Evening star., 1944-08-24
People Treat Yanks
As liberators, but
Maquis Did the Job
(From Yesterdays Last Edition. J
By NEWBOLD MOVES, Jr.,
Star WAr CnrrAsnnndenf

Star Wax Correspondent.
sISTERON, France, Aug. 20 (By
Radio DelayeO.-Men in this
American force, knitting ahead
through supposed enemy territory
IN Southern France, are well aware
it cannot be claimed they are lib
Grating the region through which
they pass. France is liberating her
self down here, and the extraordi-
nary welcome accorded these troops
seems to stem from q feeling that
their arrival simply confirms the
liberation.
In one town through which we
passed yesterday on the way here
from Riez, people had put streamer
across the road crudely marked
with the words, God Bless Amer
tca," and they were so glad to see
us a few Of the old ones cried. But
there Is no weakness in the make
up of people there. When we asked
where the mayor was, they smiled
and pointed to pretty little ceme-
terry beside their church. Maquis
shot him last month.
Also in the cemetery, in graves
near the mayor, are German soldiers.
BY the time of our arrival the town
had its own retribution program we'll
under way. AS in most of these
towns, actual trial and punishment
OF former collaborators-with few
exceptions-will follow the orderly
processes Of legal justice.
1t is early morning now. I am
writing this in an apple orchard on
the outskirts of Sisteron, where we
spent last night. It was quiet
night. Nobody's sleep was disturbed
by any indication that we were
somewhere Understanding to the
maps-we shouldn't be.
Forward elements pushed of at
first light today and we will follow
soon. All around me are American
vehicles and sound of American
talk. A French farmer is leading a
herd OF sheep down the lane beside
the orchard. The Sleeps bells are
tinkling and in farms around us
roosters are Growing Justify. A
couple Of French girls have stopped
to talk to American soldiers around
a Signal Corps truck under the next
apple tree. There is lot of laugh
ter and the Americans seem to be
trying to teach their guests how to
sing Marry Doats"
All there is in this part Of France
are scattered groups of Germans
and they are in the town. Caught
in yesterdays lightning advance
were several hundred Germans,
some of whom fought half-heart-
edly and all of whom--eXcept few
who were killed-surrendered. In
one place about $50 Germans we're
located in a wood. An American
lieutenant told the German officer
in charge that he might as we'll
surrender because otherwise he
should bring up artillery and cut
them to pieces.
The German said he thought his
men would surrender willingly to
Americans on the understanding
that at no time would they be
turned over to the French, of whom
they are much afraid. He went back
to talk it over with his men, stayed
an hour, then the entire group sur
rendered without firing a shot.
Captured Germans fear the
French not without reason. I saw
Brig. Gen. Hans Shuderth, German
civil affairs administrator for
Basses Alps Department., as he was
being driven back through Riez
after being CAPTURED at Digne with
his entire staff by our forces yes
terday. Escorting soldiers had to
protect him from an enraged popu-
lace. He was perfect Prussian
type, complete with SCARED cheek
and thin. bitter mouth. His face
lacked only monacle With that
he would have been superb for q
HOLLYWOOD movie part.
CTS in this advance, which has
now driven inland more than 10
crow fight miles from the nearest
salt water and has yet to encounter
any real competition, are totally
unaware of the drama of their posi-
ton, although they have the idea
that they are pretty far forward
and moving very fast.
Cne of them said to me last night
II wish newspapers would quit
talking about how those parachute
boys are always out front here 7