NIEDERMACHER I had the order about finishing off the prisoners of war passed on from Brigade to the Company by word of mouth. But still the men hesitate.
METZLER We’ll soon see about that, look, here’s an opportunity. (He kicks the inert body of a French NCO.) Ah, he can still open his eyes. (He beckons to two soldiers. They hesitate.) Don’t you know the orders from Brigade? (The soldiers shoot.) There’s one crouching over there — drinking coffee, I do believe! (He beckons to a soldier.) Listen, Niedermacher, I’ll leave that one to you, I must check on my own lot. (Exit. The wounded man falls to his knees before Niedermacher and raises his hands in supplication.)
NIEDERMACHER (to the soldier, who is hesitating) No prisoners!
SOLDIER But Captain, a moment ago I was dressing his wounds and giving him something to drink—!
NIEDERMACHER And he’ll thank you by stabbing your eyes out and slitting your throat. (In a rage, as the soldier hesitates.) They lie in wait and snipe at you from behind and from above. Shoot ’em down from the trees like sparrows, that’s what the general said. Shoot the lot of ’em, the general said. Do I have to make it a direct order, you bastard? We’ve killed 20 today already, and you’re still shilly-shallying, you bastard? Call yourself a German?! You’ll pay for this! Do I have to do everything for you, you pathetic wankers? — Look — here’s how it’s done! (He shoots the wounded man kneeling before him.)
(Change of scene.)
Scene 15
Near Verdun. German prisoners are lined up. They are being punched, horsewhipped and hit with rifle butts by French NCOs, and driven forward. Some of the wounded sink to the ground, exhausted. One has blood spurting from his mouth and nose. After the column has passed, General Gloirefaisant enters. He gestures, and captured officers are paraded past him. A French officer strikes one of them across the thighs with his horsewhip.
GENERAL GLOIREFAISANT (to a captain) Too many prisoners! We’ve been slacking instead of finishing them off. That American manual on hand-to-hand combat — it vividly demonstrates how to use the bayonet. It shows young bloods how to attack, how to cut and thrust into the liver, eyes, and kidneys of the enemy! What was it the book said? “You might come up against a German who’ll plead ‘Spare me, I have 10 children!’—Kill ’im, or he’ll have 10 more.” Our blacks are the only ones we can depend on. Their knapsacks are full of incontrovertible trophies — ears and heads they’ve cut off, just like the lying Boches reported. We’ve mustn’t let our colonial auxiliaries put us to shame. (Exit.)
CAPTAIN DE MASSACRÉ There’s no pleasing him.
COLONEL MEURTRIER What? How come you’ve so few prisoners? Twenty? I thought you had a whole company!
CAPTAIN DE MASSACRÉ I did have. But the others copped it in the trenches. I gave my men the order to finish off 180 of them with their bayonets. It’s true they hesitated, brave lads though they are, but when I told them what would happen to them double quick, they went to work with a will, cutting throats and slitting open bellies.
COLONEL MEURTRIER (annoyed) A hundred and eighty? That’s too many! Even for the general! I advise you not to mention anything about it, or you’ll risk having your name struck from the Legion of Honour.
CAPTAIN MASSACRÉ (self-assured) On the contrary, Colonel, I believe I shall be wearing the cross of the Legion of Honour a few days from now! And then I’ll get command of the Corsican regiment. What I have achieved here opens up the path to glory — that’s my ambition!
(Change of scene.)
Scene 16
War Press Bureau in Rodaun.
ALICE SCHALEK (to a fellow reporter) The 208 photographs of corpses are certainly proof enough: posterity can have no doubts that I was present at the very heart of the heroic action. But so you can follow my example, so you can see what a depiction of battle really is, I’m going to read you the key sentences from my next article. My starting point is the 70 batteries divided into four groups: one is bombarding the infantry, a second the artillery, the third the reserve positions, and the fourth is blocking the access routes, got that? So listen:
The main question is: How and where and when can the position be sealed off?
Everything unfolds almost as if in a well-rehearsed play.
Fighting in forested areas is the horror of horrors.
You think you’re surrounded, but in the meantime reinforcements have arrived elsewhere and already “mopped up.”
REPORTER Mopped up?
ALICE SCHALEK Listen — the dead are dead, only the survivors get the glory.
REPORTER Brilliant!
ALICE SCHALEK A munitions waggon drawn by six horses takes a direct hit.
REPORTER Kaboom—!
ALICE SCHALEK Bits and pieces of soldiers, lots of bits and pieces, end up in the treetops.
The enemy hurl hand grenades and a furious hand-to-hand brawl ensues; they fight with daggers, rifle butts, knives, their teeth.
If the grenades overshoot, they wave their caps at the missiles and make a bow.
REPORTER A genre painting.
ALICE SCHALEK “Delighted to meet you”, they shout as the grenades sail over their heads. Between times they curse and swear at the Russians for launching their offensive on payday, of all days!
REPORTER Of all days.
ALICE SCHALEK “D’they want to save our paymaster from paying out? Our wages were due today!”
REPORTER Humour on the battlefield.
ALICE SCHALEK What’s wrong with that? Listen.
Lieutenant Radoschewitz is completely calm at present. His inner crisis has passed.
REPORTER You give his name?
ALICE SCHALEK Why not, if he’s achieved something. Listen.
How delightful! There’s a crate of German eggs—
REPORTER Expect me to believe that?!
ALICE SCHALEK Let me finish.
How delightful! There’s a crate of German egg-shaped hand grenades. They’re the little bombs you can throw like stones.
REPORTER Oh, I see.
ALICE SCHALEK One of the platoon caught it in the arm, another had his eardrum perforated. The lieutenant is as good as deaf. He’s staggering. The one beside him is a nervous wreck. Sergeant Janoszi is ranting.
REPORTER You give his name?
ALICE SCHALEK Why not, the quiet heroism of the common man—? Listen.
Singing, they head off. “Wrench ’em from the trench”—that’s the beginning of the merry ditty that ends so plaintively.
REPORTER I like it!
ALICE SCHALEK Now they all stream over the third line of trenches, the storm troops advance on either side and “mop up.” Methods are always changing, and the very latest involve “storm troops” and “cleaning out trenches.”
(Her eyes aglow.) Once you’ve seen a storm troop marching out at night, you’ll never think anything else is as romantic, as adventurous, as audacious. And if you’ve ever been part of it, you’ll never want to leave, not for all the tea in China.
REPORTER I know exactly how you must feel!
ALICE SCHALEK Young lads, each and every one, must be unmarried and under 24. Clean-limbed, agile, intrepid, and up for any crazy caper.
REPORTER Ah yes, the young—!
ALICE SCHALEK They’re laying out a training ground behind the lines but modelled exactly on the real front, for practising mopping up — under genuine fire!