The Ypsilanti daily press., 1944-12-01
Observations
Germans Overdo
Selves Following
Last War
BY HELEN EssARY

/ have no opinion on what should
b done with Germany after this
war. do remember Germans just
after 1918. Not Germany, exactly,
but the German people.
/ visited Germany a few years
after 1918 and have some clear
recollections OF Berlin and Munich
of the grim Berliners Of north
Germany and the amiablo Muench
eners of south Germany.
Perhaps the impressions ! got
then Of a defeated people were pro-
paganda. A come-on. Shrewd
salesmanship. l shall not discuss
this suggestion.
J today in the sixth year of tho
most vicious OF all waTs-instigated
by Germany keep thinking Of
well-of the piles OF whipped cream
on the chocolate puddings We had
in Munich. or the high corridors
in the Berlin hotel. OF the thou
sands OF cyclists pedaling like
fui. along the roads and streets.
My strongest overall impression
was OF activity-ot purposeful ac-
ti-ity. Everybody was busy.
Everything was moving fast
Even the feet Of the Munich hotel
keeper as. bowing and smiling he
led US into the biggest hotel room
I've ever seen.
! have forgotten the name Of tho
hostelry. But ! shall never for
get the thickness or the length Of
TN, red velvet curtains that draped
our windows. or the futliness Of
the eiderdown comforter rolled
neatly at the foot Of a bed big
enough for a feudal baron and his
guests.
Berlin, I hated. The Berliners
\ IRE too ingratisting. Too terribly
anxious to please. Inter den Lin
den was not the fabulous boulevard
of my imagination. Its famous
trees were diseased. Its look was
bleak. Its men leered openly from
behind set faces lts women. the
ones who haunted the street, were
shall ! say-overeager?
Berlin had a defeated air. But
il was not dead. The streets were
clean. And, as said before, there
was an omnipresent atmosphere
of activity Plus a strong feeling
OF the military.
The waiter who picked you out
bottle of Lie0fraumilch OF a
good vintage clicked his heels
when he had taken your order.
Simple pedestrians marched rath-
er than walked The children car
ried their heads high, their backs
straight, like puppets Especially
tho young ones. Munich was light
hearted. Well endoctrinated pro-
paganda for the Amerikaner?, Like
ly so. But we did enjoy It's music.
Its reer Ills.
The food was superb, too
The German people of the post
World War I era struggled to
please not only the American tour
lists, they struggled to please Of
fetal visitors. a member OF a
group OF midshipmen sent from
Annapolis on graduation cruise
told me later that everywhere in
NIE- many ilb anu hlo NAu ooAAAoNNP
who wore the uniform Of the enemy
were treated not as conquerors but
as welcome guests. Certainly
there was no cincer,ty in hospital
ity such as this. Or in the careful
treatment we received. Such re-
ceptions proved rather that Ger
many wished TO show the world she
was not completely vanquished.
Nor temporarily flat on her back.
To me. personally, her attitude
said she + I'd not lost that strong
raci..i Observation-Disclosures.
I can't believe that the efficiency
OF the Germans has ever been over
rated. II is an efficiency frequent.
" hendish. II must not be for
gotten by the United Nations peace
makers.