The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1945-03-01
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS

/
AS nearly dozen small Dutch vii.
lagos in the southern part of Linn
burg province were recently added to
Hollands liberated area, each place
revealed identical examples of terror
and executions carried out by the
Germans during the days of battle.
The story of what went on in the
village of Susteren before its capture
by the allies was told by three min
ers from nearby Roermond who had
been brought to the town by the
enemy to do forced labor on defense
work When the Germans were driven
from the village, these men hid and
saved themselves from the fate that
befell the other inhabitants. Along
with the civilians, the Germans had
also shipped off to Germany all the
horses and cattle they could lay their
hands on in these villages.
The miners reported that 10 in
habitants of Susteren had been ex-
ecuted for refusing to work on the
defense projects, while every male
between the ages of II and SO whom
the Nazis could not use for forced
labor in Holland was shipped off to
Germany. The enemy also carried off
all unmarried women and girls, not
only in Susteren but also in other
nearby communities.
The remaining population was
evacuated to Posterholt, a border
town six miles from Roermond,
where they were forced to live four
and five families to house and on
extremely short rations. The three
miners themselves were in starving
condition when the allied troops
found them. They were almost the
only civilians.
Similar conditions were found in
Echt, where deportations were begun
by the Germans Nov. 7, but-unlike
Susteren and Schilberg which are
now little more than collections of
rubble-the pleasant little red brick
houses of Echt are comparatively lit
tie damaged, and it was learned that
three emergency hospitals full of old
people had remained there until quite
recently when they were removed to
Vlodrop on tn German frontier. AL
though the Germans attempted to
carry off inhabitants of the town, 80
families managed to escape deporta-
tion by hiding in cellars and they
came out to greet the allied troops |
when Echt was liberated.
Almost year ago, on Jan. rs,
1914 the Nazis shot five of Echt's citi-
zens for refusing to work on German
projects. Twenty more were carried
off to the notorious concentration |
camp at Vught in which at the pres
ent time Germans and Dutch Nazis
are imprisoned.
Russia will produce still more of
her own vitally needed food this year
due to 10000 tons of seeds that have
been furnished by the United States
for Soviet spring planting. The 20,
300 tons of seeds, largely for vege-
table and field crops, comprise the
first half of the agreed-upon yearly
delivery to Russia. The seeds will be
lsed on vast areas of the recaptured
Ukraine region-richest Soviet agri-
cultural district. Very hardy, early
vegetable seed has been
especially developed to suit stern
Ukraine climatic conditions.
While large collective farms will
Use the bulk of the United States
iced sent to Russia, home "Victory
Gardens" will also be grown. In terms
If vital shipping space the saving is
enormous when seeds can be shipped
md grown locally instead of ship
,ing the foods that the seeds will
produce. The 10000 tons of seeds for
Russia will require the full space Of
lbout two cargo ships for one trip.
Many thousands of vessels would be
equired to transport the foods that
an be produced from 10000 tons of
eeds.