Evening star., 1945-07-08

more than two years ago they looked
with surprise at the Manhattan sky
scrapers and remarked: How quickly
the bomb damage has been repaired"
These were the tough, completely in
doctrinated soldiers of the Afrika Korps.
When another group was shipped from
the East Coast to camp out West, the
prisoners were convinced that the Army
was riding them around in circle to
impress them with the size of the Ma
tion-as a propaganda stunt.
Another company took the same in
credulous attitude in a camp down
South, while on work project, when
they saw streams of automobiles on the
highway. The heavy traffic was caused
by time shifts at factory some miles
distant, but the Germans accused the
Army Of driving the same cars up and
down the road to make them believe
that in America every one was prosper
Gus enough to own an automobile.
Bred on Naziism, constantly warned
in Germany against foreign propa-
ganda" while blind to the methodical
outpouring of lies by Goebbels and his
swarm of mouthpieces, these captured
Germans presented the War Depart
ment here with both a problem and
unique challenge. This country had
never had foreign prisoners of war on
American soil except a few during the
Spanish American War.
Believed Truth Best Weapon.
The War Department was bound BY
the international treaty on prisoners as
set forth at the Geneva Convention, but
within that framework it was free to
act. 1t decided that knowledge of the
truth was the best weapon. With this
basic thesis in mind, it embarked on a
program of re-education and reorienta-
ton of German war prisoners that
comprises new chapter in war history,
a chapter that was kept tightly closed
until We day. The full story can now
be told for the first time
In the United States today there are
$4,000 German prisoners. From the
start they were recognized by our lead
ers as great potential force for en-
lightenment of their kinsmen back
home. Eventually they would return to
the Reich, and they could spread the
wonders of America, the wonders of a
working democracy.
The Secretary of War and the Secre-
tary of State in March and April two
years ago began corresponding on the
subject. AS result the Interdepart-
mental Board on Prisoners of War was
created, consisting of representatives
from the War Department, Navy De-
partment State Department and De-
partment of Justice. On its recon-
mendation, the provost marshal general
established the Special Projects Divi-
sion, with Lit. Col. Edward Dawson, in
ternationally known educator and writer,
as chief.
What is the object of the program?
I'VE aren't attempting to Americanize
these German prisoners of war;" Brig.
Gen. B. M. Bryan, jr., assistant provost
marshal general, declared We're just
trying to enable them to understand
our way of life, and, if they understand
it, do you think they will fail to realize
it is better way of life than the one
hey left behind?
Divide Nazis and Nom -Nazis.
I'VE are bending them toward that
1omething which they have lacked the
truth. We're not deceiving ourselves
that every German prisoner of war is
going back to Germany some day shout
ing to the skeleton rooftops: America
is the greatest land in the world
American people are the greatest people
in the world But if even one pris-
oner of war understands our way of
life we are ahead of the game. I can
assure you we already have more than
one"
What were the methods used9 What
were the results?
First, the Nazis and non-Nazis had
to be separated. 1t was the vast num-
Der of 'fn-betweeners" that the War
Department had to reach-roughly
about 10 per cent of the total. The
trouble-making Nazis already had un-
dergone some degree of segregation, and
this had to be intensified so that the
reorientation program would not be
hampered. The aid of the anti-Naz
Germans was enlisted, but the main
goal, as noted, was the mass of Ger
mans in the center.
The next problem was one of Ian
guage. Only Is per cent of the pris-
oners knew English, and for this rea-
son major reliance In the reorientation
program was placed upon moving pic
lures and Language publica-
tons.
Hand-picked Officers.
Hand-picked American officers were
trained to handle the program in the
service commands and camps. One was
assigned to every prisoner -of-war
camp and given the title of assistant
executive officer.
The motion picture program was
self-supporting. A special Circuit"
was placed in operation to provide two
balanced programs week in every
prisoner-of-war camp at cost of Is
cents to each prisoner for each show.
Included were Office of War Informa-
ton documentary films with German
sound track or German captions.
The subjects encompassed the whole
American scene-industry, fisheries,
agriculture, schools, flood control, soil
conservation and other phases of ma
tional activity. The prisoners knew
that the pictures were authentic be-
cause they had worked on such projects
themselves. In addition to educational
films, they were shown such entertain
y,,a,,+ ,,;oft,ra~ a. a(yorto;v,e fso,,ra,~a-,,