Evening star., 1946-09-15
Swedish P0WWor
Paints Grim Picture
OF European Hates

A grim picture of present-day
Europe. relieved by a few hopeful
auguries, was offered local veterans
of enemy prison camps last night
as the Washington Barb Wire Club
inaugurated Prisoner War Week
here with banquet in the YMCA
Building.
Principal feature of the observ-
ance, proclaimed by the District
Commissioners, will be an exhibition
of handicrafts produced by Army
Air Forces personnel during their
POW days which will open tomor-
row in Lansburgh's department
store.
An informal dinner for all re-
patriated POWs in the Washington
area will be given at pm. tomor-
row in the officers dining room at
the Pentagon building.
In Europe today, there are many
things which are extremely depreSS-
ing" Henry Soderberg, Swedish
YMCA worker, said at the banquet
last night. 1T is depressing to see
that people are still hating as they
are"
Mills Presents Plaque.
Mr.. Soderberg, who aided many
American POWS in camps in Poland
and in Germany, was presented a
testimonial plaque by Irving J. Mills,
president of the local club, on behalf
nf T,,+a 81
Barb Wire Clubs. He also received
the Flame of Freedom Medal of
the World Committee of the YMCA
for service beyond the call of duty
form DR.. David R. Porter WASH
ington representative of the YMCA |
War Prisoners Aid.
The former Swedish newspaper
man. who is beginning tour of the
United States, said other factors
contributing to the current gloomy
situation in Europe are widespread
hunger. the large numbers of men
still in POW camps and what YOU
in America usually call the iron
curtain"
However, Mr.. Soderberg added. |
the will to live and to rebuild" is |
strong among the peoples of Europe
and helpfulneSs in mutual adversely
is in evidence
He suggested that POWs could
use their recollectionS of similar Suf- |
feringS to work for understanding
and said European youth looks to !
the United States for hope and
guidance.
Feared Food Bombing"
In recounting his own wartime |
experiences, the husky YMCA
worker said he felt most fear in the
last days of the war when Amer |
lean planes bombed" the POW
camp in which he was working
dropping many heavy containers of
food and other supplies.
The local ex-POWs exchanged
"reminiscences at the banquet, and
made plans to expand membership
of the club at meeting at 8:15
pm. Friday in the YMCA Building
They also looked forward to the |
memory-stirring exhibition, COM
mended to the attention of Wash |
ingtonians by the proclamation in
which the Commissioners called for
patriotic acknowledgement of the
courage and bravery of the men,
bers of our armed forces who fell
prisoners of war"
1T isn't just a show, or an ex-
II in crest the curious" Col. l.
manding the exposition, said 1T
is to instill in the minds of every
ne who sees it the necessity for the
United States to have the best mill
tary defense in the world"
Show to Run All Week.
Col. Greening, former POW
himself from German Stalag Luft
No /, from which nearly the entire
collection comes, said the expoSi-
ton is the means by which 1913, 900
former American POW's can tell
the people of the United States
the true meaning of the word
democracy.
Among the items shown. including
an almost precision-made artificial
leg and a deck of cards made from
Red Cross postcards, the spotlight
probably will shine on a violin,
made from bed Stats, plywood. a
chair leg and glue scraped from the
joints Of a mess hall table A table
knife made into a chisel. a piece of
broken glass and a razor blade were
used as tools.
The exposition completing Ma
tion-wide tour, will be open through
Saturday, with three lectures a day
by former POW's on life in
prisoner of war camp. The lee
lures will be at 80 am. and l:3O
and pm, Gen. Leon Johnson, COM
manding general of personnel, Army
Air Forces, will cut barbed wire
instead of a rihhon Of tho orapipo