but that is not i'm
portant either"
The discussion continued. Mean
while, some American tanks had ap-
the river. German armor
came up to meet them. Then in
an instant shells were screaming
back and forth across the ditch.
The professor had to yell to make
himself heard, but he went right on
talking philosophy. The ghosts of
Kant, Nietzsche, spinoza and Hume
walked up and down the drainage
ditch through the shells and bull
lets.
Finally 1t. Lindsey said, Look,
Professor Badt, you say there's no
in all this so why don't
you just hand over that gun of
yours, and I'll take you prisoner.
Then you'll be out of the war"
DUTY Is Illusion"
"Ah," he said, there lies the in
eVitable conflict Tn all have heo,
saying I am a thinker, but I am
also a German soldier. Duty to
me is an illusion, but I must do
it,"
you haven't got a chance to
WANTED
RTAYYAN nADTHYNYYrOU