Evening star., 1939-09-22
Boys
Continued From First Page)

about our treatment or our pay" Eric
said. I'VE worked nine hours a day.
Father drew 50 reichmarks ($2D a
week, while Erwin and each earned
81 (s1250. In spite of deductions
for various taxes, insurance and pen
sions, we were we'll off. At least we
boys had some spending money, and,
travelling on our American passports,
we got so per cent reduction on
railroad fares. We went to Berlin
every Sunday"
Uncle a Nazi Official.
In Berlin the boys visited an uncle
who is Nazi official. He introduced
them on one occasion to Rudolf Hess
who ranks next to Adolf Hitler and
Hermann Goering in the Reich.
Our uncle gave us instructions in
Nazi doctrine" Eric related. AS
suming that we would be loyal Nazi
subjects, he probably told us more
than he should have. Anyway, what
we heard of Nazi beliefs somehow
didn't jibe with what he had read
and heard in the United States. Err
win and I decided we were Amer
leans and wanted to stay Americans.
I'VE saw how much better the
German Army was fed than the
civilian population. There were
lot OF soldiers around Brandenburg.
The coffee for civilians was made
out of burnt barley. Butter was
very scarce. The army got every
thing. We began to understand why
the German youth were so eager to
join the labor corps first and then
the army.
Heard RumOrs of War.
I'VE read the German newspapers
They were beginning to brew up the
Polish trouble At the steel works
we heard rumors of war. but nobody
seemed to be worried. The Germans
nave complete faith in Hitler. They
are willing to do as they are told.
and it is the Fuehrer's job to plan
and to worry"
AS the weeks went by things grew
more uncomfortable for the boys.
AT home and from our uncle
we heard more and more talk about
renouncing our American citizen
ship. giving up our American pass
ports and becoming full-fedged
German citizens" Eric explained
sadly.
Then one day we got a notice
that our term of service in the labor
corps would start October /. We
knew what that meant. 1t is but
step from the labor corps into the
army-you just put down your shovel
and take up a gun"
The boys decided to make every
effort to get back to the United
States. The only money they had
was the little they had earned. They
wrote to friends in Watertown. The
friends collected money to send them
steamship tickets. The boys had
enough German marks to get to
Hamburg.
Terrible Ride.
we got on the train early the
morning of August 2S," Eric said.
we didn't even say good-by to our
1olKs, Tor we were afraid they might
stop us. 1t was a terrible ride-we
were afraid they would report we
were missing from work and send
the secret police after us.
cat Hamburg the train went
right up to the pier where the
American liner President Harding
was docked. There were the customs
officials and we were scared stiff
they would catch us. They look
over our passports. Then they
asked about our money. I told them
had only five marks. They made
me show it. Finally they said Go
ahead, and we walked through the
gates and on the ship"
The Loeffler boys are staying with
friends here. Eric has found part
time work and Edwin expects to find
a job soon. The boys feel their first
obligation is to repay the friends
who sent them money to escape
from Germany.