Evening star., 1945-05-13


| camps. The plant made steel for the
panzers-and for the Tirpitz They
could rebuild. But they did not want
to make armor plate again. They
wished to make only steel for industry.
Hitler? What would know about Hit
ler-or the concentration camps? Our
business here was steel.
And there was the housewife who
lived in suburb of Essen. Her husband
was driver for a German officer.
Hitler dead? Yes, she had heard re-
ports on the radio What did she think
about it? TT is better that way 1t
will be better now" And the war? The
war is over, and that is good for all of
u.s." The Nazis? She was not Nazi.
The concentration camps? She had
heard the radio broadcasts about what
the Americans found. 1t was bad, those
camps. Did she know any people who
were sent to the camps? Yes she had
Jewish friends who were taken there.
Did she know what happened to them?
No, that was not her affair. The in
terpreters thanked her for answering
our questions She said, II believe in
being decent to those who are decent to
me-" And she closed her door and went
inside.
There was the crowd Of German civil
ians, milling around in front of the old
city hall in ruined Munich, waiting to
lodge requests or register complaints
with the American military government
authorities who had just taken the place
over from the 45th Infantry Division.
Two men said they had come to COM
plain that their bicycles were stolen by
freed Russians. Not only that, the dis
placed persons, ranging through the
ruins of the city and taking what they
found, had even pulled rings of the
fingers of German citizens.
do you blame them?" asked the in
terpreter.
1--WE Hated the Nazis."
mo, we do not blame them" And the
shrugs, and even laughter through the
crowd packed around us. The Nazis?
"Ah! We hated the Nazis. We are glad
they are gone. When they were here we
could not speak, we could not talk.
There was no such thing as free speech" "
"And did you hear the story of Hitler
fishing?" asked a woman. coming close
to the interpreter. He was fishing
alongside common man. The common
man caught all the fish. Hitler asked
why he could catch no fish. When you
are around said the common man, the
fish will not open their mouths"
The camp at Dachau? Yes, they had
heard of it. 1t was run by the Nazis.
The Nazis would do anything. The slave
labor? Yes, we felt sorry for them for
they were taken away from their homes
in Russia and Poland They did not
want to come. But the people of Munich
treated them we'll We were not Nazis,
so we could not have them in our homes
for servants. But we treated them well.
We let them come to the cinema. Why,
we even let them sit down in the trolley
cars!
But tho Nazis will come back" said
member of the crowd. And others
nodded In quick agreement. They will
come back when the Americans are
gone"
How long would it take to rebuild
Munich? Some day it would be done.
Twenty years, perhaps more. Perhaps
we shall not see it rebuilt. But we in
Munich were fortunate. 1t was not as
bad here as in Berlin and as in Rotter-
| dam. We are thankful for that"
Ready for New Slavery.
Thankful for small favors! About
them are the ruins-80 per cent de-
stroyed, according to one estimate-of a
once beautiful city. Miles and miles of
empty streets, covered with rubble
through which paths for traffic had been
cleared, streetcars askew on the tracks
or left standing, as they had been de-
serted, in the middle of block. Mile
after mile of staring, blank window
spaces in the walls of roofless, gutted
buildings.
Yes, these people are the victims
along with the inmates, of the concen-
tration camps. And they are licked
thoroughly, completely licked. Slaves OF
one system, one readily believes they
would as quickly become slaves of an
other. They want somebody to tell them
what to do.
Millions of them may starve in tn.
next year, beginning this summer, I'm.
less America sends the food. That
statement came from an officer who was
not talking for publication, but who was
speaking with the authority of senior
rank among those given the mission o1
governing Germany. Thirteen million
displaced persons" of other national.
tiles, trudging along the roads. headed
east and west, north and south Per.
haps as many as 100000 in all
counting German civilians, of homeless.
people, roaming helplessly in search oi
shelter and food. The Americans ane
the British are establishing feedins
stations for displaced persons. They
grab the food and wander along. Essen
Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Cologne, Ko
blenz, Dresden-where 100000 civilians
are said to have perished in the oblitera
ton Of that place-Munich, Berlin