NORWEGIAN PRISONERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24826, 28 January 1942, Page 5

NORWEGIAN PRISONERS

GHASTLY CONDITIONS BRUTAL NAZI METHODS (Rec, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, Jan. 20. Further eviaence of Germany’s failure to establish a durable European system is seen in Swedish opinion. An article on January 16 in the Hamburger Tageblatt said that Sweden could not stand aside from European politics, since Scandinavia is a part of Europe, and even if Sweden did not want to participate in the actual fighting against Communism there was no need to seclude herself from the present trend of the European spirit. What the Swedish people really think of the present trend of the “European spirit” is demonstrated by the editorials in several leading Swedish newspapers on January 2 and 22. The Nordens Frihit said: “ Investigations have proved that present events in Norwegian prisons are far more ghastly than can be described in Swedish papers. Our people are therefore ignorant of this revival of the Middle Ages among our sorelytried Norwegian neighbour.” The Dagens Nyheter said: “ Some Norwegian citizens above suspicion of taking part in anti-German activities have called the German authorities’ attention to the methods used against Norwegians who nave been arrested or examined by the secret police. They emphasised vhat the methods are contrary to all humanity and unworthy of a cultured society. Descriptions of the conditions in the prisons and concentration camps which are circulating among the Norwegians can hardly be disregarded by the authorities. The police have ' intervened against rumour-mongers, but repeated appeals from responsible Norwegians cannot be completely ignored.”

The Stockholm Tidningen said: "It is reported that Professor Seips started his punishment by being confined to a dark cell on January 3 or 4. It is frightful to imagine his fate.”