CHAPTERX

chapterx

afterthearmisticeiwentwithourtroopstotherhine,andenteredcolognewiththem.thatwasthemostfantasticadventureofallinfourandahalfyearsofstrangeandterribleadventures.tometherewasnowildexultationinthethoughtofbeingincolognewithourconqueringarmy.thethoughtofallthelossesontheway,andofallthefutilityofthisstrife,smoteatone'sheart.whatfoolsthegermanshadbeen,whattragicfools!whatamadvillainytherehadbeenamongrivaldynastiesandpowersandpoliticiansandpeoplestoleadtothismassacre!whathadanyonegainedoutofitall?nothingexceptruin.nothingexceptgreatdeathandpovertyandremorseandrevolt.

thegermanpeoplereceivedushumbly.theywereeagertoshowuscourtesyandsubmission.itwasachanceforouryoungjunkers,fortheprussianintheheartsofyoungpupsofours,whocouldplaythepettytyrant,shoutatgermanwaiters,refusetopaytheirbills,bullyshopkeepers,insultunoffendingcitizens.afewyoungstaff-officersbehavedlikethat,disgustingly.theofficersoffightingbattalionsandthemenwereverydifferent.itwasastrangestudyinpsychologytowatchthem.heretheywereamongthe“huns.”thementheypassedinthestreetsandsatwithintherestaurantshadbeeningermanuniformsafewweeksbefore,orafewdays.theywere“theenemy,”thementheyhadtriedtokill,themenwhohadtriedtokillthem.theyhadactuallyfoughtagainsttheminthesameplaces.atthedomhofhotelioverheardaconversationbetweenayoungwaiterandthreeofourcavalryofficers.theyhadbeeninthesamefightinthevillageofnoyelles,nearcambrai,atinyplaceofruin,wheretheyhadcrouchedundermachine-gunfire.thewaiterdrewadiagramonthetable-cloth.“iwasjustthere.”thethreecavalryofficerslaughed.“extraordinary!wewereafewyardsaway.”theychattedwiththewaiterasthoughhewereanoldacquaintancewhohadplayedagainsttheminafamousfootball-match.theydidnottrytokillhimwithatable-knife.hedidnotputpoisoninthesoup.

thatyoungwaiterhadservedinahotelinmanchester,wherehehadservedafriendofmine,towhomhenowexpressedhisopiniononthefollyofthewar,andthecriminalityofhiswarlords,andthingsingeneral.amongtheselastheutteredanepigramwhichirememberforitsbrutalsimplicity.itwaswhenastaff-officerofours,rathertheworseforwine,hadbeenmakingascenewiththeheadwaiter,bullyinghiminastridentvoice.

“someenglishgentlemenareswine,”saidtheyoungwaiter.“butallgermangentlemenareswine.”

someofourofficersandmenbilletedinhousesoutsidecologneoracrosstherhineendeavoredtostandondistanttermswiththe“huns.”butitwasimpossibletobediscourteouswhentheoldladyofthehousebroughtthemanearlycupofcoffeebeforebreakfast,warmedtheirbootsbeforethekitchenfire,said,“godbepraised,thewarisover.”forenglishsoldiers,anythinglikehostilitywasridiculousinthepresenceofgermanboysandgirlswhoswarmedroundtheirhorsesandguns,kissedtheirhands,broughtthemlittlepicturesandgifts.

“kidsarekids,”saidasergeant-major.“idon'twanttocuttheirthroats!queer,ain'tit?”

manyofthe“kids”lookedhalfstarved.ourmengavethembreadandbiscuitandbullybeef.incolognethepeopleseemedpleasedtoseebritishsoldiers.therewasnosenseofhumiliation.noagonyofgriefatthisforeignoccupation.wasitlackofpride,cringing—oraprofoundreliefthattheriverofbloodhadceasedtoflowandevenasenseofprotectionagainsttherevolutionarymobwhichhadlootedtheirhousesbeforeourentry?almosteveryfamilyhadlostoneson.someofthemtwo,three,evenfivesons,inthatorgyofslaughter.theyhadpaidadreadfulpriceforpride.theirambitionhadbeendrownedinblood.

intherestaurantsorchestrasplayedgaymusic.onceiheardthemplayingoldenglishmelodies,andisickenedalittleatthat.thatwasgoingtoofar!ilookedroundthecafebauer—astrangesceneafterfourandahalfyearshun-hating.englishsoldierswerechattingwithgermans,clinkingbeermugswiththem.thegermansliftedtheirhatstoenglish“tommies”;ourmen,canadianandenglish,said“cheerio!”togermansoldiersinuniformswithoutshoulder-strapsorbuttons.englishpeoplestilltalkingofhuns,demandingvengeance,themaintenanceoftheblockade,wouldhavebecomehystericaliftheyhadcomesuddenlytothisgermancafebeforethesigningofpeace.

longbeforepeacewassignedatversaillesithadbeenmadeontherhine.strongerthanthehateofwarwashumannature.facetoface,britishsoldiersfoundthateverygermanhadtwoeyes,anose,andamouth,inspiteofbeinga“hun.”asecclesiasticswouldsaywhennotrousedtopatrioticfury,theyhadbeenmade“intheimageofgod.”therewerepleasant-spokenwomenintheshopsandinthefarmhouses.blue-eyedgirlswithflaxenpigtailscourtesiedveryprettilytoenglishofficers.theywereclean.theirhouseswereclean,morespotlesseventhanenglishhomes.whensoldiersturnedonataptheyfoundwatercameoutofit.wonderful!thesanitaryarrangementsweregood.servantswerehard—workinganddutiful.therewassomething,afterall,ingermankultur.atnightthechildrensaidtheirprayertothechristiangod.mostofthemwerecatholics,andverypious.

“theyseemgoodpeople,”saidenglishsoldiers.

atnight,inthestreetsofcologne,werewomennotsogood.shamelesswomen,thoughdaintilydressedandcomely.britishsoldiers—english,scottish,andcanadian—grinnedbackattheirlaughingeyes,enteredintoconversewiththem,foundtheycouldallspeakenglish,wentdownside-streetswiththemtonarrow-frontedhouses.thereweresqualidsceneswhenthea.p.m.raidedthesehousesandbrokeupanententecordialethatwasflagrantandscandalous.

astonishingclimaxtothedramaofwar!nogeneralorderscouldstopfraternizationbeforepeacewassigned.humannatureasserteditselfagainstallartificialrestrictionsandfalsepassion.friendsofminewhohadbeenviolentintheirhatredofallgermansbecamethoughtful,andsaid:“ofcoursethereareexceptions,”and,“theinnocentmustnotsufferfortheguilty,”and,“wecanaffordtobealittlegenerousnow.”

buttheinnocentweremadetosufferfortheguiltyandwewerenotgenerous.wemaintainedtheblockade,andgermanchildrenstarved,andgermanmothersweakened,andgermangirlsswoonedinthetram-cars,andgermanbabiesdied.ludendorffdidnotstarveordie.neitherdidhindenburg,noranygermanwarlord,noranyprofiteer.downthestreetsofcolognecamepeopleoftherichmiddleclasses,whogorgedthemselvesonbunsandcakesforafternoontea.theywerecakesofersatzflourwithersatzcream,andnotveryhealthyornutritious,thoughveryexpensive.butintheside-streets,amongtheworking—women,therewas,asifound,thewolfofhungerstandingwithopenjawsbyeverydoorway.itwasnotactualstarvation,butwhatthegermanscallunternahrung(under-nourishment),producingricketychildren,consumptivegirls,andmenoutofwhomvitalityhadgonetheystintedandscrapedonmiserablesubstitutes,andneverhadenoughtoeat.yettheywerethepeoplewhofortwoyearsatleasthaddenouncedthewar,hadsentuppetitionsforpeace,andhadwrittentotheirmeninthetrenchesaboutthegreatswindleandthegildedones.theywerepowerless,assomeofthemtoldme,becauseofthesecretpoliceandmartiallaw.whatcouldtheydoagainstthegovernment,withalltheirmenawayatthefront?theyweretreatedlikepigs,likedirt.theycouldonlysufferandpray.theyhadalittlehopethatinthefuture,iffranceandenglandwerenottoohard,theymightpaybackfortheguiltoftheirwarlordsandseeanewgermanyariseoutofitsruin,freedfrommilitarismandwithgreaterliberties.sohumblepeopletalkedtouswheniwentamongthemwithafriendwhospokegoodgerman,betterthanmyelementaryknowledge.ibelievedintheirsincerity,whichhadcomethroughsuffering,thoughibelievedthatnewspapereditors,manypeopleintheofficialclasses,andtheoldmilitarycastewerestillimplacableinhatredandunrepentant.

thegermanpeopledeservedpunishmentfortheirshareintheguiltofwar.theyhadbeenpunishedbyfrightfullossesoflife,byamultitudeofcripples,bytheruinoftheirempire.whentheytoldmeoftheirhungericouldnotforgetthehungrywivesandchildrenoffranceandbelgium,whohadbeencaptivesintheirownlandbehindgermanlines,norourprisonerswhohadbeenstarved,untilmanyofthemdied.wheniwalkedthroughgermanvillagesandpitiedthewomenwhoyearnedfortheirmen,stillprisonersinourhands,nearlyayearafterthearmistice,andlongafterpeace(acrueltywhichshamedus,ithink),irememberedhundredsoffrenchvillagesbrokenintodustbygermangun-fire,burnedbyincendiaryshells,andthatvastdesertofthebattlefieldsinfranceandbelgiumwhichneverinourtimewillregainitslifeasaplaceofhumanhabitation.whengermanssaid,“ourindustryisruined,”“ourtradeiskilled,”ithoughtofthefactoriesinlilleandmanytownsfromwhichallmachineryhadbeentakenorinwhichallmachineryhadbeenbroken.ithoughtofthethousandcrimesoftheirwar,theagonyofmillionsofpeopleuponwhoselibertiestheyhadtrampledanduponwhoseneckstheyhadimposedabrutalyoke.yetevenwithallthosememoriesoftragicsceneswhichinthisbookarebutlightlysketched,ihopedthatthepeaceweshouldimposewouldnotbeoneofvengeance,bywhichtheinnocentwouldpayforthesinsoftheguilty,thechildrenfortheirfathers'lust,thewomenfortheirwarlords,thesoldierswhohatedwarforthosewhodrovethemtotheshambles;butthatthispeaceshouldinjusticeandmercyleadtheworking-peopleofeuropeoutofthemiseryinwhichallwereplunged,andbyapolicynohigherthancommonsense,butashighasthat,establishanewphaseofcivilizationinwhichmilitaryforcewouldbereducedtothelimitsofsafetyforeuropeanpeopleseagertoendthefollyofwarandgetbacktowork.

ihopedtoomuch.therewasnosuchpeace.