The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-02
by ESTHER LOWELL

FRITZ is only nine years old. red
headed, freckle-faced boy. He Is
Young Pioneer Of Germany. His
father Is q metal worker, and on ac-
tive Communist. His mother also Is
a busy Party worker.
When Hitler and his Nazi (Na-
tional Socialist) Fascists came to
power, Fritz's father and mother had
to hide. Secretly they moved to an
other part of the city. NAH neigh
bors knew them too well in the old
place. Soon they would have been
pointed out to the Nazi police as
Communists and arrested, tortured
and maybe taken away to one Of the
concentration camps.
Fritz went around with his mother
when she collected Party dues from
workers. He heard the comrades tell
his mother that good revolutionist
always swallows the list OF names he
carries, II he-or she-is caught by
the Nazis. Fritz and his mother
pretended they were Just visiting for
bit of gossip, II any Man looked
too hard at them.
One day Fritz's father did not come
home. Fritz and his mother learned
that he had been taken from the fac
tory where he worked by armed Nazis.
Later they heard that the father had
been beaten In jail and then taken
to q concentration camp. r..
A few weeks afterward, his mother
n took Fritz out to the town near
the camp. They walked out on the
road by the concentration camp every
day, hoping to see the class-war pris-
oners come out, hoping to see father.
After ten days of watc'7srr. Fritz
and his mother were startled TO see
q band of prisoners marching down
the fisld inside the fence. Armed NaZ
guards walked beside them and be-
hind them. Suddenly the Nazi guards
shouted to the prisoners and all drew
up with Nazi salute. The guards
counted off work gangs and shouted
more commands.
Fritz could hardly keep from call
ing when he saw his father. But
his mother had cautioned him so
much not to betray any sign of
recognition for fear they would be
arrested and taken away by Nazis,
too. Fritz stuffed his handkerchief
into his mouth in hurry and choked
the cry into cough.
His mother took a flrmer hold Of
his arm and almost pushed him on
down the road As they passed on,
they could see the fathers eyes follow
them for an instant and barely wink
recognition. Then the Na1 guards
marched the ~risoners to their work,
chopping wood.
Father looked thin and grey"
Fritz said to his mother when they
got back to their little room in the
town.
Hush, Fritzie, hush,'' his mother
answered, brushing tears from her
eyes.
ONE day, after they went back to
v the city, Fritz came home from
school and found no mother at home.
At first he was not worried. After
awhile another Young Pioneer slipped
into his house and whispered to Fritz
that Nazi police had taken his mother
to jan. He gave Fritz little slip
If paper on which was written q list
Of names and addresses. There were
check marks by some.
Your mother showed this into my
hand when she heard the Nazis conn
ing and told me you would know
what to do" the other boy told Fritz.
My mother says you must come over
to our house and stay. We have
very little to eat, as you know, but
we will share 1t always with our COM
rades."
Thanks, Hans" answered Fritz ss
he followed his friend out.
Fritz wanted to cry, but he knew
a Pioneer must be brave. He knew,
too, that although his father and
mother had both been taken away
by Nazis. he still had friends and
comrades, who would take care OF him
as one Of their own.
'T heard just today that there Is
chance your father may get out
of camp soon." Hans father told Fritz
when the boys came in. "Those fool
Nazis could find nothing on him and
he wouldn't talk. Even the workers
in the factory whom the Nazis have
fooled would not tell anything about
your father They have been say
ing to the Nazi officers: -
"Gibt uns brot sonst werden wir
roti" Give us bread or we go redl"
Some workers who joined the Nails
already have been taken off to camps
for saying that" Hans father added.
NEXT night Fritz took the little slip
~ Of paper with the names on 1t
and began going to the houses which
had no check marked by them.
IT will go alone, Hans" he said.
1--WE do not want two to get caught.
You must carry on II anything hap
pens to me-"
The two Young Pioneers put fists
up in a quick Red Front salute be-
fore Fritz went out.
From the workers whose places he
visited, Fritz took their few cents
party dues and then carefully check
ed their names on the list. After
every name of the twenty-five had
been checked, he hurried toward the
home of party comrade who would
take the money to the center.
All at once from out of doorway
two Nazis rushed at him.
Halt" they shouted as Fritz
started to run.
Rough hands seized him on each