Evening star., 1942-06-09

and Wide World, describes condt-
ttons tn interior Germany.
BY LOUIS LOCHNER,
Wide World
NEW YORK, June 9.-Life is as
cheap In interior Germany as it Is at
the front.
Death sentences are imposed by
Nazi judges as easily as an American
police court magistrate levies fines
for minor offenses. Severe peniten-
tiary sentences and high monetary
punishments were the order Of the
day as we left the Reich May IL.
No sooner had the Nazi regime
issued an appeal to civilians In late
December to give up their furs and
woolens for the soldiers fighting IN
wintry Russia than Hitler issued a
decree imposing the death penalty
on anybody found guilty OF stealing
these offerings.
BY January IL one man, Karl
Sachs Of Fulia, had been condemned
to death and executed at Kassel for
pilfering furs.
On February IS we learned of the
execution of Johann Walter. "a
year-old Vienna clothes thief. Two
persons who aided him were SEN
fenced to Is and IL years hard
labor, respectively.
The next day the press announced
the execution Of seven Germans who
committed thefts during blackouts.
Industrial Leaders Jailed.
There followed an announcement
to the effect that two Berlin cap
tains Of industry had been yanked
into q concentration camp because
they assigned several laborers in
their munitions plants to do chores
for them in their private homes.
There was also published the story
of a Frankfurt merchant who had
$1,000 reichsmarks stolen from his
safe. He was fined $4,000 marks and
sentenced to three months in jail for
boarding money.
During March and April the
Frankfurter Zeitung, which the Bad
Nauheim internees were permitted
to read, repeatedly published stories
Of heavy fines imposed for profiteer-
mysteries obviously intended as a
warning.
Johannes Zulauf was found guilty
in Kassel court of killing four pigs
and one calf in violation Of regula-
tions. He was sentenced to three
years. Five citizens of Koblenz were
given sentences varying from six to
two months and heavy money fines
for killing one pig surreptitiously.
The Frankfurter Zeitung of April
9 and 10 devoted two columns to de-
tailed stories of three, two and one
year penitentiary sentences imposed
on war profiteers.
Death DEGREES Widened.
The list of offenses punishable by
death was extended in two impor-
tant directions during the middle OF
April
Heads of firms working on war
contracts which made false returns
regarding the number OF laborers
available in their plants, or regard
ing the raw materials in stock OF
ordered for fulfilling any assigned
contract, were warned that death OF
the penitentiary is in store for them
They were given a short respite dur
! ing which they might confess past
sins, in which case these tranSgres-
sions would not be charged ur
against them.
From explanatory articles it ap-
peared that some firms, having
learned from experience that the
priorities boards will never grant
them what they asked in the way oi
raw materials, arbitrarily demanded
much more than they needed, in ex-
pectation Of being cut down to
actual needs anyway.
At times, however, through some
bureaucratic error, the full quantity
asked for was awarded, with the
result that the excess was used by
the manufacturer to turn out highly
priced civilian goods at great profit
to himself.
Industrialists also were In the
habit of asking for more men from
the labor exchanges than their
actual wartime needs justified.
The death decree is to put an enc
to such practices.
Hitler Given Full Power.
Another decree provided the death
penalty in extreme cases of q per-
sons arrogating to himself preroga-
tives or functions belonging to gov
ernment officials, officers Of the
armed forces, or the Nazi party
hierarchy.
There were judges nevertheless In
Germany, it appears-e especially pre-
Nazi holdovers-who lacked the
severity deemed necessary by Adolf
Hitler for the absolutist govern
ment of a people.
Hence, in his Reichstag speech of
April 26 he demanded-and. of
course, obtained without dissenting
vote-extraordinary powers to set
aside all process of law and himself
to act as prosecutor, Judge, jury and
witness.
1t is to be expected that judges
now will be much more assiduous
in handing out heavy sentences.
For it goes without saying that any
judge will be sacked by Hitler in
case Der Fuehrer finds it necessary
to 60 over his head and Judge the
case and Ak the penalty himself.