Evening star., 1946-12-18
British Envy Aroused
By German Prisoners
En- Route From u. 5.

LONDON. Dec. 18--fNANA) -
The recent arrival in England of
sleek, well-groomed German prison.
ers from the United States has cre-
ated many determination head
ache for prison-cam officials here.
Looking the personifications of pros
perity, the Germans have been i'm
measurably better fed than any one
here, and sport items which arouse
the envy of Englishman and Ger
man alike.
To the German prisoner of wal
who has passed some time, in Eng
land, the influx of the American
captives' has been more than an ir-
fitation. The sight of silk shirts, ra.
dios, tennis and other sports equip
ment, timed fruits and so on, has
jolted them out Of their lethargy.
Camp hfe has split up into two Sec
tions-one beflig the locals who
have never left Europe; the other,
those newly arrived-the ''ver-
dammte Amerikaner' as they are
known.
Warned beforehand of shortages
here, the Germans brought from the
United States thousands of ciga-
rettes, which they could buy at
about one-third of the price here.
Most of them say they were told at
their ports of embarkation that they
were due to return to Germany al
most Immediately On arriving in
English camps and realizing that
they are on no priority list for trans
fer to their homeland, they do not
disguise their resentment.
Denounced as Nazis.
Having to put up with the auster-
ity of British diet disgusts them no
little-the shock of coming down
to earth" after living on American
rations is no small matter. For, if
anything, food conditions in England
for one reason or another-have
improved to no recognizable, extent
since the war ended.
The attitude of the "Ameri-
kaner" toward his less fortunate
colleagues Is one of patronizing su-
periority. This has resulted in some
very frayed tempers. The locals"
have taken to turning informer, de-
nouncing the "Amerikanef" Joa-
chin Schmidt, for example, as hav-
ing contributed to the Nazi Party
at such time. or having been a
gauleiter before his active military
career was suspended.
If the charge of the informer is
found to be true, the Political In
telligence Department of the For
eign Office sees to it that the man
is put into appropriate quarters and
his luxuries confscated. The in
telligence department has file on
each prisoner, who is classified as
NaZi, uncertain or non-NaZi.
Whistle at English Girls.
Once the "Amerikaner'' is placed
in camp for Nazis, he is thor
oughly checked and cross s-examined.
But should he prove to be Just an
/ other German, instead of Nazi
4 official or known Hitlerite, then the
inforrner finds himself faced with
the punishment to suit the crime
The German prisoners have beer
q thorn in the side of the English
I for some time. Influenced by easy
going Britishers, they pedal about
on bicycles through towns and the
countryside, whistle at English girls
and. it is complained, "act more like
! conquerors than like POWs."
Statements of all sorts have been
issned on the problem. from Send
them back to Germany" to Let
them marry our English girls-show
them we love them" This last pro-
posal was made by the vicar Of q
prominent English town recently
and is symptomatic of how confused
English thought on the subject is
today.
Most troubled of all are the camp
officials, who had begun to breathe
easier, but now look on the "Ameri-
kaner" as the source Of most OF
their current woes.