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[Beilage 3 zu SM, Nr. 44, 1942] |
[Seite: - I - ]
DURING THE AUTUMN OF 1942
INSIDE INFORMATION and REPORTS |
The latest reports on the situation in Hitlerite Germany at the beginning of the fourth year of war that have reached the Executive of the
German Social Democratic Party, resident in London,
come from a great variety of observers. From German seamen, German businessmen, German workers, a German army doctor, and a personality in diplomatic service who had the opportunity of travelling in Germany and occupied France. They give the following particulars:
The General Morale
The Fear of the Consequences of Defeat
Military Situation and Morale of the Army
Mustering of the Seventeen Years Old
The Effects of the R.A.F. Bombing Attacks
The lack of Manpower
Workers and Prisoners of War
Living Conditions
Care for Expectant Mothers
Holland under the Nazi Yoke
[Seite im Original:] - II -
The morale of the civilian population is poor throughout. People try to get rid of their worries by theatre or cinemagoing as often as the purse will allow.
A German customs official in a North-German sea town told the captain of a neutral steamer:
"If the general feeling were the same in the whole Reich as it is here the war would have been terminated long ago. The Nazis have already abandoned the fight against the criticism which makes itself felt everywhere. What still maintains order here is the presence of the SS and the fact that nobody knows what is going on in the other parts of the Reich."
A cabin-boy of 19 who a year ago had come to a neutral port on a German sailing vessel had at that time defended the Hitler dictatorship, and had been absolutely convinced of Hitler's certain victory. Now again coming to the same town his confidence was gone, and he applied for help to escape the dictatorship. Reminded of the danger such talk might mean for him he said:
"What can happen? It can't be worse than being hit on the head by a British bomb."
There are fresh reports on the unchanged solidarity of former members of the German labour movement, Trade Unionists and Social Democrats.
In these quarters the hope for a speedy overthrow of the regime has grown with the deterioration of the situation.
One report says
"We have great hope that this terrible war will soon come to an end. This time, however, the war criminals must not get off scot-free. We are already gladly looking forward to having you with us next year ..."
[Seite im Original:] - III -
A German army doctor, in a talk with a friend and colleague now living in a neutral country said:
"We cannot afford to lose the war lest we should all be lost. If the Russians and the British occupy Germany everybody who was a member of the NSDAP will be killed."
It was very difficult to convince the man that he had become a victim of the Goebbels propaganda and that his apprehensions had no foundation in the allied war aims as far as the masses of the German people were concerned. Finally, the doctor said: "Perhaps I shall live to see that we can talk freely and travel again."
In Hamburg business circles the question was put:
"We have never been Nazis. But we have no idea what may come after Hitler. If we lose the war, where will the Russian armies stand, or where can they be stopped?"
A businessman from an industrial town in Baden commented on the state of mind among his colleagues. One cursed now the day when one joined the Nazis. One cursed in business circles. Nobody believed any longer in Hitler's victory. One feared the worst for Germany's future. The only hope was to try and convice the English and Americans that today the great majority of the German people were not Nazis. This fact was only obscured by the strong power of the SA and SS which still prevented people from offering resistance.
It would come to light later on how many opponents of the Nazis had been murdered in recent years without the world noticing it.
A Swedish businessman who visited Germany in the latter part of summer reports that there was general war-weariness. Not only civilians, but also soldiers said that they were thoroughly fed up.
[Seite im Original:] - IV -
The fact that united resistance still continued was explained by the fear of Russia. The fear of an occupation by the Russians and of Russian revenge was the real cause of the attitude of the German soldiers.
It was astonishing how well people in Germany were informed of the contents of the German transmissions of the British radio, and that in spite of all threats and penalties.
A large part of the occupying forces in France consists of young soldiers of 18 and 19 years who are still being trained in recruiting depots. Seasoned troops of older men are concentrated in the larger towns. Here are also SS-formations of various arms. Recently the military power of the occupation army has been impressed upon the people of Paris by a great parade.
Higher German officers assumed in September that after the fall of Stalingrad which they took for granted no further offensive operations would take place in the East, but that the Luftwaffe would be concentrated in the West for new heavy raids on England.
Soldiers on leave from the front are generally rather impressed. If they discuss the situation at the front at all, they do so without enthusiasm and without elan. They feel that the advance is too slow.
A body of German soldiers, commanded by three officers was stopped by the Swedish frontier guards on Swedish territory near the Norwegian frontier. All the members of the troop stated at first that they had "gone astray". When they were directed back to the Norwegian frontier they again agreed in stating that a return to Norway was out of the question since according to the Hague Convention they would have to be interned in Sweden.
Recently a German military airplane had to make a forced landing in Sweden. From a thorough examination of the machine it appeared that the material used for the craft was of very poor quality and brittle.
[Seite im Original:] - V -
It is reported from Berlin that juveniles completing their seventeenth year this year, that is to say part of whom are only sixteen, have been mustered into military service in August.
This information is confirmed by reports from Silesia and other parts of the Reich.
From one of these reports it appears that apprentices in this age group are allowed to pass their apprentices' examination before their apprenticeship has been terminated. Juveniles who had intended to attend a technical school after completing their practical training have been told that there would be no point in commencing a study of that kind as they would be called up shortly. The impression made on the population by this measure is particularly bad because it is generally remembered that the call-up of the eighteen years old in 1918 proved to be the last emergency measure before the break-down 1918.
In Cologne the devastations are very heavy. Beginning from the Hohenzollern Bridge which has not been damaged everything on the left bank of the Rhine has been destroyed. The dome is standing amidst a heap of debris. The people are sullen and partly demented. Large numbers are homeless, they are half starved and frozen. There have already been demonstrations by women who cannot buy anything in the market, supplies having been stopped. The authorities are powerless in view of the chaos. Cologne was entirely cut off from the world for four weeks after the big raid. Nobody was allowed to leave or to enter. The general ban has now been lifted, but for journey to Cologne special permission is still required. It is granted only in urgent cases.
[Seite im Original:] - VI -
In the Rhineland the faith in Hitler's victory has dwindled. The former confidence has given way to widespread apathy. It does not make any difference whether we become Belgian or French, if only we get rid of the brown gang. What remains is fear of terrorism. The man in the street is embittered and reserved. Fear of denunciations silences him.
A great industrialist from the German West while on a visit to a neutral country said of the effects of the R.A.F. raids:
"The English bombing attacks are terrible. If they continue we shall lose our wits. My workers have refused to work by night, they simply are no longer able to do it."
His desire during his stay abroad was: let me have a sound sleep first of all.
A sailor who spent some hours on leave in Bremerhaven was deeply impressed by the great extent of the destructions.
Everywhere in the city destroyed or burnt out houses were to be seen. The population were depressed. In discussions with Germans at inns the main topic was the lack of shoes, clothing, washing materials, and sweets.
From Rostock comes a fresh report on a mutiny in connection with the big R.A.F. raid. It is asserted that the mutiny of an infantry battalion stationed at Rostock refused to cooperate in extinguishing fires and in policing duties. After the raid many members of this battalion were shot by Berlin SS men. The report comes from a member of one of the SS groups involved.
In Bremen and Hamburg the air raids led to a complete disruption of the food supply. The attacks disorganise everything. Railwaymen and transport workers are required to do superhuman work for days after the raids in order to restore at least normal traffic.
Debris clearance and demolition of bombed houses have been abandoned long ago.
[Seite im Original:] - VII -
A German captain relates that he no longer likes to go ashore in Hamburg because he cannot find there the relaxation necessary after a strenuous voyage.
The main topic of conversation is the raids, and above all the heavy casualties. During one of the recent raids many people were buried in a badly constructed underground shelter of a large tenement house.
There are complaints not only about these "death-traps, but also about the fact that on the occasion of the latest big raid most of the auxiliaries had been sent to the villas and palaces in the residential quarters on the Alster and of Harvesterhude, while in the densely populated Eppendorf and the "Hoheluftviertel" the civil defence personnel were left almost alone.
German seamen complain about the growing difficulties of their work in consequence of the destruction in the docks.
In Hamburg and Bremen e.g. the loading and unloading of ships has been seriously hampered because adequate installations which would allow smooth work are lacking. Also the delivery of goods for loading has become so irregular that delay is inevitable.
In Nordenham and Hamburg, and probably in other German seaport towns, young Russians of 13 to 17 years are being employed in loading ships with coal. The work which is extraordinarily heavy is carried out by the feeble and emaciated boys under strict supervision of the SA and SS. The working time is 12 hours.
The boys are clad in rags and barefoot. They sleep in baracks [!] in the harbour district. Their daily ration consists of two plates of thin soup and 60 grams of bread. Offal from the kitchens of neutral ships are ravenously devoured.
The boys are promised that they will be sent back home after six months. Most of them will never see their homeland which now appears to them a "paradise".
[Seite im Original:] - VIII -
On German merchantships
there is a great deficiency in trained personnel. The crews consist of a large part of young people under 20. On one steamer the cook was 14, one ordinary seaman 14, and one able-bodied seaman 17.
The morale of the few older men is low.
A German pilot told the Captain of a neutral steamer:
"There are fewer and fewer Nazis. Our only desire is peace, at any cost."
Reports from an important centre of the armament industry in Thuringia state that old people who had already been found unfit for work are again being engaged for work.
Old Age and disabled pensioners have been medically examined, and many of them found quite fit for work. A man who had been drawing old age pension for four years has now to work twelve hours a day.
Many families with several working members are earning large sums, but they don't know how to spend the money as there is nothing to buy.
People invest it in Reich Loans, adding ironically:
"The Fuehrer assures us that there will be no inflation after this war, and we believe what he says."
Of Russian workmen in German factories it is reported that they are keeping their canteens in such exemplary order that German workers are discussing the question of how this tallies with Hitler's assertion that the Russians are dirty und uncivilized people.
[Spendenaufruf]
Contributions
towards the costs of these reports will be received with gratitude by
Wilhelm Sander
33, Fernside Avenue, London, NW7.
[Seite im Original:] - IX -
At the Hamburg inland harbour (Millwerder).
Polish prisoners of war were employed in unloading sugar. During the mid-day break while the prisoners ate their margarine and bread the dockers gave them cigarettes and fruit in defiance of the orders to the contrary. The guards pretended to see nothing.
The workers of a spinning-combine in North Germany, mostly women of Polish descent, but German subjects, demanded an increase in the piece-wages as the deterioration of material prevented them from reaching the former standard.
The representative of the Labour Front tried by threats to make them withdraw their demands.
The women did not give in and claimed the increase as added help for their children. Finally the demands were partly met, and no arrests were made.
In spite of certain improvements, nutritions was worse this summer than a year ago.
Scarcity of clothing has again increased. Cloth fabric, stockings and other clothing is unobtainable event at high prices. A mother in the Sudetenland wrote to relations in a neutral country asking them to send a pair of stockings for her child.
It was impossible, she said, to obtain them on the spot. The authorities had put her again and again. It was also impossible to buy a new umbrella.
[Seite im Original:] - X -
A young woman in the ninth month of pregnancy reports from Berlin:
"After many efforts I have succeeded in collecting from acquaintances a minimum of napkins and some baby's wear. It took me a long time to find a maternity home willing to accept me.
They do not however provide for the washing of the napkins and the baby's wear as they lack material and personnel. My mother-in-law has to come for the laundry every day and to attend to it. My health is not good. The food I am getting now does not agree with me. I hope, however, that there will be a change for the better as I now get a pint of milk per day."
A neutral sailor who called at the Dutch port of Delfzyl this summer comments on the deep hatred of the Germans among Dutch longshoremen.
The Germans are plundering the country in such a way that the native population are unable to get even the food to which they are entitled.
There is a strict German control of the home production of food. On every estate the milking is being controlled by the Germans.
Longshoremen and other inhabitants came daily to see the neutral ship trying to buy from the crew at least some bread. Besides that washing materials and soap were in great demand.
(Reports by the Executive Committee of the
Social Democratic Party of Germany,
published November, 1942)
Issued by the London Representative of the German Social
Democratic Party, 33, Fernside Avenue, London N.W.7.
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