Evening star., 1940-01-08
References 10 1918
Stop Nazi Sergeant
Questioning Writer
Was Treated Politely
Then, William l. White
Tells Arrestine Officer
(4Sth OF a Sertes)
Nv WILLIAM L. WHITE.

lin were not yerboten) and my sub
seuuent release, ! decided to go back
to the cafe where I had been sip
ping beer before being turned in by
the two charming members of the
Hitler Jugend pimply faced,
too-wise kids who still hung around
the entrance.
I hadn't been with my beer stein
two minutes before the sergeant
who had arrested me, only to have
a lieutenant turn me loose, came
once more into the low-ceiinged
room.
The fat Prussians who had been
sitting at the tables when I had
been taken away earlier In the day
were still there. About half Of them
wore party buttons. They were
whispering, but when the sergeant
came in. the whispering stopped.
Converses With Sergeant.
The sergeant was smiling. 1t was
not nice smile. And he came to
my table and sat down. 1t should
be remembered that I had not asked
him to sit down. He just did,
$50 you say you 60 to Finland?"
The sergeant spoke no English.
Il am going to Finland" I an
swered.
"Why?"
Because of the war there. And
because journalists must go many
places they do not want to be-"
You told the lieutenant you had
been in Berlin a month. How do
you like Germany"
There is plenty of food here
I said. Nobody is hungry"
Maybe you Americans don't like
the German people" said the SER
eeant, and he still had that smile,
which was not nice, on his face.
Opposed to Regime.
Some OF them I like very much"
I said. "In America we have many
good citizens who were Germans
Maybe you don't like the regime"
mo" I said, II don't like the
regime"
"why do you say you don't like
the regime?"
Because you asked me-" I said.
I was getting little tired Of all this.
You told the lieutenant you took
pictures this morning of he SOL
diers in the parade. Germany is
very military, no?"
Yes" I said, Germany is very
military"
Maybe you Americans don't like
this, no?"
Maybe we don't" I said.
Maybe it surprises you Amer
leans to see so many German sol.
diers. no?" He was smiling that
not very nice smile even more
broadly.
1T does not surprise me at all to
see German soldiers" I said. I'm
the past I have seen more German
soldiers than I see in Germany
today"
Surrender Recalled.
When was this, that you saw 50
many German soldiers?" asked the
sergeant.
After the last war" I said. Then
I saw a great many German pris-
oners who had surrendered to our
American Army"
But things are different now"
said the sergeant. The not very
nice smile which I had not liked
was not there any more.
"Very different now" said. "The
last time I was in Germany just
after the World War. Germans in
the Rhineland were much more po-
lite to Americans than they are
now" laid a mark on the table
to pay for my beer, and stood up.
Where are you going now?" asked
the sergeant.
ITO my hotel to write" said.
'You will write all this for your
American papers?"
IF I like"
Lieutenant Lived In England.
"You know that the lieutenant
has said your case was clear and
that you could go. You did not
need to stay here in this room"
II understood your lieutenant per-
fectly," said. He speaks excellent
cLsLSIl, anu ne was very pOuCe.
That is because he has lived in
England"
Then I can understand It," said.
Il mean he speaks English 50 well
because he has lived in England"
the sergeant said.
Il was sure you meant that" I
said.
So then I went out in the street,
feeling much better. The two pale
and pimply Hitler Jugend kids who
had reported me were there, but
they were not staring now. They
pretending to be reading the poster
put up by the Hitler Ladies' Auxili.
ary which explains that the English
are planning to import black men to
Prussia to pollute Germany's purest
Aryan blood.