The Henson Journals

[162]

Wednesday, October 6th, 1920.

After breakfast we visited the cathedral, and walked into the city. Then I called at Headquarters, modestly indicated by a small Union Jack & two "Tommies" on duty, and was introduced to the Commander–in–chief, General Morland, with whom I had half an hour's conversation. He said that the people were behaving well on the whole; that the early difficulties were occasioned by the incapacity of the civilian officers: that they had only regulars now. He spoke of the alarming increase of venereal disease, which was mostly contracted by promiscous intercourse outside of the brothels. It was estimated that more than 30,000 prostitutes were collected in Cologne. I inquired about the black troops employed by the French, and he admitted that this employment was regrettable, but thought that their misconduct had been exaggerated. "They are better behaved than the French", he said. I asked whether the British troops got on well with the population, and he replied with a smile, "O yes: too well".

We lunched with General Hutchinson and his wife. There was another officer, General Stephenson – present: these two officers had been in the great retreat from Mons, & gave me an extremely interesting account of their experiences. Lieutenant Dennistoun a connexion of Ella's, who is attached to Gen: Morland, came to tea. He is a well–mannered youth enough, but he has been some months in Cologne, & has not yet so much as set foot in the cathedral! In his respect, he is probably representative of very many young British officers.

[163]

My impression of Berlin was not favourable. The place has the shoddy grandioseness of an American city; the public buildings are pompous but mean and without interest. No other European capital has so little that is really important to show the visitor. The museums are said to contain many treasures, but as they were closed, we had no opportunity of comparing their contents with the high reputation which they bear. The Sieges Allée is a very vulgar witness of a very vulgar imperialism. It must, one would suppose, have been a perpetual mortification to educated & patriotic Germans to be compelled to gaze upon the proofs of demented egotism which their city displays at every turn.

On every hand the Hohenzollerns are paraded as the founders, patrons, and protectors of German greatness: & the real sources of that greatness – the unequalled capacity of the Germans for hard thinking and hard working combined with an idealism in which could rise to great heights of spiritual vision – are ignored or tacitly denied. The Zoological Garden & Aquarium are admirable examples of German scientific accuracy & thoroughness: the Kaiser could have no influence there save the beneficial one of enriching the collections. I noticed that many of the enclosures were empty probably as a consequence of the war. The Thiergarten is a fine park, filled of course with statues, but incapable of being vulgarized by them as completely as the city itself. The streets are rendered dangerous by the furiously–driven cars.

[164]

We dined with the Commander in chief, who is lodged very comfortably on the outskirts of the city. He sent his motor–car to fetch us. I was with a certain irrepressible pride that I found myself being driven through the streets of Cologne in a car with the Union Jack flying before it. There was no other company but a brace of aides–de–camp, and Col: Morant & his wife. [Miss Morland, our host's daughter, a pretty woman, interested me. She told me that she was about to be married to one of the aides–de–camp, whose name (if I remember correctly) was Vining. After the ladies had withdrawn,] I had some more talk with the General about the moral question. He told me that the venereal disease statistics had increased 250 per cent since the Peace. [The Americans, who treat disease as a crime, are no better than our Army, & in addition have much concealment. There were about 80 fresh cases reported from this little British Army of 14000 men every week.] I was impressed by the evident anxiety on the subject which the General exhibited, & by the extraordinary difficulty of the subject itself. We spoke of the Irish troops. He said that their merit as soldiers was much overrated. He held with General Rawlinson that the English county regiments were the most trustworthy troops, & the Irish regiments the least. This accord with the opinion which General Gatacre expressed to me some years ago.

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