Evening star., 1942-01-29

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(Sirth of Series.)
BY DAVID M. NICHOL,
Special Correspondent Of The Star and
CHICAGO Daily News.
Escape from the war anywhere in
Europe is impossible. The conti-
nent's existence has been altered
too basically, but from time to time
one undertook this flight from
reality in desperation.
So it was that on late spring
day walked through the quiet
streets of q tiny village, an hour by
train from war-weary Berlin. Fruit
trees were in bloom. Early flowers
were bursting their buds. LulleA by
the warm sun, one almost over
looked the zigzag shelter trenches
beside the road, one hardly saw the
uniforms of sons and fathers on
leave, one knew but was little aware
for the moment of the pressure ap-
piled to the countryside to squeeze
duction.
One almost forgot-almost, until
with no more than q few seconds
audible warning a column of motor
cycle troops, dusty and grim with
rifles slung over their backs, swept
into view around bend and roared
along the cobbled streets. A mo-
ment later q staff car followed in
their wake.
The troops were on maneuver, but
in just such a guise and with equally
brief warning has Hitler come to
hundreds of similarly peaceful vii
lagos in Europe in the last two and
a half years, and brought with him
all the suffering and horror that
occupation by the Nazis means.
Organized Looters Follow.
First-line German soldiers take
great pride in their reputation for
correctness" but the soldiers are
followed by the Gestapo, by eco
nomic commissions, by party eX-
perts in graft and loot, and by the
ruthless imposition of German "kul-
tur" on peoples who passionately
dislike it.
The general outlines of the results
are well known. Twelve million
Poles are being murdered as surely
as though they were placed against
walls and shot. Nine million Dutch
and 100000 Norwegians slowly are
losing their national status and be-
ing forced toward ultimate incor-
poration in the Reich.
Czechs are being compelled to
learn German and their own schools
still are being closed.
Frenchmen in AlSace and Lor-
raine must change their names or
fee
Nazi occupation, in any event, is a
continuing process. No social Struc-
ture could withstand in one blow
all that it includes. Institutions are
replaced or discontinued. political
parties wiped out except for one
Nazi-inspired group, control is es-
tabished over banks and business,
property of Jews Is confiscated, in
dustry and agriculture are "co-
ordinated" with the needs Of the
Reich.
Accompanying this public looting
Is private graft and decentralization.
Most of the Nazi leaders are ac-
cumulating private fortunes by
means which the world may never
know in detail unless some subse-
quent, searching board of inquiry
is established to deal them the
punishments they deserve under
the ordinary criminal codes. The
system of trustees" has been a
mint for the party faithful.
A Case in Point.
It Is almost impossible to trace
these transactions specifically, but
one example can be cited. A Nazi
named Kurt Eichel, still in the
party's gasoline circuit and not at
all big Lacquer, was made trustee
of the Paris branch Of the West
minister Bank, an English institu-
ton.
Last June II Eichel appeared at
bank in Switzerland with slightly
In excess of 100000 in United States
currency of various denominations.
For this he bought about 10000
French gold Napoleons and about
10000 Swiss francs in gold. He took
the coins with him when he left.
Almost exactly a month later, on
July 9, Eichel appeared again,
this time with $1OO,315 in United
States currency. More than $500 of
1t was the counterfeit, which exists
in small and poorly printed quanti-
ties in Europe today. With the rest
he bought gold Napoleons and gold
Swiss francs second time, but he
added another portion of loot.
Eichel on his second visit also car
ried 100000 French paper francs.
With these he bought so-called
"Sperrmarken," blocked reichSmarks
usable only in Germany and similar
to the registered marks" of the
tourist trade, and had the entire
amount transferred to his personal
account in Berlin. The gold he
took with him, as he had done pre-
vlously. It was impossible to learn
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