Zu den Inhaltsverzeichnissen
[Beilage zu SM, Nr. 41, 1942] |
[Seite: - I - ]
DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 1942
OBSERVATIONS - REPORTS - SUGGESTIONS
The Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, resident in London, have lately received a series of reports dealing with conditions in Germany during the spring and summer of this third year of the war.
The authors of these reports are men of our confidence, active members of the movement in the Reich; businessmen, men serving in the German mercantile marine, journalists and businessmen from neutral countries, who have either lived in Germany during considerable periods or visited the country on business. In some cases we quote passages from private letters: with regard to these it should be borne in mind that our correspondents use exaggerated expressions of praise and approval to camouflage reports unfavourable to the Reich and adverse criticism of the system.
A workman of Hamburg, a man of sound political training writes:
"The workers are definitely weary of the war. Contrary to those who stand to lose by defeat they do not worry about the question: 'What is going to happen if we lose the war?' Air raids are apt to wear down the morale of the population (assuming that anything of the kind should ever have existed in Hamburg).
The workers, compelled to spend their nights in the shelters instead of in their beds after ten or twelve hours work at the factories, are embittered and on the whole, inclined to lay the blame for their discomfort on the nazi gang. It is rather unfortunate that in a comparatively high number of cases bombs fell on residential houses in the working class districts of Ham-
[Seite im Original:] - II -
burg, a fact which the nazis are endeavouring to explore for their own purposes through their block wardens, who make every effort to divert the anger of the people from themselves to the wicked English. The workers are well aware that this is a war against Hitler and not against the German people, and the nazis rejoice whenever English bombs dropped on the working class districts promises to shatter this belief."
A foreign journalist, who lived in Berlin until recently reports: "Criticism and discontent are growing among the people of Berlin. Even the followers of the system and people who benefit by it view with increasing scepticism Hitler's chances of winning the war. Hitler still appears in his old aureole and still fascinates especially the masses, who pin all their faith and hope on him. Goering, too, enjoys great popularity and is the only leading man who dares to drive through the streets of Berlin unaccompanied, in an open car."
The food problem is dealt with in nearly all reports. With the exception of the foreign journalist all our correspondents write of growing difficulties in the food supply and of their serious effects on the health of the population.
The foreign journalist reports from Berlin:
"The food position is not bad. Bread is available in good quality and sufficient quantities. The feeling among the working classes is among the chief concerns of the system, and so far they have succeeded in keeping the workers in a cheerful and contented mood. Additional food allocations for factories engaged on war work are plentiful and distribution is so generous that there can be no question of any shortage. The position is more difficult with regard to fish and vegetables the marked stall being generally empty in the evening, after the factory closing hour. "This statement is not borne out by two other reports likewise from Berlin:
[Seite im Original:] - III -
"The food position in Berlin is bad. Foreign journalists get double rations, yet they can never really eat their fill, and every foreign journalist considers himself lucky if he can go to a neutral country for a spell to get fit again."
"I have just had a letter from my daughter which reached me by a rather round about route. She had enclosed her photo and as I had not seen her since 1936 it was a great shock for me to note the difference in her looks. In 1936 she was well-fed and looked fresh. Now she is terribly thin, nothing but skin and bones. Yet she has got money enough to buy any amount of food, but it seems you cannot get anything for your money in Berlin."
Other reports speak of considerable decreases of weight. A report from a town in north-western Germany says:
"As for food we are doing quite well considering the times. Whenever we meet, our first question is: What is your weight? Just imagine, H. was happy enough to go down from 95 to 70 kilograms. It's all for his good as he does not need so many points now."
"Trude has again had to stop work owing to nervous troubles. She has lost 15 kg, her present weight is 43 kg. Father, too has lost some 16 kg and I weigh 128 pounds as against my former 160. But the doctors say it does not matter."
A nine year old daughter of a Berlin worker writes:
- "Some time ago we had plenty of potatoes with sauce - a regular treat!"
A report from Danzig describes the food position in that town
as very bad:
"There is a great scarcity of food here. We rarely get the full ration to which we are entitled, simply because there isn't enough of the stuff to go round. Housewives queue up for hours on end, sometimes they line up as early a 5 a.m. When, after they have waited for hours, the shops are finally opened, only those who came first get anything, the rest have to go home empty-handed. The position in Danzig is particularly critical for a further reason: Whereas formerly there had always been
[Seite im Original:] - IV -
plentiful supplies of fresh fish, the town has to go without fish now the hauls being invariably sent to the interior of the country. Danzigers have always been great consumers of fish and owing to the meat shortage, fish plays an even greater part in their diet. Naturally the present state of things is getting on their nerves and one can hear the people grubing [!] and grousing openly in front of the shops and in the streets. Clashes have occurred between housewives and the police trying to disperse crowds of agitated women in the markets. Yet Danzig is one of the centres of German war production. At this moment the famous Schichau shipyards[1] employ 20.000 men, day and night in three shifts. The shipyards are exclusively engaged on the production of U-boats. During the last war the maximum of men employed was 5.000."
A commercial traveller from a neutral country who has thorough knowledge of conditions in Germany having lived in the country for years describes the impressions gathered on his last tour, in the spring as follows:
"Even in Nazi quarters a feeling of frustration has made considerable inroads. Apart from war production, trade is practically paralysed. Orders are either not effected at all or with enormous delays. Industrialists are angry about the state of unimportance to which they are reduced in their own factories. They say that there has never been such a degree of interference with the owner's rights, either during the last war or under the social democrats. The newly economic organisations entirely eliminates the owner's initiative. He has no influence in such matters as production, the employment and dismissal of workers. On all these questions the decision lies in the party representative (Beauftragten) and the engineers. Those who are on good terms with official Nazi quarters get raw materials and manpower. The contractor is not free to dispose of his profits, but is compelled to invest the greater part in Reich loans of every description.
[Seite im Original:] - V -
Nazi bureaucracy is all-powerful and woe to the owner or manager of a firm who dares to oppose them. At this moment all contractors with only very few exceptions are at one in deprecating such methods. There are many among them who are utterly indifferent to events. Just as it is a fact that the farmers have been cured of Nazism, the same holds good for a considerable number of industrialists and businessmen to-day. I would mention in passing that an increase in performance of 25-50% is expected as a result of certain technical improvements and measures of industrial re-organisation. The closing down of small and medium-sized firms continues. In the cigarette industry the daily output per worker has been fixed at 17.000 cigarettes, a measure that compelled nearly all small and medium-sized concerns to close down. It is significant that the discussion - oral or in writing - of post war problems and of plans for peace production are forbidden under penalties.
Another report from Berlin says:
"The industrialists and the well-to-do middleclasses hope for an English victory, as they fear, that a Hitler victory may bring bad repercussions for themselves and their property." "The Bolshevist bogey does not impress them as much as it does the political inexperienced masses of the people."
The State of mind of the army and the war-losses
The report of a foreign journalist from Berlin says:
"During April and May the call up for services at the front were very heavy. Even the most efficient skilled workers have not been left out. At present all age groups between 18 and 56 have been called up and the general opinion is, that the reserves have been used up not only for the labour market but also for services at the front. People therefore think, that if the war cannot be victoriously finished this year, then Germany will go forward towards the same end as in 1918." "At the 'voluntary fur-collection', one did not see much of any 'voluntary action'. Only the Nazis gave voluntarily, whereas the other refused to give up their last
[Seite im Original:] - VI -
woollies and furs. After several appeals had been to no avail, threats and house-searchings followed at which the last warm underthings [!] were confiscated."
A German, who has recently visited a neutral country, and who, through his former position has reliable inside knowledge about the state of mind of the army, writes: "The soldiers at the front are angry, because information of the true situation in the Hinterland are withheld from them, and the censor does not allow their relatives to tell them about their worries and difficulties. For a time, the army feeding has been very bad at the eastern front."
"Soldiers who come home on leave are in a very revolutionary mood. They behave with great self-assurance; they do not allow any officer to interfere with them, they grumble at the Government, especially at the party-bosses and at conditions at home and at the front. At picture shows, which the soldiers on leave are allowed to see, it has occurred repeatedly, that during the run of Ministry of Information pictures, soldiers laugh and hoot at specially absurd pieces of propaganda."
Very numerous is the news about killed relatives, friends and acquaintances.
A report from Berlin has this to say about the official German statements on the losses at the front:
"Nobody believes the official statements of the number of people killed. One knows that the figures are far above a million. Today, almost every German family has at least one member killed. The people can judge for themselves, how heavy the losses must be in reality."
In a letter from a harbour town in North-western Germany we read: "But we live in a great time and therefore one has to bear difficulties with patience. Our families have been scattered across the whole of Europe. My children and those of M. are in Austria, E.'s brother has died in the East."
A letter from Silesia about the beginning of this year says: "Our dear Erich has died in the
East in March. In the same week, four of E.'s pals have been killed too."
[Seite im Original:] - VII -
In the middle of May a correspondent from Berlin writes:
"We are in deep mourning. Now Paul too has died for the fatherland. In March in the East. Erna is desperate. Unfortunately we have now also learned, that our Oskar has been more seriously wounded, than we thought at first. Our father, he is only 59 years old, has had a complete breakdown. He is still working, but very often he sits around, quite absentmindedly, even his garden does not interest him any longer.
Walter is on sick leave till end of May. Arthur's illness is very serious, probably he will have to stay for a very long time in hospital (either prison or concentration camp). We heard from Hans of Rostock from Dessau. He has only slightly wounded (by the RAF raids) but there will be no question of his restarting his work yet. His family is in Dessau ..."
In a letter from Berlin from June we read:
"S. is now in hospital in Liegnitz. His wife and children are still in Cologne. We have tried in vain to get in touch with them. We hope, that they came through everything all right. Mrs. G. has committed suicide. She has not been quite normal, since her only son was killed."
From a letter from Silesia, middle of April:
"Here everything is topsy-turvy. Work, work, and again work. The long winter has made us late with the ploughing. Autumn sowings have suffered through the cold and much had to be ploughed in. It is terrible, that our best men are not here to help.
During recent weeks we had much sad news. G.'s only son has also been killed - one has to be thankful for the fact, that his mother did not live to learn of his death. The list for the new War-memorial is already als long as that of the last war 1914-18."
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
[Seite im Original:] - VIII -
A Hamburger worker writes:
"The RAF attacks undermine of course public morale. The workers who after a ten or twelve hours working day have to spend the night in cellars are very bitter, and in general this bitterness is directed against the Nazis."
Another correspondent from another northwestern harbour writes:
"We work very hard during the day and most nights we spend in the cellar."
A correspondent writes from Berlin end of May:
"Luckily we have till now been spared any visitors. We need our sleep, for with the heavy work and scanty food, sleep is the best means of restoration."
A foreign journalist writes:
"The population outside the bombed areas is told as good as nothing about the RAF attacks. The papers from these districts are immediately confiscated, as soon as they are sent outside the district. During the big attack on Cologne the detailed report of the "Koelnische Volkszeitung" has been reprinted in Swiss papers, but nothing was published in Berlin papers. Journeys to and from the bombed areas are immediately forbidden. Journalists too are not allowed to visit these places."
Two reports tell about the Rostock attacks
The first report comes from a German, who travelled into a neutral country. He says:
"In all danger zones wooded hutments have been put up, some time ago, in order to serve as emergency centres for bombed out people. It has been ordered to store in these hutments stocks of food and drinks, also whisky, so as to counteract the first shock. When the big raid on Rostock started, 20.000 to 25.000 Rostockers fled at once, many went to these wooden hutments. But there had been no serious preparation to meet an occasion like this. There was nothing to eat,
[Seite im Original:] - IX -
only a few of the refugees got a piece of stale bread. The fury of the people turned against the Nazi-bureaucracy, as it was believed, that the stocks of food and drink had originally been in the hutments, but that the Nazi bosses had stolen or sold it. Great haste was made to send the refugees to the country, but this too worked against the system, as the townspeople enlightened the peasants about the terrible effects of raids, they reported on the breakdown of the bureaucracy and about the new corruption which had come to light. These reports enraged even the usual calmness of the peasants of Pomeranian and West-Prussia. It was necessary to re-evacuate again. It is said, that 20.000 Rostock families are now in Holland."
A second letter from Rostock says:
"To keep 'law and order' a few companies of SA were at first sent to Rostock. But these SA men made it their foremost duty to steal everything that was moveable. After this, army units were brought in who had the order to act ruthlessly against the looters. The town was encircled by soldiers, and every SA man who was found looting, was shot on the spot. About 100 SA men are said to have been killed in this way."
A report from Berlin says:
"The terrorism is steadily growing. The supervision of the 'elements hostile to the State' is so close in every detail that they can act only with the utmost caution."
"The system is seriously counting upon internal unrest and revolutionary upheavals, as borne out by the fact that reports to the effect that big corner houses in every important part of Berlin are being purchased and rented are correct. Hundreds of such houses have been requisitioned and the occupiers forced to clear out. Among them are many high officers who have been evacuated regardless. All these houses are being rebuilt as SS-barracks. You see in Berlin far more uniformed SS than formerly which is also an indication of the nervosity [!] in leading Nazi circles."
[Seite im Original:] - X -
A report from Hamburg says:
" In Hamburg a motorised SS regiment is stationed at the Veddel for the "trouble" at the home front. In Fuhlsbuettel, the transitional concentration camp, 1.000 prisoners are constantly kept. Tortured people jump out of the windows of the Gestapo building at the Stadthausbruecke (Townhall Bridge).
As to the close supervision of foreign journalist a report runs: "The foreign journalists are in a very difficult position, they are all being watched very closely. Their telephone conversations are recorded and then censored. Woe to him who commits an offence. He is most strictly warned at the daily press conference, and in the case of recurrence, expelled. The expulsion is notified to the correspondent in question by the Foreign Office, and then nobody cares for him but the Gestapo. Generally he is arrested and summoned to a personal hearing connected with every possible vexation. Some journalists have been kept in custody for as long as a fortnight, in spite of diplomatic representations by their respective countries."
Oppositional Currents within the Nazi Party
With reference to the assassination of Heydrich a report from Berlin remarks:
"There is in Germany not the slightest misconception about the assassination of Heydrich. It ranks deservedly with the Reichstag fire and the outrage at the Munich Buergerbrau, and nobody doubts that Heydrich was murdered by his own friends. This is also proved by the fact that the projectiles removed from Heydrich's body by Professor Sauerbruch were of the same kind as those used by the SS. There were, however, interesting sequels e.g. in Berlin. On Wednesday the news reached B., and on the next Saturday 250 so-called 'Jewish Communists", selected at random, were arrested in their homes brought to the Lichterfelde Military Academy, and all of them shot. When relatives made inquiries, they were arrested as well and deported to the East."
[Seite im Original:] - XI -
Another report says:
"There are in Germany several terroristic groups among them also the so-called 'Organisation FETT' which includes officers. It is commonly held that the assassination of Heydrich was partly due to the activities of this group. Nobody believes the official statements as to the perpetrators in Prague. People only smile at the new 'proofs' put out from time to time by the Goebbels Radio. It is said that several hundreds of officers and intellectuals belonging to the Organisation 'FETT' had been arrested and that even executions had taken place."
A German foreign traveller, a middle class man from a North-German seaport town comments on the feeling in his circles:
"We are afraid of bolshevism. It is rumoured that the Russians recruit from German war prisoners in Russian camps an army for civil war in Germany. It is further asserted that the Russians claim parts of Eastern Poland, and that the Poles shall be compensated by the cession of German territory on the Polish western frontiers. The Oder is mentioned as frontier. In commercial circles the question is, therefore, seriously put whether in view of so uncertain prospects for the future it is still possible to dissociate oneself from Hitler. I have read Benes' speech in which a decentralised German Federal State is suggested. In view of such statements one has to ask oneself: Have we really nothing to lose?"
The Attitude of the Working Class
In a report from a former Social Democrat of a North German city we read:
"Our small group, established in 1933 for the carrying on of underground activities is still in being. The long working hours and the generally very oppressive conditions do not, however, allow us to meet frequently. What oppresses us most is the fact that we are entirely left to ourselves. It is true, we often listen in to
[Seite im Original:] - XII -
British broadcasts, but we miss news dealing with the building up of a new Germany. From the middle class the new Germany has to expect nothing, it is too firmly allied with Hitlerism. It will be the workman who will create the new Germany, and therefore we ask ourselves again and again with apprehension why is it, that we don't hear the voices of known Socialist exiles? Are they not aware of the task which faces them over there!"
A Social Democrat who had been politically active in a large German town until he emigrated; and who is now living in a neutral country overseas, has re-established contact by correspondence with his father. The father had served a term of several years penal servitude for his underground activities. In spite of that he has not only at once re-established contacts with his son, but through his intervention a number of friends have come forward who, in their letters, make it clear that their opinions have not changed, and that they count upon the dictatorship coming to an early end.
In another case we have the letter of a Social Democrat who had, immediately after Hitler's seizure of power, been active in an underground group, and had also, on several occasions, tried to establish personal contact with the exiled functionaries of the party. At that time he was very pessimistic as to how long the dictatorship would last, and he did not believe in a speedy overthrow. Now he has reported again, and expressed the hope that he would soon see his friends again. Similar utterances occur in numerous personal letters from formerly active Social Democrats, living in various parts of the Reich.
Comments on the Propaganda of the BBC
We have already quoted the report of a Social Democrat from Northern Germany calling for an increased share in the BBC propaganda to Germany of leading German socialists. There is another case of a German sailor inquiring after the wavelength used by the representatives of the German labour movement abroad.
[Seite im Original:] - XIII -
A report from Berlin says:
"The German broadcasts of the BBC are frequently heard. In certain quarters, however, the so-called 'Schweinesender' Gustav Siegfried 1[2] attracts much attention. Originally rumours were put about from official quarters that it was a transmitter of lies. When, however, one day a case of large scale corruption that had been rigidly kept secret was communicated, and that by giving names, the opinion prevailed that it was a transmitter established somewhere in occupied territory by higher officers or oppositional Nazis.
As for the English broadcasts, they are said to be lacking in vigour and do not deal sufficiently with the German official lies.
More news should also be given as to the bombing of German towns as the population outside the bombed areas hear nothing about them."
One of our men, active in the frontier zone,
on the strength of his conversations with his informants from Germany, sums up has opinion regarding the BBC propaganda as follows:
"Why is there no recognised Free German Committee, which could be composed of leading social democrats and other upright German anti-fascists as, e.g., Thomas Mann? As far as our reports go it was the luckiest idea of the B.B.C. to transmit the speeches of Thomas Mann.
Germans must make the appeal, that is impressive. After all, Germany is a country occupied by tyrants, just as the invaded countries.
The RAF should continue to drop leaflets.
The Germans realise now the importance of the RAF, and the dropping of leaflets can no longer be interpreted as a sign of weakness.
Besides, it would be a good idea to bomb, e.g. in Hamburg, the Nazi palaces on the Alster; while the workers should be stiffened in their resistance to the Regime by dropping encouraging propaganda leaflets. It would be of great importance if also leaflets
[Seite im Original:] - XIV -
written by the Executive of the German Social Democratic Party, the largest German party, were dropped.
We emphasize that those leaflets will make the strongest impression that do not emanate from official quarters, but from Germans so as to make the country alive to the fact that there are forces abroad who, as Germans and anti-Hitlerites, are already now working for the future of Germany. Again and again the question is anxiously put who will be in a position to tackle the task of reconstruction after Hitler has been overthrown."
Towards the end of July 1942 a functionary of our party, at present resident in a neutral country, had a long talk with a Berlin businessman travelling abroad on business.
The visitor's outlook was rather pessimistic. He painted the future of Germany in the darkest colours. Neither he nor any of his friends, he said, believed in Germany's final victory. He hardly got a night's rest.
He was greatly worried about the "labour service", which, according to him, was bound to come. In the course of conversation it became clear that what he was thinking of was not compulsory labour service in Germany under the nazis, he himself being beyond the age limit, but compulsory labour for the reconstruction of the occupied countries would be imposed upon the Germans after the war.
"Just think of France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Poland and above all, Russia", he said. "Do you really imagine they'll treat us differently from the way we treat people in those countries." To my objection that the labour required for the work of reconstruction would be chiefly recruited among the nazis, he replied that there were not enough nazis to achieve the task.
[Seite im Original:] - XV -
And besides everybody was already trying to provide proof that he had never been a national-socialist or a follower of Hitler at heart.
People were especially seeking contact with former social democrats and had a habit of mentioning in passing that they had always disapproved of the nazis.
Complete indifference prevailed in the masses with regard to everything connected with the war. Hardly anyone listened to the official communiqués or to reports of war correspondents.
In the tramways and trains passengers reading news - papers were rare exceptions.
Americas entry into the war had destroyed the hope of victory even among those who had believed in a decisive victory by Hitler.
The peoples' chief topic is food, clothing and the like. Their chief concern is to spend the money they earn as quickly as possible because nobody believes in assurances to the effect that this time there will be no inflation in Germany.
The food position is bad. At the end of June potatoes had practically disappeared. People are constantly hungry and for some time they have also been poorly dressed.
Nobody believes in the official casualty figures. There is hardly a family not affected by the loss of a member. Efforts are being made to keep the workers quiet by extra food rations. They always get something to eat at the work canteens, even though food is scarce in the markets.
The soldiers who came home on leave last winter did not mince their words. At present all leaves have been stopped. Heavier and more frequent air raids also in parts of the Reich not affected so far are expected in the autumn.
"We do not delude ourselves! Reports from western Germany show what we are in for.
The lucky one may even survive."
- . - . - o - O - o - . - . -
[Seite: - XVI - ]
Supplement
to the "Sozialistische Mitteilungen"
News for German Socialists in England
Issued by the London Representative
of the German Social Democratic Party,
33, Fernside Avenue, London, N.W. 7
"Sozialistische Mitteilungen" has been a regular source of information for German Social Democrats in Great Britain and has also found many readers in oversea countries. The first issues of the SM appeared shortly after the outbreak of war. It has been the only German periodical in Great Britain, the publication of which has never been interrupted during all this time, in spite of countless difficulties and the ever rising prices of paper, stencils, printing ink, postage etc. All the money needed for this purpose had to be raised by appeals to our readers and friends.
[Spendenaufruf]
Contributions
towards the costs of these newsletters
will be received with gratitude by
Wilh. Sander,
33, Fernside Avenue,
London NW7.
Zu den Inhaltsverzeichnissen