Ruling the Conquered

The U.S. Army last week gave a first sample of how it will conduct one of its big post-Hitler jobs: ruling conquered German territory.

The demonstration took place in the town of Roetgen (pop. 2,300), near Aachen. Many of the townspeople had fled. Some were hiding in terror. Civil Affairs Officer Captain Gordon F. Thomas, of Brockton, Mass., drove in with five men, parked his jeep in front of the post office, established himself as judge, mayor and military boss.

He ordered the telephone exchange shut down, lest any information be phoned to the enemy. He proclaimed a curfew. He ordered the town cop to get out of his grey-green, swastika-decorated uniform before someone shot him, and temporarily to carry on his constabular duties in civilian clothes, wearing a brassard.

No Barbarism, But -- . In Washington last week Major General John Hilldring, bugle-voiced boss of the Civil Affairs Division, summarized: 1) an officer of the Allied Military Government will assume full civil administration; 2) in the name of General Eisenhower proclamations will be posted outlawing the Nazi Party, suspending Nazi law, establishing the new military law, closing all schools, universities, newspapers (probably for some months, until these institutions can be deloused of Naziism).

It was clear that Germans were in for a stern regime. Under Civil Affairs control Allied MPs will handle all policing. Military courts will handle all infractions. A score of offenses will be punishable by death.

U.S. Army control will not be barbaric but it will be strict.

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