Nazis Take Food Rumanians Should Have

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 2, 3 January 1941, Page 5

Nazis Take Food Rumanians Should Have

“Rumania as we knew it has gone; everywhere there are hundreds of Nazi

soldiers, in the best hotels and restaurants; they take the food that our awn people should have, and they order our army officers about. As if this were not enough, tho earthquake has ruined our most beautiful buildings.’’ This is tho sad description of her country given by a Rumanian, Mrs. L. Handel, who, with her husband, formerly an architect in Bucharest, arrived in {Sydney recently by air.

“Food and other necessities are now five times us expensive as they used to be,’’ said Mrs. Handel. “We could only get meat twice a week at the end, and had to stand by and watch food being sent to Germany by the Nazi soldiers Each week every soldier was permitted to send home a case containing 50 kilos, roughly 1001 b. weight, of food. Life under these conditions was not good enough for us, so we decided to come to Australia.’’

Mr. and Mrs. Handel were allowed to take only £1 each away from the country, and would never have got to Australia if they had not had money in vested abroad. Jewellery, furs and all other valuables had to bo left behind, in addition to. their three motor cars and the house with everything in it. “Even the ash-trays are still there in their places,’’ said Mrs. Handel. “Our luggage was searched many times before we eventually got away through Bulgaria.’’

They had reached Istanbul when they heard from Mr. Handel’s brother his eye-witness account of the disastrous earthquake, which destroyed among other buildings, an apartment house with twelve floors, killing 400 of the tenants.