Evening star., 1949-05-21
Iskpd Camp in Greece
Operates as Hospital
For Communists
Reds Discovered in Army
Respond to Teaching
On Democroey's Worth
By Dorothy Thompson

ATHENS by A1rmal) .-Wnen
Judith Coplon was arrested.
charged with Communist espion-
age, I annoyed some of my coun-
trymen by suggesting that there
ought to be some better way to
deal with misled youth than send
ing them to jail.
had to go all the way to
Greece to see a practical express
sion of what I was cropping for.
That is the retraining camp under
Col. Bairaktaris of the Greek Ar
my, on the island of Makronissos
where the most unusual "concen-
tration camp" on earth is situated
Makronissos was a desert island
and until two years ago entirely
uninhabited-one of those pumice
isles that dot the Greek seas.
The Greek Army found Commu-
nists among its recruits and de-
cided to isolate them. They were
sent for observation to the island.
Part Of each brigade's retraining
was the laying out of tent camps,
bringing in electricity and water,
building barracks and rest rooms,
and chapels. After that each unit
built its own theater, and when I
was there these units were setting
out trees.
Must Recognize Dignity.
Col. Bairaktaris is a remarkable
pedagogue combining formal mill
tary training with occupational
therapy, recreation, and counter
indoctrination. He believes every
approach must recognize the pa
tents" claims to human dignity.
The Communist mind must be
reconstructed, he holds, through
truth, creative work, and social
happiness. Nobody scolds or
argues with the prisoners. Life
consists Of army drill. construc-
ton work-with attention to
special skills-lectures, and rec
reation. Lecture periods are all
conducted by former Communists
--ex-bandits, or disillusioned refu-
gees from behind the Iron Curtain.
These instruct in Communist
theory and practice"-helped out
by letters from Greek villagers re-
counting their sufferings at the
hands of "liberators. From this
they pass to democracy through
Greek history" history of Greek
revolutions" and discussions on
such topics as 'individualism ver-
sus social welfare" "the proper
rights Of the individual society,
and the state, how social con-
sciousness modifies individualism.
The ancient Greek emphasis on
music is revived. Markronissos
boasts one of the finest male
choruses I have ever heard and
every platoon has some sort of
orchestra. The students compose
their own songs and write and
present their own plays.
Few Are Backsliders.
Col. Bairaktaris says, less than
10 per cent are incurable. Most
can be made from Communists
ito convinced democrats in from
tour months to year. We have
cnly two or three backsliders per
thousand"
Battalions Of these men have
been among the bravest fighters
in the national army. (Some 20.-
900 have passed through One
such group was especially recon-
mended for heroism in the Gram
mos campaign. Others, unfit for
army service, return to their viii
lagos as educators.
An initial difficulty was to per-
suade society to take them back,
but this has been largely over
come. Recently, when a Max
ronissos chorus sang in Athens,
1t received a great ovation. Col.
Bairaktaris says, "If a man Is
thwarted in his fundamental
social impulses, he becomes a
Communist. If he is loved and
appreciated, he is a natural DEM
ocrat and patriot" And the
Makronissos movement has quick
ened the ever-reSponsive Greek
imagination and emotion.
Col. Bairaktaris, doesn't think
a dose of Communism is bad for
a nation. IF 1t survives it." Those
most infected build up an i'm
munity If you help them" he
says. And, looking at a sea of
eager faces. he asked the rhetori-
cal question, Should Greece give
up such men? On the contrary.
one can make of them the elite
of the nation"
Released by the Bell Syndicate. Incl