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Concentration Camps Turned Men Into Brutes Prisoners Who Survived Cruelties Eventually Adopted Ways of Their Sadistic Guardians. By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator.~ (TUl U U. Mcoad Article aa poatnar G?i ?arm." mcthodlcaUy applied to Um older G ? ?n ike aotl-NaxI element vhlcb yaaUy com WNC Service, Union Trust Building ? Washington, D. C. ti In my preceding column I de- P scribed the state of mind of the mid- * die-aged German who had been b anti-Nazi or at least had no con nections with the Nazi party. A a study of the gestapo methods has 11 revealed that it was planned defl- a nitely to destroy initiative and indi- P viduality. This has greatly compli cated the work of the American ad- J1 ministration of occupied Germany. ~ As I said, the gestapo made use " of a definite system of "planned terror." It will, I realize, be somewhat dif ficult for a person living in a demo cratic country to grasp the extent to which such methods could be ap plied. First, we must realize that a totalitarian government is the abso lute antithesis of a democracy. In a democracy the individual is the unit. The state exists for the individ ual. Under Nazi-Fascist totalitarian ism, it is not enough to say that the individual exists for the state. The individual aa a concept does not exist at all. "The Fascist conception of the state," said Mussolini, "is all embracing; outside of it no human ate aniriiiinl italnaa nan awSai " It was the flrit task of the Nazis to destroy this concept of indi viduality. The terror was a part of the method employed. Purpose Wat to Break WiU to Renet Bruno Bettelhelm, author of "My Life in Nazi Concentration Camps," testifies to the purpose of the camps and the achievement of this purpose by the gestapo from his own experi ences. He says that among the aims were these: I. To break the prisoners as indi viduals and convert them into docile masses from which no individual or (roup act of resistance could arise. 3. To spread terror among the rest of the population by: a. Using the prisoners as hos tages; b. Demonstrating to them what happened to those who opposed Nazi rulers. 3. To provide gestapo members with a training ground so they could: A. Lnaa all human attituriaa and I emotions; i b. Learn the most effective < ways of breaking civilian resist- < ance. ' 4. To provide a laboratory in which the gestapo could study the i effectiveness of torture, minimum < nourishment and medical care, and ? normal activities plus hard labor. | The general purpose, of course, i was to create a civilian population i of maximum benefit to the Nazi < ?late. ] The author's study of prisoners, i conducted under the camp regime, supplemented by a careful self- i analysis, leads him to believe that | the camp treatment resulted in either death or an adaptation to camp life. The prisoner Anally ac- , cepted his position and even came to imitate the gestapo in manner and conduct. This seems a logical progression when we know that the gestapo themselves in their training were submitted to tortures almost equal to those inflicted on the prisoners. One of the gestapo games, the au thor relates, was for two of them to stand up and beat each other. The one who stood the longest, won. Old prisoners who were thor ough Uy "changed" were said tq in dulge in the same sport among themselves. Many Wart Killed, Or Were Soicidta Bettelhelm describes the three Stages through which the prison era passed. The first is the arrest; the second is transportation to the camp, which is the hardest to bear, he, says. The last is prison life; after a period of transition during which, unless the prisoner either re sists physically and is murdered or resists introspectively and commits suicide, he is gradually "changed" ?mtil he reaches the "old prisoner" stage. Then his previous nature is eradicated, his individuality lost and his subjection complete. The Initial shock was devastating especially to a German, accustomed rmany cxplalalaf how tlx Nasi "planned ermani, hat produced a itato of mind plieatet Americas rale of Germany.) i he was to processes logically con rolled by law and order. To be de rived suddenly of one's civil rights ?ith no recourse, came as a severe low to the prisoner's mentality. ' The transportation to the camp nd the initiation into it frequently i the first experience of physical nd psychological torture which the risoner has ever experienced. Corporal punishment, says Bettel eim, describing his own observa ons, consisted of whipping, kick ig, slapping, intermingled with hooting and wounding with the ayonet. Then there were tortures, he obvious goal of which was ex reme exhaustion. "For instance," e says, "the prisoners were forced a stare for hours into glaring lights, d kneel for hours, and so on. From ime to time a prisoner got killed; io prisoner was permitted to take are of his or another's wounds. The airpose of the tortures was to treak the resistance of the pris mers, and to assure the guard that hey were really superior to them." Many were killed in this process. Jut those who lived, according to he author, were conditioned to the >oint where what followed?more ratings, more indignities, little ood, exposure and brutally hard vork?was not as bad as the initial experience. For the rest, it was a slow but sure irocess of degeneration of body, mind and soul. One thing which has surprised the Americans in occupied Germany is he tendency of the German people ;o deny that they knew the extent of he atrocities which were perpe rated in the camps or to appear to gnore their existence. This is a result of a planned ef 'ect of the camp. !>rmf Fear Hang Over Everyone According to statements concern ng conditions in Germany as early is 1930, most of the Germans who tad committed actual offenses igainst the Nazi regime, had al ?eady been imprisoned, murdered >r had died in the camps. Then the Hazis found it necessary to go out ind arrest members of various (roups indiscriminately, say a few awyers, a few doctors, a few from >ne organization or another. This vas done as a threat against that vhole particular group. The effect on a group was some what the same, though in a lesser legree, as the effect on a family, rhe effect on the families of the >risoners, of course, was marked. M first a great deal of money was ipent in attempting to get the pria >ner released. The gestapo always replied that it was the prisoner's )wn fault that he was imprisoned, rhen members of the family begin to find it hard to get Jobs, children had trouble at school; poor relief was denied. Always the terror hung over them. The friends and relatives of a prisoner were considered sus pects. So the influence of the camp reached out over the whole group. As the Nazi regime became more harsh and especially latterly, when world resentment increased against it even before the war, many more Germans, passive before, became openly dissatisfied and critical. It waa impossible to Imprison them all without interfering with the func tioning of the country's economy. Then "group" arrests increased. People in lots of a hundred or so from one profession, or trade, or af filiated body, would be Jailed. Thus the effect of the "terror" waa multi plied. This was the manner in which the entire population of the country was enchained. General McClure recognizes how crushing has been the effect of "planned terror," but I doubt if the general public has any realization of its magnitude. "We shall often have to go tar out of our aray," says the general, "to help certain in dividuals who have not had an easy life these last IS years and more, men whose broken spirits may well need our support and guidance to return to the ways of active per sonal democratic initiative." It took centuries to develop human dignity, but it took only a few months in a Nazi concentration camp to destroy It I BARBS ... fry B aukha ge Titer* is pressure to break down the anti-fraternization rales In the American army of occupation in Germany. It is not coming from American girls. ? a a Life is gradually returning to nor mal in the Berlin suburbs, says a race was held fat oo* town on July 1. Three million barrels of petrole um product* were lost by recent strikes in this country, according tc an estimate made by the Petroleum administration. ? ? ? Two thousand seven hundred Lib erty ships have been battered be yond nee in service. A lot of then put up e good sorep before the] Wounded Sailors Will Sw^m Back to Health Seaman Vt Joe Pansa of Saratoga, N. Y., upper left, hurries toward the water as he prepares to enjoy another day in sun and surf where onee stood the exclusive Garden City Beach club, now used by wounded convalescents of the St. Albans Naval hospital as a beach resort. Center, cards, food and refreshments being served some of the wounded by volunteer hostesses. Right, sun baths are a popular feature at this resort. New Members of President's Cabinet Sworn In Rep. Clinton P. Anderson of New Mexico, npper left, who wn sworn in as secretary of agriculture by I Justice Wiley Butledge. Before a gathering of over 2,000 in department of justice, Tom C. Clark of Texas J took oath of offlee from Judge Thurman Arnold as attorney general. Lower right shows Democratic Na tlonal Chairman Bobert E. Hannegan as he was sworn in as postmaster general. Upper right, Judge Lewis B. Schwellenbaek of Washington takes oath as secretary of labor from Judge Sherman Minton of Indiana. G.L Meets General?His Father Rarely, II ever, doe* a mere lieutenant greet a general of (be army with "hello, pop." But Lt. Bruee Arnold did It that way when he met hta dad, General of the Army B. H. Arnold, on Okinawa. The feaeral la commanding general of the army air forces. His son I* with the SMth AAA en Okinawa. Meeting took place during recent inspection trip. Woman Fire Warden Carrying ber day's supply of wa ter in the tank on ber back, Dorothy Martin, fire watcher, clambers over the rough path to her home on top of the tower on top of Iron moun tain. She lives alone, and she says she loves it?at present. Yank Weds Russian Princess The itmk| iinm; at the Orthodox rites restores the weddta* " of Prtoeess Xeaia Romanoff, dsefhter ef Prince Andrew of Russia, sod VL Cslhou As c ran ef the O. S. army, fas the kossiaa Orthodox ehnreh, ' St. Phillips, la Backinttw Palaee read. Lialio. Ihey met whBe Use New York Farm Boy llltflrt ?( io4|ta| a snortinj automobile in the streets el Us home city. New York, this school hey (rem the sidewalks el Gotham peeves he enjoys re?lm the trsctae te aid war. NO MORE SISTER SUSIE'S SOCKS Civilian consumers will benefit in the postwar period (or a number ol wartime discoveries by army chem ists and researchers. Not only will they have synthetic soups and self aeating cocoa to use on camping trips, but they will find that they can purchase such things as shrink proof woolen socks. The days when "the socks of sisters raised the blooming blisters have been ban ished forever in the army. All army socks are now shrink-proofed, and efforts are being made to apply the same treatment to all types of wool cloth. A new synthetic cloth has also been developed which can be rolled up into a ball and will rebound from a wall with the force of a rubber ball. If allowed to remain on a level surface for a quarter of an hour, however, the material will flatten out completely. The fiber wears extremely well, but the dif ficulty still to be worked out is that it will not stand more than 15 to 20 launderings. ? ? ? CAPITAL CHAFF C.In view of the lumber shortage and the terrific wartime destruc tion of forests in the South and Northwest, a drive has started for a renewal of the Civilian Conserva tion corps after the war. This may be the answer to conscription. ? ? ? C While old-fashioned brass hats talk about a big land army after the war. General Baverlein. command er of the Panzer Lehr division, now a prisoner, has given some inter esting information to U. S. officers abroad. He reports that if the 1). S. army had stepped up tactical air warfare last August, after our breakthrough into France, we could have won the war sooner. At that time, U. S. planes were bombing German factories but not concen trating heavily on tactical bombing ?in other words bombing of enemy troops. . . . Wonder what the effect would be if the new goop bomb, which spreads^ unquenchable fire in every direction, were dropped wholesale on Jap troops in action? ? ? ? U. 8. and Franco's Radio Top officials of OWI are seriously considering using the American tax payers' money to buy time on Fran co's Spanish radio network. Up until recently, OWI was broad casting over the Rabat, North Afri can, station, which is French, in order to reach the Spanish people. According to OWI executive Thur man Barnard, "several programs a day carrying the American story are broadcast to the Spanish peo ple." But despite the recent action of the San Francisco conference in flat ly vetoing the admission of Fascist Spain into the United Nations, OWI is considering a radio hookup over Franco's government-owned net work. ? ? ? BOOST IN COFFEE PRICES? A-debate has been raging inside the government over the price of coffee, which this time may be boosted. Chief problem is that Brazil, our biggest coffee shipper and our best friend in Latin America, is finding it so uneconomical to grow coffee that she is turning to cotton. In that case she would be our chief compet itor instead of our chief customer. I Labor costs in Brazil have risen to such an extent that Brazilian cof fee growers can't produce at the OPA ceiling price which averages around 13 cents a pound. They want the price boosted to an average of 18 cents a pound. This would in crease ihe cost of a cup of coffee one-eighth of a cent. The state department favors such a price rise. The OPA, anxious to hold the line, is opposed. ? ? ? FiirDDV /in DATTVn tiibnn?-uv-nuvnv C Senator Carl Hatch of New Mex ico has been sitting on the anti-poll tax bill until the San Francisco Unit ed Nations charter is out' of the way. He does not want a poll-tax filibuster to upset ratification of the charter. C Forthright Fred Vinson, the war mobilizer, is going to be put on the spot soon by the Surplus War Prop- . erty board. It is about to hatch a ruling whereby 11 billion dollars of government-owned war plants and machinery would be sold mere ly on the basis of price, not on the basis of where they could stimulate business and competition. ... If the Surplus board has its way, war plants, machinery, etc., will go to the DuPonts. General Motors, Ford, and others with the most cash to buy them. C Unsung heroes of the airplane carrier Franklin's rescue were Capt. John Gingrich, skipper of the cruiser Pittsburgh, and his execu tive officer, Ed Rivers. Capt Leslie Gehres of the Franklin ex pressed astonishment that the Pitts burgh kept its tow line on the burn ing airplane carrier with Jap sui cides hitting at both. . . . The an swer is that for over 37 hours, Ging rich remained on the bridge, with 1 Rivers assigned to the fantail to watch the towline. Neither had a , moment's sleep during tboaa ST Classified Department ? Ftrioai mow emgaged im MHifiiJ imduatry will mmi apply without at ate moot oi ae all ability from thair local United Statoa Employment Service. M P WANTED?MEN, WOMEN MAN OR WOMAN SALES DISTRIBUTOR extra pay. part or full time. Kll repeat product. DSPT. 1?. D18 SIN <0. Ml F. St. Northwest, WmUb|Ui, D. C. ?Boy War Savings Bonds? Soothe Soreness of Minor Skin Irritations Best the best. ?. relieve baby's feat raah with Mexaans, the soothing, ?e<l icated powder. Helps guard your family from beat raah. Eases chafing?often more troublesome in hot weather. Checks itch of healing sunburn and mosquito bites. Costs little. Always get Mexsana. of cases showed clinical improve- >1 menc after only 10 days treatment with ? sorbtoni in impartial, V I scientific test. Vj' I 1SORETONE? H Mads by McKsssan ft RsMtae I ?? IMsttami fid pwSs ? AKTHRITIS - NEUtmS ? Get Mendcnhsll's Number 40 from your druggist or by mail postpaid (or $1.25. Money back if first bottle (sits to satisfy. I. C. MENDENH ALL MEDICINE CO. Evansville, - - Indiana A favorite household antiseptic dress ing and liniment far 98 years?Hanfard'e BALSAM OP MYRRH) It contains soothing gums to relieve the soreness and ache at over-used and strained muscles. Takes the sting and itch out ot barns, scalds, insect bites, oak and ivy poison ing. srind and sun born, chafing and chapped skin. Its antiseptic action less ens the danger of infection whenever the akin is cut or broken. Keep a bottle handy far the minor casualties of kitchen and nursery. At your druggist?trial aise bottle 35 f; household sire 654; economy tise $1.25. a a hanforo MFa co, fjnun nr. 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The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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July 19, 1945, edition 1
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