INSIDE GERMANY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25029, 20 October 1944, Page 7

INSIDE GERMANY

HUNGER, FEAR, RUIN STORY TOLD BY PRISONER (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent) 7 GAMBETTOLA, Oct. 16 3 "Eighty per cent of Berlin is de- / stroyed. My old home near the Olympic r Stadium is no more. For 50 kilometres l there is just nothing," said a German f prisoner taken by a southern battalio.i i north of Gambettola today. He should d know, for he passed through Berlin on his vi°hy from Denmark to Italy in - September. * This man, an ex-journalist, told a t- tale of life in Gormany. "There are ' only two classes, party and non-party," . he said. "Germans are not permitted s to change their profession. If my father r is a butcher. I am a butcher. Four 7 years before the war Nazis changed " this, but not for the better. They wanted metalworkers for bombs and cannon, so by decrees they made men metalworkers. In July, 1939, I received 3 a command to report for three months' - military training. That was five years - and three months ago, and 1 am still • in uniform." The prisoner said ho had served in - France. Russia, Belgium, Norway and t Denmark. When the pressure was on > in Italy he was withdrawn from garc rison duty in Denmark and sent to the V Adriatic front. That was 14 days ago. "This morning I talk to the men of my company," lie continued, "and * t say we can never win without guns. • planes and petrol. Last week we had 1 rations every two days. Yesterday we r were issued a big bag each. I ask why. An officer tells mo there is no more petrol. We must retreat across Italy, 3 carrying our own food. 1 "There is hunger fear and ruin in -) Germany," said the prisoner. "Always t bombs come. No one now believes we 5 ran possibly win. There are only the fanatics of the party. Here they hound 3 us into the line. No one believes anything any more. They say is it a fact 3 -«r propaganda. It is too much." i _____