Evening star., 1946-06-06
Dutch Publisher Tells
OF Putting Out Paper
On Day Of Liberation

II any American newspaper pub
Usher wants to learn at first hand
what war feels like, he can find out
now to do it from Gerard Bodewes.
publisher of the Gelderlander Press
OF Nijmegen, Holland.
Mr.. Bodewes' method is simple,
but drastic: Spend six days with 81
other people in the cellar of a
church, neatly poised in no-man's
land, half way between the German
and the American lines. He has
tested that method personally, and
says he now knows everything he
wants to know about war.
One of 10 members of a commits
sion of Dutch publishers and print
ers spending six weeks in this coun-
try to study American publishing
techniques, Mr.. BodeWes stopped in
at The Star yesterday to look over
the plant. Things were very differ
ent IN Nijmegen publishing circles
when the American 82d Airborne
Division made its famous drop in
the autumn of 1914, he says.
Edition Out Early.
He is proud to relate, however.
that the Gelderlander Press went on
the street on the first day of liber-
alton with four-page paper which
was snapped up by almost everybody
in toWh. He is sorry to relate that.
since then, the paper shortage has
cut the size of his paper to two
pages. That, however, is the con-
Germ of another commission of Dutch
publishers, now in the United States.
I, Like most of Nijmegen's people,
Mr.. BodeWes did not see the his
toric parachute operation which re-
suited in the liberation of his citv.
In the first place, the drop was
made around the city rather than in
1t. He had, moreover, taken refuge
In the basement of his home be-
cause considerable air battle was
in progress overhead and Allied
planes were strafing German COL
umns which, for several days, had
been retreating through the town.
Those had been bad days" he
says. The Germans were obviously
frightened. but it made them more
brutal. They forced our people to
help them build last-minute forti-
fications. If any one refused, re-
prisals were severe"
Risked Being Shot.
When, on September II, the air
borne attack occurred. the frus-
trated Nazis began to burn the town.
A Hollander who tried to put out
the fires risked being shot. 1t was
this action, together with our she'll
ing of German positions. Mr.. Bode-
ives says, which resulted in the ter
rife destruction of Nijmegen.
MY house was one of the first
to catch fire." the 57-year-old pub
Usher said. That was on Septem-
ber 18. The Germans were shooting
people who moved about the streets,
but we had to leave. Together with
my wife and three daughters, went
on foot 7 miles in the country
and took refuge in the basement of
a church in an open field We
thought to wait for the Americans
there.
But the Germans retreated past
us and delayed the Americans be-
fore they reached where we were,
and for six days the battle ragged
over OUR heads. We were IS women
and children, and only six men. We
did not once dare come out of our
hiding place"
When Mr.. Bodewes and the city
finally were liberated by the Ameri-
can soldiers, the publisher hurried
back to his home. He found 1t
burned to the ground, and all his
possessions lost He found his news
paper plant-which had put out its
last edition on March IA, 1912 the
day on which he refused to take
Quisling editor recommended by the
Germans-about half demolished.
Nevertheless, that next morning
the first morning on which the peo-
pie of Nijmegen were safe in their
streets-the paper appeared again.
I'VE had been waiting a long
time for that day" Mr. Bodewes
says. I'VE were not going to let it
pass us by"