Evening star., 1945-07-28
|Doughboys in Bavaria
Become Expert Skiers
In Alpine Playground,
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY.
Star War Correspondent.


GARMISCH, Bavarla.-Yank oc-
cupation soldiers are stationed here
In the center Of one of the worlds
great mountain playgrounds-thea-
ter of the 1886 winter Olympics.
They are becoming expert ski run
ners on the slopes of Zugspitze,
highest peak in the Bavarian Alps.
Probably the biggest thrill on
Zugspitze is the cable car ride from
the mountain hotel near the ski
field to the summit. The car is sus-
pended from what appears to the
uninitiated a very fragile taut wire.
Below is 5000 feet Of empty space.
Zugspitze stands where four coun-
tries meet. Across the deep,
spruce -forested valley is a serrated
row of mountains which marks the
border of Austria. Both the Italian
and Swiss borders are less than 10
miles away and from Zugspitze one
can look down into both countries.
A 600-year- monastery Is the
unique barracks of one infantry di-
vision company Of the 10th Armored
Division which has the good luck to
occupy this mountain playground.
This is the Ettal monastery, which
for centuries has been the focal
point of many religious pilgrimages.
It's interior contains priceless oil
paintings, sculptured busts and
carved pews donated by leading
German artists. 1t has a mosaic
floor with intricately patterned
scenes from the life of Christ. The
crypts contain the remains OF some
of the most notable clergy in the
history of the Catholic church in
Bavaria.
The troops, of course, are not
quartered in the sanctuary itself,
but in the wings which were built
to accommodate the monks and stu
dents and which form huge SYM
metrical square with an inner court
and garden.
Showplace of the countryside
Is Linderhof Castle, a palace Of the
mad King Ludwig Of Bavaria in the
last century. 1t was patterned
after the palace at Versailles. The
feature that has proved most attrac-
tive to Yank visitors here is the
enormous grotto with its subter-
ranean lake in the center Of which
is a gilt shell boat which was used
by the mad king. Behind the lake
is a painting on the rock wall,
Tannhauser in the Mountain of
Venus, a theme from one OF Wag-
ner'S operas.
CT messes here in the Bavarian
Alps are varied these days with
plenty of fresh venison. The high
mountain pastures are full of deer
and hunting is common sport.
Enforcement of characterization
is particularly difficult here because
the people, especially the women,
are unusually friendly.
The more recently troops have
arrived from the United States the
harder it is to inforce the ban
against association with the Ger
mans. Veteran divisions like 1st,
Sd and 9th have trouble only with
their more recent replacements. The
veterans of Africa, Sicily and Nor
mandy still are not on speaking
terms with their late enemies. But
the newer men, who have suffered
no personal losses and have wit
messed few atrocities, seem willing
to forget the hostilities which came
to an end so recently.
"The Germans really are nice
people they say. This was much
the same reaction on the part of
the occupation troops as that which
followed the last war. Most of the
men who then felt that way have
lived to regret it.
But right now, one gathers from
observations along the way, 1t would
require an army of military police
to absolutely inforce the fraterniza-
tiOn ban