The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-16
Attitude or Germans

Continued from Page l)
 The first passenger to leave the ship today was Ruth Lawrence, of Lowndesboro Ala. who walked down the gangplank shortly before 9:30 a. m.
 Another early debarkee was Nor man Willard Hall of Dorchester Center, Mass, who said he and some 400 other Americans interned at Q camp ct Compiegne, France, were convinced that the Germans had bombed the camp three times in the summer and fall of l942.
 He said he had brought back with him pieces of shrapnel from the bombs that were dropped and will have them examined to deter mine their origin. Two FiliplncT and one American were killed in the bombings, he said.
 Hall said his wife, who Is French by birth, and their daughter, St!ll are at the Compiegne camp.
 Asked what kind of planes he be- hSNVA WSAG AGoROth9lDlC 4OE tLlC bomblnss, Hall said;
 T don't know, but I'll bet my shirt they weren't American or Bri- tish planes"
 Francis Vlcovarl, young New York architect and volunteer ambulance driver, said that when the Allies be- fan winning more barracks were built to house the prisoners and the food became better.
 "Therc has been noticeable change in the treatment of prisoners at the camp where l was interned In q years time," he said. "A year and more ago when Germany was on top, they treated the prisoners harshly. and camp conditions were bad. Now that the Germans know they can't win the war, there Is q decided improvement In their treat mcnt of their enemies"
 Other repatriates said that un- relenting Allied air raids against the Reich has lowered civilian mor- ale and that the nation was reeling under the attacks, but warned that Germany was by no means near In. ternal collapse.
 They also reported that Edouard Herriot, one-time premier of France, died several months ago In q private asylum near Paris. follow. ing mental breakdown, while In. termed by the Germans. There was no official announcement of his death and reports Of the repatriates have not been confirmed.
 622 Americans
 The 622 Americans and Latin Americans, many of whom had spent more than two years in Na2i prison camps, brought back stories of dis- comfort, insufficient food and sev. erity of Gestapo confinement, but no charges Of atrocities.
 The Gripsholm docked at 3:30 ?. Tn. yesterday and by II o'clock last night more than 100 passengers had been discmbarked, most of them diplomats Red Cross and gov. ernment officials will continue the job of questioning and discharging the others today,
 Ambulances were waiting at the dock to take 35 sick md wounded soldiers to hospitals.
 One of the first to leave the l9,. l34-ton swedish American vessel, as she successfully completed her fourth exchange mission, was s. Pinckney Tuck. U. s. charge D'Affaires in Vichy before he was informed.
 Ia pVlaA aa1l,,Awsv kA Aial State Department In Washington bitter indictment of the Vichy governments action in surrenderinL American diplomats, newspaper cor" respondents and welfare workers to the Germans when France capitu- later.
 "Hitlers seizure of Americans at Lourdes was tantamount to rapo-n violation of every known procept Of polite relations between nations, Tucks indictment said.
 In a similar vein, the spokesman for the Latin American diplomatic corps. Gilberto Bosques, former Mexican charge d'affaireS In Vichy, charged that Pierre Laval's action in arresting and handing over dip. lomats accredited to the Mexican government to the police of another power was blot on Frances honor
 Calm Miens
 Unlike others who have returned from internment in enemy prison camps, the repatriates surprised vel. corners at the pier with their mat ter-of.fact attitudes
 Most of them admitted they had not had e miserable time in the camps. Some possessed only the clothes they wore and many were without funds, while others sui. fered from Tnalnutrition. But al seemed cheerful.
 First passenger off the ship was Mrs. Sarah Benton, mother of James Webb, Benton. U. 3. vice consul ct Marseilles. who spent I4 months in internment at Baden Baden. Ger many. She said that their food consisted mostly of potatoes. but