Evening star., 1944-02-25
BY MEL MOST,

BY MEL MOST,
Associated Press Correspondent.
ABOARD THE AMERICAN RE-
PATRIATION TRAIN IN SPAIN
Feb. 25.--American diplomats, news
papermen, wounded soldiers and
civilians we're on neutral ground
at last today, bound for Lisbon and
freedom after interment for over a
year on German soil.
The party Of ga persons, which
also included number of Latin
American diplomats, was to be ex-
changed for 1,180 Germans and
French arriving on the Swedish liner
Gripsholm.
Before crossing the border into
Spain, both the North American
and South American groups were
sealed in their hotels in Biarrit2
with German soldiers standing on
guard. This was in contrast tc
their treatment in Germany, where
nobody attempted to escape and the
Germans handled them with kio
gloves.
Apparently the Germans fearec
the Americans would receive in.
formation as to the state of affairs
in France.
Well Treated In Germany.
None of the civilian repatriates
are much .he worse for wear, since
we generally were treated as prize
livestock awaiting horse trade.
At the hotel where we were helc
in Germany we were treated on the
whole with friendlinesS by the ser.
wants and with courtesy by the Ges-
tapO men who were our only guards
We responded to the tactful atmos-
phere by being so mild even the
Germans ofilcially congratulated us
at the end.
GA dispatch from Irun, Spain,
said German occupation authori-
ties at Biarritz have made ar
rangements for some $50 Amer
ican civilians to join the Amer
ican diplomatic party at Lisbon.
announcement of the new
repatriation was made at the last
minute as the diplomatic inter-
nees were leaving Germany, and
apparently was intended as a
precedent to initiate exchange
with the United States of this
new category. The civilian in
ternees will include almost all
United States citizens in the
German internment camps of
Tittmoning and Laufen, both on
the old Austro-German frontier.
Fifty more were added after hasty
negotiations, from Camp Royal
Lieu near Compiegne.
ct was believed a note to the
State Department asked that the
possibility Of liquidating the camp
at Crystal City be examined)
In taking us to the exchange port
the Germans appeared hampered by
shortage Of rail equipment, fol-
the railway cars we're ancient day
coaches and a large number of re-
patriates were i'll from the drafty
under-heated carriages in which
they sat on their way to Spain.
| Persons aboard the train with
relatives in France had made ar.
rangements with the Berlin foreign
ofice to meet their Partisan relatives
during a halt at a suburb of Paris
However. they were not allowed or
the platform as the result of a num-
Der Of scenes the day before. when
French visitors to the Latin-Ameri-
can diplomatic train became SO
demonstrative the authorities inter-
vened.
Weary. Ill and irritated as they
were. the repatriates nevertheless
passed the time discussing Ger
many's position in France and
agreeing on indications that the
German Army was suffering a bao
case of nerves. 1t was also noted
that many of the German soldiers
guarding the hotels were boys not
more than II years of age.
Rolls of Barbed Wire Ready.
The last view we had of Nazi-helc
territory were scenes at Biarritz
near the edge Of Hitler's Europe. We
saw rolls of barbed wire ready to be
thrown across the streets leading tt
the sea. Coastal defenses free
practice grounds, German plane.
circled constantly overhead ane
there were posted warnings of MINE
fields in the Bay of Biscay.
The biggest section of the Unitec
States party consisted of 154 diplo.
matte, consular, press and reliet
work representatives. Among then
were Pinkney Tuck, United State.
charge d'affaires at Vichy, and Mrs
Tuck; Douglas Macarthur, nephew
of Gen. Macarthur, who was a sec.
retary of the Embassy; Taylor
Henry, chief of the Associated Press
bureau at Vichy. and Philip w. I
Whitcomb, correspondent of the
Baltimore Sun.
In addition. there were At Aneri