Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-05-18
By Poul beljomy

One OF CAe mOSt plLlIQl A1Cermatn6
of the European war Is the horde Of
displaced, stateless persons and of
refugees and expellees. I have seen
any number Of these poor human
beings in camps where they are fed
above the level Of the civilian popu-
lation, and administered to as well
as can be under the difficult circum-
stances Of an unsettled Germany.
But shall never forget the hope
less look in the eyes Of many Of
them. They were brought to Ger
many against their wills as slave
labor and came from all the coun-
tries of Europe. Many lost their
families and most OF them lost all
their physical possessions.
When Germany lost the war they
were thrown on to the charity Of the
conquerors, and it should be asproud
boast to the four great powers that
they were not abandoned to their
fate. Although no facts are really
known rs to the treatment these
people received in Russia, it is be-
lieved that they have been treated
on the whole much better by the
British and Americans and even the
French, although the French are no
great shakes at charity.
About zoo, 900 In Germany.
According to q report Of January
81. 1916, the then number of dis
placed persons in Germany was 208,-
978, including probably 1877 400 not
repatriable. That means that then
were nearly 100000 persons who
could not be sent home because they
had no home, and who would be a
permanent charge on Germany I'M
less some other home could be found
for them.
In the American zone Of Austria
under the command Of Gen. Mark
Clark. there were, as of April J.
1916. 52,s18 displaced persons Many
of these persons are Jews. One
must never forget that, Hitler made
the determination OF Jewry in Eu-
rope one of his major political OBJ
jectives and that he almost sue
ceeded in it.
1t has been estimated that the
total Jewish population in Germany
and the conquered countries which
ultimately fell into Hitler's bestial
hands totaled nearly q 400, 900 and
that 5000, 900 were liquidated, leav-
ing only 100000 surviving. Nearly
all are women without husbands,
mothers without children, men with
out wives and children without
parents.
Aid Effort Impressive.
We visited two camps for Jewish
displaced persons and were greatly
impressed with the efforts being
made to bring some balm to the
wounded hearts, some hope to the
broken souls and some light to the
tired eyes of these poor people,
largely from Poland. the Ukraine
and the Baltic states. One of these
camps is outside Wiesbaden, and the
other near Salzburg at Bad Gas
tein, q famous Austrian spa. The
Salzburg camp Is by all odds the
most elaborate and best run.
UNRRA had recently taken it over
from the Army and seemed to be
doing . fine job.
In fact, I should like to interject
a remark here to the effect that
UNRRA seems to be hitting its
stride at last. 1t was much criticized
at FIRST because of the caliber of
men who went over for it. Some
seemed to be fellow travellers of the
Russian Communists in their gen.
eral outlook and others more inter-
ested in themselves than in aiding
suffering humanity. That has been
largely eliminated, as some elimi-
mated themselves and some were
fired. The UNRRA staff in Europe
now seems to consist largely Of sin
cere, helpful people.
In the Bad Gastein camp, the dis
placed Jews are housed in perma-
nent buildings and there are schools
from kindergarten up to high school
subjects for the children, with useful
work for the grown folks to do, such
as making their own clothes, tend
ing gardens, etc. Furthermore, there
is a program Of recreation.
Almost Beyond Hope.
I am told that the condition of
these waits when first rescued was
past belief. They were filthy, typhus
ridden, on the verge of starvation,
historical and without hope. Sure
ly, If there was ever an aggressive
work, it is that which has been &C
complished in these cases.
We asked q group of adult Jews
In the main recreation hall at the
Salzburg camp where they wanted
to go after the war, and with one
voice they answered Palestine. -"
They had made up their minds;
there was no other answer. They
had seen enough anti-Semitism to
last them the rest OF their lives,
and they feared that once the peace
treaty had been signed there would
be q recrudescence of it in their
European homes. Other groups con-
f1rmed the universal yearning for
Palestine, with few dissident votes
in favor Of America, but I have vet
to see one of these European dis
placed persons who wanted to stay
in Europe. They had had enough
Of that.
OF course, the Jews are not the
only displaced persons in Germany
and Austria. There are many gen
tiles, too. But most of them can be
repatriated.
There are still a great many pris-
oners of war in Germany, held by
the American authorities and en-
ployed on road work, removing
debris, etc. But there Is never a
sumcient number OF guards, owing
to the rehabilitation policy of the
Americans. The result is that most
OF the prisoners of war sit in g.
stockade, awaiting the peace treaty
which will free them; that is, un-
less they can be proved to have been
active Nazis.