Evening star., 1945-10-02

gram, according to explicit directives,
they have been equally lax in the
treatment of displaced persons, left
behind after the major movement
which returned some 5000, 900 per-
sons to their homelands was finished.
Nor is it easy to blame individuals
for this state Of affairs. Feldafing
Is in the bailwick of Col. James H.
Polk, FL Paso, Tex, commander of
the Sd Cavalry Group, who is one
OF the finest lighting men Gen. Pat
ton ever had. His exploits as head
of Task Force Polk" are famous
from Moselle to Austria. But he is
no welfare officer and this is part
|of one of the biggest welfare prob
lens anybody has ever tackled any
where.
Col. Polk indicated that he saw
few, if any, directives on how these
camps should be run. But I've had
enough heat put on me orally now
SO ! don't need any directives." he
said.
UNRRA Taking Over Camp.
The United Nations Relief and
Rehabilitation administration to-
day began taking over administra-
tion OF the camp from the Army,
with a staff of seven persons, headed
by Edward S. Richeson, Potosi, Mo.
The faces of people here look dull
and empty, but they seem surpris-
ingly well fed. DR.. Henri Heitan,
French UNRRA physician, said the
food situation was good, with the
refugees getting 1900 calories each
daily and men in volunteer wood
chopping details 5000.
The food is prepared in a central
kitchen, but the idea of central
mess was abandoned because the
Jews preferred to carry the food
back to their rooms to eat. Today's
menu was as follows:
Breakfast-Butter, dark bread,
coffee. fresh milk; luncheon--stew,
consisting of macaroni, meat and
gravy; supper-bread. butter. coffee,
milk, 100 grams approximately 3.5
ounces) of cheese.
The camp has self-government
but there seemed to be much in
ternal inefficiency by both Jewish
and Army staffs. For instance, one
family complained that it had no
sugar. But we found another with
a fruit jar full. One woman said
she had only bad German soap.
Elsewhere we found big bar of
CT soap
5000 Pairs of Shoes Available.
Many men and women are wearing
wornout shoes and some inadequate
clothing, but 5000 pairs of shoes and
large stocks of winter clothing al
ready are On the premises, waiting
to be distributed.
| Romanian Rabbi Szekiel Ruttnei
said conditions had been improving
here. particularly In the last two
weeks, but that the refugees would
like more freedom of movement
They can move within radius OF
kilometers (almost miles of the
camp without passes, but longer
Journeys require special permission
and only 10 per cent of the person
mel can be gone at any one time.
With UNRRA and the Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee oi
Welfare Workers now here, recrea-
tional and occupational enterprises
are progressing. Special facilities
for worship have been established
Idle time is one of the gravest prob.
lens.
DR.. Heitan said he needed peni-
cillin to combat possible lung infec-
tions and hormones to treat some sc
men whom the Germans sterilized
but that on the whole his medica
stocks and equipment were good
He doubted that epidemics woule
menace the camps this winter an6
is now inoculating refugees fol-
typhoid and cholera. There has
been not a single case Of dysentery
originating in the camp as yet. Tht
venereal disease rate is extremely
low. The big menace is tuberculosis
The doctor estimated that between
Is and 90 per cent were potential
| cases.
ICopyrighf Io45N