Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1945 MUST THEY DIE?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 29 November 1945, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1945 MUST THEY DIE?

THOUGH the number is staggering to contemplate at least five million people seem destined to die from cold and starvation during this European winter of war’s cruel aftermath unless they can, in some way, b e succoured without delay. Most of these are German children on whom fate is now visitifig the sins of their elders, for Germany in her first winter of peace is likely to be more thoroughly distressed than ever her civil population was during the war years, A situation which promised to prove unmanageable under the most favourable conditions has got completely out of hand by the wholesale shovelling out of people from the dispossessed areas of the conquered Reich and the Russian-occupied zone into the British and American zones, where these displaced myriads clutter up the roads and wander ragged and hungry over the countryside without a place to lay their heads. The full story of their miseries has not been disclosed. Relief organisations are doing their best to cope with the victims of these mass migrations which, in response to repeated representations, are being toned down to some extent, but much of th e harm, has already been done. In its zone the British Army has just handed over responsibility for this giant task to UNRRA. The saddest part is to think that the heaviest retribution for Nazi madness has to be exacted in young lives whose crime is that they ar e th e sons and daughters of men and women who helped to prop up th e house that Hitler built. If they could be rescued and taken to a place of refuge so that body and soul could b e kept together during the time of deep crisis they might be brought up to become useful citizens of some adopted country like New Zealand, which so badly needs young settlers. In a new environment they could be Cleansed, of th e taint of Nazism. It may be said that, since Germany has brought such trouble o'n the world, her adult citizens must share in the consequences, regrettable as they are. Neglect to take all measures possible to save the children, qyen to sending them away from Germany for good, is not only to ignore the cries of the distressed but to waste a precious human asset.

An offer by New Zealand to adopt, say, 5000 of them, and assume responsibility for their care forthwith woulcf, if accepted, be a more positive act of assistance than anything we could hope to accomplish through such worthy organisations as UNRRA and CORSO. For this country it would also bg an investment we do not very often get the chance of making.