Evening star., 1946-01-10
heNarneyca Calls Farley
After Frankfurt GIs
Mass at Headquarters
By the Associated Press.


FRANKFURT, Jan. 10.-Gen.
Joseph T. McNarney's headquar-
ters took immediate steps today
to answer mass demonstration
staged by thousands of GIs and
WACS last night in protest
against the redeployment slow
down.
Orders went out to Iall units under
Gen. McNarney's European theater
command to send representatives to
a conference at his headquarters in
the I. G. Farben Building at pm.
Go am. EST. 1t was announced
that European theater staff officers
would meet the CT representatives
to discuss their complaints.
Gen. McNarney himself was not
expected to be present, having gone
to Berlin yesterday for the monthly
meeting of the Allied Four power
Control Council. The press, how
ever, was invited to attend the con-
ference.
xOhtlCl0uS ncH00uCcu.
The demonstration last night CEN
tered around Gen. McNarney's head
quarters, where a nlassed group of
several thousand. soldiers loudly de-
nounced politicians. for delaying
their return home. The GIs threat
ened to demonstrate nightly unless
their protests were satisfied.
Military police, armed with rifles
and tear gas and riding in radio
cars mounted, with submachine
guns, watched over the first organ
lied mass soldier protest in occupied
Germany, during which leaders
shouted criticisms Of Gen. McNarney
and the War Department and de-
nounced what they called the lack
of faith of friends back home.
Before the march on headquarters,
speakers announced from a lamp
post platform that a cable of pro-
test had been sent to President
Truman, Gen. Eisenhower, the
House Military Affairs Committee
and others.
Signed by members of signal
company, the cable asked, Are brass
hats to be permitted to build en-
pires?" and charged that Evident
lack of faith of our friends and
neighbors is causing bitter resent
ment and deterioration of the NOR
ale of men in this theater."
GI Climbs Lamppost.
pto Sffy,n fnl1xy of ssrnr1fft ftot ne
at home" GIs climbed the lamp
post to yell such questions as:
isn't a close-out force of $4,000
men merely an excuse for holding
men in the theater?"
Isn't the recent redeployment |
policy merely squeeze play to force |
favorable action on the pending |
peacetime draft by Congress?"
Thousands chorused "Why?" as
others chanted 1--WE want to go
home" and the crowd began to
march to USFET headquarters.
Hundreds of flashlights swung in
termittently to the balcony over the
main entrance to the building, but
there was no response to repeated
demands that Gen. McNarney ap-I
pear.
I'VE challenge McNarney to meet
U.s." cried TIA Morris Cohen of Bos-
ton, Mass.
The crowd, estimated at about
1000, milled about in bitter cold
weather, yelling "We want to 60
home" and shouting down speakers
who proposed that committee see
Gen. McNarney.
Crowd Breaks Up.
After demonstrating and shouting
for more than 80 minutes the crowd
finally broke up.
Unless we get a definite answer
and definite date on which men in
different point categories are going
to go home, we will come back every
night" a young soldier shouted. His
last words were drowned In yells of
yeah" and sure thing"
The MP's barred entrance only
to the Farben Building itself and
made no attempt to halt the DEM
onstrators outside. An MP lieu
tenant pushed one soldier and angry
shouts went up but quickly subsidized.
Two demonstrators got into a fist
fight and the MP's arrested one.
Army sources had said Gen. Nc
Narney, European theater COM
mander, and his staff had decided
not to prevent the protest march,
but to "sit by and see what hap
pens"