Evening star., 1934-12-30
GUARD INCREASED
At SAAR BORDER
French Reinforce Troops.
Americans Worried by
Citizenship Threat.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SAARBRUECKEN, Saar Basin Ter
ritory. December 7s.-Guards along
the French side Of the Saar frontier
were heavily reinforced tonight as two
Americans struggled to extricate
themselves from difnculties with Ger
man and Saar authorities.
Meanwhile Americans back home
in the Saar to vote In the plebiscite
January IL were frightened at reports
published In European newspapers
that they might lose their United
States cttizenship.
In the tolls Of the rigid regulations
intended to keep undesirahles and
mere curious out Of the Saar, short
as 1t Is of beds and hotel rooms, was
Chester Watkins Of Atlanta, Ga, ar
rested at Mettlach, Germany, because
he had no special permit to cross
the border.
Guard Is Concentrated.
Meanwhile, French gendarmes, mo-
bile guards and secret police opera
tives were concentrated along the
Saar frontier TO help Saar authorities
scrutinize foreigners attempting to
enter the basin and forestan, If pos
sible, frontier incidents.
The American group In the Saar
was frankly worried over reports vot-
ing might cost them their citizenship,
I'VE are ready to abstain from vot-
ing" one spokesman said, If its's
likely to get us in trouble In Amer
lea. We crossed the ocean to help
our families but none Of Us will go
so far as to lose our citizenship or
the possibility Of getting It."
Approximately 40 per cent Of the
American arrivals are naturalized.
while the rest have at least their
first papers.
The entire party. therefore. was
anxious over its status as the propa-
ganda war between Nazis and anti
Nazis for possession Of this tiny spot
on the map ragged about 1t.
Cathode Leader Deserts.
Catholic opposition to Adolf Hit
ler's adherents appeared solidtied to-
day with the desertion from the Nazi
ranks Of Father Bungarten, one of
the best-known priests in the terri
tory and almost the last Catholic
still counted in the German front
fold.
simultaneously, Socialists and
Communists published charges made
by Wilhelm Fischer, asserted former
right hand man Of the Man leader at
Neunkirchen." that Saar Nazis had
established q concentration camp in
the basin and enriched themselves by
"nlegitimate manipulation" Of marks.
Fischer said he personally arranged
the camp. had cells built for 200
prisoners, bought equipment and paid
for It with money contributed for
-childrens kitchens" Surrounded by
high, soundproof walls. these rooms
could be used as torture chambers"
Fischer said. Candidates for the con-
centration camp. where prisoners
were kept from four to six weeks be-
fore being taken to camps IN the
Reich" included 100 priests. Fischer
asserted.
Assertions Challenged.
The German front called Fischer's
assertions o red lie factory" but
did not directly deny the existence Of
the camp.
Father Bungarten IN resisnins from
the board Of the Catholic pro-Nasi
newspaper Landes Zeitung, in which
the Berlin government owns one-half
interest through an insurance com
pany, said he could no longer support
the Naxis.
The priest was formerly president
of the Saar branch of DR. Heinrich
Bruening's Catholic Centrist party
before 1t was dissolved by the NsTis
in 1893. He remained faithful to the
Hitlerites despite their split with the
Catholics last May.
The Americans here were having
varied and unique experiences, some
of which they termed most annoy
ing"
Unpleasant Incident Averted.
Joseph Martin, leader of the Chi
| ago-Milwaukee group, who has been
denounced by German front upsters
as partisan of the status quo (continu-
ance Of League Of Nations administra-
tion), said he narrowly escaped an
unpleasant incident.
He was seen taking q vote card
from one Of his group in q cafe in
his home town Of Voelhngen. The
Man press previously had warned
against giving vote cards to any one
and the Nan tipster Immediately
jumped to the conclusion that Mar
tin, who was speaking English. must
be working for the anti-Nazis. He
notified town ofncials, who are Nazs.
A policeman was sent to shadow
Martin. The policeman. however
turned out to be q boyhood friend
so he handled the matter as one be-
, tween friends.
SEPARATISTS WARNED.