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Talks with Generals in Paris
Thursday, August 23
The next day, we enplaned for Paris, returning via Corsia, Elba,
Marseilles, etc.-the same route we came by to Naples from Paris.
At Marseilles we had engine failure shortly after taking off, and
we returned to the airdrome, entered another plane, and arrived
in Paris late at night.
Spent the next two or three days in Paris sight-seeing and re-
newing our talks to American officers. Visited with various Gen-
erals at the George V Hotel.
One General said: "I have seen looting in China in 1924. Noth-
ing, however, like Berlin has been looted by the Russians-they
not only commandeered the rolling stock, but also took up the
rails."
Another American General lamented the unfortunate case of a
thoughtless young G.I. who, on surrender, locked up hundreds of
German prisoners in boxcars without ventilation. When the cars
were opened, it was found that 165 Germans had been smothered
to death. The same General said that during the German sur-
render it was impossible to handle all of the prisoners who gave
themselves up to the Americans; that in one day forty German
Generals came in and surrendered to him personally.
One of the Generals said: "Germany is finished. They will
never start another War in our lifetime. Why are we dilly-dallying
about the future? The people of Germany and all conquered Eu-
rope are hungry. We must make up our minds what we wish to do.
If we want isolation, we should have it. If we want to mingle in
European politics, we should have a foreign policy-America
never has had a consistent foreign policy."
On Saturday we witnessed the pageant, parties, etc., com-
memorating the first anniversary of the liberation of France. The
French were all having a gala day.
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