A "NAZI COLLEGE"

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 232, 2 October 1933, Page 5

A "NAZI COLLEGE"

LAND WITHOUT SMILES - TEACHING FAITH TO "STUDENTS." CONCENTRATION CAMP VISIT. (By a Special Correspondent.) DACHAU, Bavaria, August 25. The educational concentration camps of ISTazi Germany are apparently destined to beconfe permanent institutions, designed to crush in the bud any opposition and teach the misguided the only true national religion. This is evident at Bachau, where considerable construction is going on that is to convert the j camp from a revolutionary makeshift to an established "Nazi College." Among the new construction work are a prisoners' hospital, a mess hall for the guards, and a 'big swimming pool to be used alternatively by prisoners and guards. Herr Eicke, the Commandant," says the biggest problem of the camp is to find enough, work to occupy all the prisoners. "Ordinarily only half the prisoners are employed at one time," he explained, and Herr Lippert, the deputy-command-ant, added that the average working week for the prisoners was approximately 20 hours. Both insisted that the prisoners welcomed work as a relief from monotony. On one point both were vague, how they kept discipline among the prisoners, both insisting "the men keep discipline among themselves," but Herr Lippert explained that some of the privileges granted prisoners were denied to the unruly and they were forced to work beyond houre. "The spirit of the men is satisfactory now," Herr Eicke declared. "It was not so in the beginning. Then political rivalries were still hot and there was some trouble. ' , . ~

" We Have Had Two Deaths." The Nazi leaders have issued frequent stern warnings against mistreatment of prisoners, which may have helped to improve the situation. But remembering notices in the Press of prisoners being shot "while trying to escape" and mindful of persistent rumour in Munich that seven men have been shot at Dachau, I asked for the truth. "We have had two deaths here," Herr Eicke replied. "One prisoner attacked a guard with a knife and was shot down. Another, a major who had been spying in our ranks, killed himself in his cell." This revealed that besides the barracks there were disciplinary cells which, however, were not shown to me. A prisoner was asked whether he had any complaints. "Xo," he replied. "Of course, there are two things that trouble Uβ; we do not know how long we shall be kept here, and we are separated from our families. But the food and treatment are as good as can be expected." The prisoner was an electrician, who up to a year ago was a member of the Hitler Storm Troops, had then been expelled and later arrested. Asked whether he knew why, he answered: "Xo, I don't. The warrant eimply said that I was being taken in protective arrest for the sake of my health and safety." Herr Lippert said later: "Of course, all eay they have not done anything. But I presume that the reason that led to his expulsion also led to his arrest. Aβ a matter of fact, 75 per cent of the men here have prison records, averaging three years a prisoner." Not Enough to Eat.. I tried again with a group gathered around a chese table. Finally an intel-lectual-looking prisoner with a vandyke beard and glasses spoke up. "We don't get enough to eat," he said. There was a moment of consternation, but the speaker continued doggedly: "Xo, we do npt get enough. If I did not get something from home, I could not stand it. And what I get from home my family saves from its own mouths, for it cannot live on the few pfennigs it gets for support, either." Another prisoner spoke up: "Yes, that is a general complaint, especially among the younger fellows, who work hard." Deciding to cheek on the food, I asked to sec the kitchen. Approximately 50 men were at work, some cooking and I most peeling potatoes. .From the weekfsl

menus I picked out a typical one, as follows:—Morning, coffee with sugar; noon, goulash, 80 grammes of mixed beef. and pork, with 250 grammes of white beans; evening, 100 grammes of a mixture of blood liver and trail and tea with sugar; daily, 500 grammes of bread. In the hospital I found only eight beds occupied, and Herr Eicke and Herr Lippert said the average was never above 10, or approximately one half per cent of the total. Talks with the two commandants convinced me that both honestly and sincerely believe their task is pedagogic rather than punitive, and that both feel sincerely sorry for the non-Xazis who have not yet found the true faith. But the final impression that I took from the camp showed that the true faith was considerably easier on those on the right side of the barbed wire. I was taken to the new swimming pool, the camp's prize exhibit. Here a num: ber of Hitler guards were spending a frolicsome afternoon. And that was the only laughter I found in this land withj out smiles.—(X.A.X.A.)