INTERNAL DISCORD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23947, 24 October 1939, Page 6

INTERNAL DISCORD

NAZI PROTECTIVE MEASURES ENSURING "BURIAL-GROUND CALM » RESPONSIBILITY OF GESTAPO " By this means it is hoped to ensure burial-ground calm and entire resignation on the part of the German people, but they will be very mistaken, never fear." This significant sentence (states the Christchurch Star-Sun) appears in a bulletin dealing with Germany's preparations for the "internal" battlefront, received by Mr J. S. Barnett, from the headquarters of the International Federation of Trades Unions. " The Third Reich makes its.preparations to protect itself in the event of war, from the ' national comrades,' who, it is assumed, will be opponents of the system," states the bulletin. "Not simply the former opponents of the system, but also the fault-finders in their own ranks are included in this latest measure. " One of our confidential agents in Berlin writes us, on this point: 'Concentration camp authorities have received notice to make preparations to be ready to accommodate an increase of 60,000 prisoners.'

Arrests to a Plan " We have also received, from a wellinformed source, the following report on this question: In order to be ready, in the event of war, to carry out arrests according to a plan, extensive preparations have been going on for some weeks. A special relief service has been set up in the Gestapo for this purpose. Persons With juristic training have been commandeered for the work. They have been given particular instruction for the work by means of special courses. They are sent to places where they are unknown, or little known. " Their task is to make a card index of all unreliable elements. They have to secure the following information:— (1) Where XY lived from 1932 up to the present date? (2) Has he maintained relations with the people with whom, formerly, similarity of political ideas linked him? (3) Where has he been working in the interim? (4) When he was not working m a factory, what did he do, and what did he live on? (5) What are the opinions given about him by his house steward, his district group leader, and his Labour Front cell leader (6) What are the opinions held about him by his neighbours and his workmates, in so far as they are reliable party members?

Previous Life Nosed Out

"For the purposes of information, use is made of the particulars seized in 1933, and now available in the Labour Front and the Nazi offices. In addition, it is stated whether records of the person concerned are in the hands of the police or the courts; then, where necessary, trials in which the person concerned has figured, before the regular courts or otherwise. The fate of the person whose previous life has been nosed out in this way depends, in the event of war. on the verdict of the investigator. " The cards are subdivided into three sections after they have been marked with a suitable cypher. First there are supervised Labour communities in which are to be placed former trade union officials and others who so far have given no certain proofs of a change of mind. , .

" Then older people whose reliability cannot be definitely established will be accommodated on large estates or properties of the State. Thirdly, there will be Labour companies, subject to supervision by the military police. This is to include the more dangerous persons, former, trade union and party officials, grumblers, etc. Finally, there will be concentration camps for those who do not fall into any of the ■ previous categories." The bulletin was issued from the federation offices in Paris on August 16. approximately a fortnight before the outbreak of war.