Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-09


Berlin. I remember cases
where agents of the CON-
munist Espionage Defense.
working inside the Hitler
movement, cast suspicion on
Communist traitors with such
success that these informers
for the Gestapo ended up
themselves in the torture
chambers after they had be-
come useless 10 Hitler's Secret
Police.
SEARCH HOMES
There was a third phase in
the Gestapo raiding technique,
against which there was no
adequate defense. The method
was as crude as ii was effec-
tive. Without warning. sew
eral hundred Gastapo agents,
aided by thousands of Elite
Guards and storm troopers,
swccped down on .. certain
section of the city.
The storm troopers formed
a dense Gordon around many
city blocks. No one was per-
mitted TO enter or TO leave
the surrounded area. A
trooper was posted at the en-
trance of every house. No in
habitant was permitted TO
leave the house nor was any
one allowed to enter ii. The
Gestapo agents and Elite
Guards then searched each
house from roof to cellar.
No room. no bed or drawer
or upholstery was spared.
Walls and floore were tapped
for hidin g-places. Men,
women and children were
stripped and searched. All
who could not identify them
selves satisfactorily were
herded into waiting caravans
Of trucks. The hauls were
huge. Secret printing presses.
stores of arms and explo-
sives, depots of illegal litera-
ture, codes, documents, and
hungry-looking fugitives with
out Identification papers were
brought to light in almost
every block.
GESTAPO KNOWS HIM
I knew that my name was
known to the Gestapo. l had
taken the usual precautions
demanded by our rules of con-
spiracy. Since the night of
the Reichstag Fire, / had not
visited the apartment which I
had shared with Firelei and
which was the home of our
son. who was then five
months old.
/ slept in the quarters of
obscure Communist friends. I
used cover addresses for my
mail. and three separate cour-
Ter stations for messages and
liaison purposes. The clandes-
tine meetings and conferences
in which participated never p
took place twice at the same
place.
Parks, monarchist restau-
rants, a b an doned ships.
crowded dance halls. barges
and boats were the places in
which I met my comrades TO
make plans, to give and re-
ceive reports and instructions.
We seldom used private
houses; as the days passed and
the intensity of terror grew,
every house was liable to be a
trap.
Before going TO meeting
place. / would send an aide
usually a young boy or a
very young girl-ahead to in
vestigate whether the rem
devious was free from sus-
picious loiterers. made my
self as inconspicuous in APP
pearance and behavior as /
possibly could. In my pockets
I carried a Belgian passport
and a few harmless letters in
Flemish. bearing post-marks
of Ostend.
Never did / carry confiden-
tial material on my person. l
had learned to memorize long
lists of names and addresses
and a conglomeration Of code
words. Written material has
ever been the most dangerous
snag in conspirative organi-
zation.
When notes had 10 be car
ried. a girl courier in posses
sion of Nazi Party card
carried them for me in a
secret pocket on the inside of
her girdle. Necessary CONSUL
tations with one or the other
of my superiors were invari-
ably made while walking leis-
urely through some suburban
street.
never used empty or half
empty autobuses or traIncars;
crowded means of transporta-
ton were always good hiding
places. 1 avoided all superflu-
Gus personal relations with my
former friends; only Party re-
lations counted.
All inquisitive people had to
be treated as suspect. It was
a Party order that members
who asked questions of other
Party members, outside Of
their limited sphere of ac-
tiVitipe must immediately he