Evening star., 1943-10-03
i. !. Editors Hail
Heroic Colleagues
Of the Underground

Greetings ana an expression Oi
respectful admiration from the
Executive Committee of the Ameri-
can Society of Newspaper Editors
were radioed last night by the Office
OF War Informa ton to the men in
occupied Europe who are continuing
the tradition of free press at risk
of their lives.
At the same time the Owl re-
leased a summary of underground
press activities in the occupied coun-
tries.
The resolution of the committee of
editors read:
To our colleagues, the editors of
the underground press of the oc-
cupled nations, and to all their CO.
workers who aid them in the task of
telling the truth in spite of the
enemy, the American Society of
Newspaper Editors sends you its
greetings and its respectful admira-
ton. We greet you as professional
colleagues; we admire you as men
who do, in constant and deadly peril
what We do in safety and honor
men who at the daily risk of your
lives are upholding the noblest
traditions of the free press as an
essential instrument of free men.
Each day you bring the truth to
peoples whose bodies are in bondage
but whose spirits are still free: and
the truth will keep them free in
spirit until the day when the united
effort of the United Nations Will ie-
store the liberties of all men, every-
where"
On Pain of Death.
The danger which these men eX-
pose themselves to is suggested by
these quotations from Official Allied
Reports:
" In France the German attitude
Is violently hostile. To be seen dis
tributing an underground news
paper, or to be found helping to
produce it, means death.
These editors must risk their
lives to gather their news, to obtain
materials for producing their papers
and to distribute the papers.
IODdUlN VIC JIllti Solll SC vi llC >
for the underground press is the
Voice of America and the British
BrCadcasting Co. These Allied ra-
dios serve as news services for the
editors, and every editor listener
transmits the news to hundreds of
his compatriots. Many Allied news
hroadcaStS are given at dictatlon
Fo 1F j
editors.
A Dual Function.
Thus the underground press
gives to the people of occupied Eu-
rope the news which is suppressed
by the Nazis. This is half the func-
ton of these newspapers-the other
half is to serve as voice for the
underground movement, transmit
ing instructions and warnings and
obtaining recruits for the fight
against the Na2iS.'
The summary of underground
press activities said that in France
there are more than 25 regularly
issued papers. Most print only IS
to 100 copies but one, Combat. de-
scribed as slightly right-wing,' is
said to have an edition of 10000
copies Besides organizing sabotage
ana discrediting the Vichy regime
the French press has shown an in
tereSt in postwar plans.
In Belgium there is also paper
with an estimated 1000 circulation,
the Free Belgian.
Other Countries.
Other countries covered by the
summary we're:
"Poland-Seventy-fve to more
than 100 clandestine papers. with
a circulation of more than 100000.
Since all radio sets have been Or
dered confscated mot the case in
Western Europe, the Polish press
must devote more space to news
than in other occupied countries.
Underground papers have existed
since the first week of occupation
of Warsaw. In spite of the extreme
difficulty of communicating with
free territory, the papers manage
to print pictures, and the Polish
Government-in-eXi is able to pub
lish inside Poland a semiofficial
weekly newspaper, The Polish Re-
public. Difficulties and dangers are
tremendous-pape is very hard to
get, and in l94l 83 persons were
killed by the Nazis in an attempt
to suppress single paper, Clos
PolSki The Voice of Poland which
Is still appearing, The slogan on
one paper says, Remember that
our press is supported by voluntary
sacrifices"
Clandestine Czechs.
Czechoslovakia-An effective and
extensive clandestine press exists,
giving advice on sabotage. slow
downs and other resistance methods
and attacking the Nazis and their
collaborators
&c e e e-Forty-t three paper
known to have been published,
although not simultaneously. All op-
posing the Nazis. they range from
pro-MetaXas and o-government,
through liberal and anti-royalist, re-
publican organs, to Socialist and
Communist publications. Youth and
student groups published IA of them.
'Denmark-No information avail
able on conditions since the recent
uprising. Prior to that time about
30 underground papers existed.
Their function was somewhat diff
ferent than in other countries. In
the model occupied nation of Den
mark, listening to foreign broad
casts was permitted, and the legal
press was allowed some freedom.
Therefore, the underground papers
tended to concentrate on suppressed
news. warnings and information
about Nazis and Quislings, and ad-
vice on resistance.
NorWay-Best reports show that
there are five secret newspapers re-
ceiving wide circulation and a num-
Der of smaller ones. One of he
more remarkable underground pa
pers is Radioavisen, given over en-
tirely to news picked up from British
and American stations. Tidens Tegn.
one of the oldest and most respected
newspapers in Oslo now is appear
ing as an underground paper. An
other paper with a large circulation