UPRISING PREDICTED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1943, Page 4

UPRISING PREDICTED

DECLINE IN MORALE

(0.(3.) SYDNEY, Jan- 8. Back in Australia after being detained in Germany for three years, Mr, Hermann Nibbe, aged «G, of Sydney, tolcl of the worsening of German living1 conditions and morale, People in Hamburg, where Wjp, Nibbe stayed, predicted that the Germans will rise and "slit the Nazis' throats," Mr- Nibbe was born in Hamburg, but came ta Australia at the age of 241 [and became a naturalised Australian, With his daughter Kathleen he went on a business trip to Germany in! | April, 1939, arriving in July, He planned to return in November, 1939. After war broke out, he and his daughter j remained in Estebrugge, a village £5 miles from Hamburg, until October 23 last year. Mr. Nibbe said that Ham* burg people believed that a rising against Hitler would bring the war to an end, They claimed that the first | outbreak would be in Hamburg. Mr, Nibbe said he saw no evidence ; of organised Communist or Socialist parties in Hamburg, but more Hamburg people were against Hitler than for him. "During the time we were in Germany we saw a gradual deterioration in living conditions and morale," Mr, Nibbe added. "War was not welcomed by the people, but after the fall of France, in May, 1940, everyone believed the Axis would win- First it was 'next month," then 'Christmas.' But when we left people did not seem to visualise the war ever ending. Yet they wanted only peace. ,

"After wa,r broke, out there was a lot of dealing on the black market," Mr. Nibbe sa,*d, "But in the,last year placH markets had disappeared—not because of penalties, including the death penalty) bw| because no one had food to sell. Everyone is living on potatoes. There is an abundance of potatoes, but little'else. The weekly ration includes a few ounces of meat and fish and a jew ounces of butter. Even the. sick, are not given fresh milk." J8.8.0. LISTENED TO. Mr. Nibbe said that, despite the death penalty for listening-in to foreign broadcasts, people regularly listened to the 8,8, C The Nazis have their spies everywhere," he said, 'Yet on my monthly Visits to Jfamburg I heard from friends stories of .what the British were doing and saying." Mr. Nibbe said the greatest blow of the war for Hamburg people was when Germany declared war on Russia in June, 1941. Most people in.the city had been supporters of the Social-Democratic Party before Hitler came to power, and they still respected Moscow. British air raids had alsq struck a blow at morale, particularly the 1000-bomber raid on July 27 last year, "The Nazis seemed frightened of the effect of the raids on moral?," he said. "They tried to make everything look bright and norma.l after the raids. Food and goods had to be displayed in the shop windows, but they were for show and not for sale." Mr. Nibbe said he read in German papers that Australia would be annexed either by Japan or America. The people disliked the Japanese, and were not grateful when they entered the war on Germany's side. Members of the Nazi Party still blindly believed in Hitler. "When I was leaving Germany an officer told me I was foolish to return to Australia, because there was no food there," said Mr. Nibbe. <(It would have been useless for me to reply." •