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[calligraphy]
All the best to all comrades
for Christmas
AND FOR THE NEW YEAR
the fulfillment of all good wishes
--THE GERMAN CAMP SPOKESMAN 1944

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Rhyming Puzzle
    People like to sit in the "G";
    Gentlemen prefer to use it with a "K."

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And now, back here again,
(after finishing the potato harvest)
Someone has taken up pen and ink
to say a simple "Thank you!" to you,
our fellow "Africans"--
remembering all you offered and gave;
the 3rd and 5th companies will always keep this in mind.

Heimat January 1, 1945
   

SUNDAY!
   
MOTHER TONGUE--FATHERLAND / By Hermann Schittenhelm
    In war, the Muses fall silent--or so we are told by a common variation of the saying handed down by Cicero: "silent leges inter arma"--amidst the din of arms, the laws fall silent. Yet both assertions have long since lost the force of a binding rule; times of war are neither lawless, nor do they see the realm of the arts subsumed by the state. True, the artist's creative work requires an outward and inward calm that war inevitably denies him; while armies stand arrayed against one another, what matters is not the number of artworks produced, but the deed itself. This deed, in turn, springs from a brave and faithful heart--a heart that returns from battle bearing a restless spirit, seeking and finding its redemption in the work of art.
    One of the noblest materials at the creator's disposal is language, exerting its immediate impact through the poet's spoken or printed word. Without a mother tongue, there would be no fatherland; it is language alone that binds a people's children together in sorrow and joy. Its voice reaches the farthest corners of the earth: ringing out in exultant jubilation, hushed in mourning, warm in supplication, urgent in admonition, and crystal-clear in command. One can truly commune with oneself only in one's mother tongue; our great master Goethe, reflecting on the "many things about which we can never be cautious enough," remarked: "Of these, I can speak only with God."
    Longing and love crystallize into words of deep intimacy, and poetry holds the wisdom of the world within it. Its treasures are inexhaustible, yet accessible to all--belonging to anyone who desires them. It flows like an eternal spring through the centuries, bathed in the fiery glow of Valhalla. Eager for battle and a master of song, Volker accompanies the Nibelung host; Walther von der Vogelweide sings of the linden tree by the heath; across the flowery meadows of the late Middle Ages, the sound of the lute carries tender verses of courtly love. The drum rumbles heavily, accompanying the rough songs of the "Landsknechte"--marking the beginning of a vast array of soldiers' songs, the most poignant of which is the simple tune of "The Good Comrade." In times of dire distress, the defiant song becomes a brave testament of the sorrow-stricken German soul; the Hymn of Leuthen roars mightily across the battlefield.
    Poetry and melody have united to create a folk song that offers as much room for overflowing cheerfulness as for its counterpart, melancholy. Matthias Claudius--the "Wandsbek Messenger"--conjures up wondrous images in his evening song about the rising moon:
    Where does one begin or end when listing all the poets, singers, artists, and storytellers who draw from the clear, deep wellspring of our language? Everything genuine and true becomes an enduring part of our cultural heritage, offering solace and encouragement to all who receive it. Poet and soldier are fellow travelers on the journey between two worlds; a kind word spoken at the right moment restores strength and confidence, and fortifies faith. And even if the drink from that eternal spring is not offered to the wayfarer in a golden chalice, the words of the Moravian poet Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach regarding the humble hold true:
    Should we, in a distant land, unexpectedly hear the dialect of our native home, we may find ourselves feeling just as Klaus Groth of Ditmarschen did:
    Stirred by such emotion, the poet's voice evokes the deepest, most essential feelings within the human heart. And it is a contemporary of ours, Josef Weinheber, who finds the solemn concluding words in his hymn to the German language:

Neglect
Far too little do I know the trees
that stand and rustle outside my window--
far too seldom do my dreams build
nests to listen to the winds,
   
and the sky's play of silver clouds
passes by without bringing me solace;
I have utterly forgotten so many
wonders that once set my heart free.--Ina Soidol

A BIG MISTAKE . . . Little Girl!
A STORY BY FRIEDEL KOEHNE
    She is very cute--there is no doubt about that. Not even Uncle Hans finds anything to fault in her, and that is saying a lot, for Uncle Hans is a sculptor. That is to say, he isn't actually her uncle; he is the brother of her friend Gerda. Gerda's older sister has had a chubby, sweet baby boy for two years now, and since Hans Turner is the child's godfather, that is the only name he goes by: Uncle Hans. So, Uncle Hans, too, finds little Fanny Mackentun very cute. That doesn't stop Paul, Fritz, Emil, and Kurt from finding her charming as well, however. Fanny is used to directing them all just as she pleases. Key words in her vocabulary are "maybe" and "I don't know yet."
    Now that they are all soldiers, it has become easier to convince each one that he is the favorite. They never go on leave at the same time. She went ice-skating with Paul in January. She met Fritz for sledding during her winter holiday in the Harz Mountains. She went to the opera with Emil three times in a single week in March. She went paddling on the park lake with Kurt in May. And when Uncle Hans comes to visit, she will go on long hikes with him on the weekend and--on those lovely, warm city evenings--sit by the water somewhere, spooning up ice cream and graciously accepting his compliments. And whenever he presses for a decision, she will look up with her large, soulful brown eyes and say, "Maybe the war will be over soon--then…"
    She has kept Fritz, Paul, Emil, and Kurt at bay with that line, but with Uncle Hans, she truly means it; Hans Turner is the one she loves most, without a doubt. Yet he is also the most difficult to handle. He demands that she occupy herself with him, whereas the other boys occupy themselves exclusively with her--and that is far more agreeable. She finds her own charming self so delightful and important that it is almost an insult for a man to think of anything other than that charming girl, Fanny Mackentun.
    This morning Hans Turner called to say he was there. Then he invited her into his married sister's apartment; his godchild was having her birthday today, and they wanted to celebrate with him, the vacationer, this evening. Since she was practically family, she was cordially invited on behalf of his sister.
    Fanny laughed charmingly and whispered her favorite "I don't know yet." "You don't know yet?" Hans asked. "Do you have any other plans?"
    "Nope, not that," she replied, "but your sister should have invited me personally."
    "Well, hello there," he laughed somewhat irritably, "she didn't even know I was coming. And if I do it on her behalf, that's just as good."
    "Oh no." Fanny had that superior tone that Kurt particularly liked. "I don't like such informality." "So," said Hans briefly, "you wrote to me that you were counting down the days until my vacation. Now I've arrived 12 hours earlier, and you don't know if you want to see me yet."
    It's all about "me," after all. "She laughed that slightly childish, triumphant laugh. "That's what you think. It's just as much about me." Hans had said quite calmly: "You ought to know; do what you want." She had called back defiantly: "I do know." But the receiver had already been hung up. She tossed her head back. After work, Hans would be standing outside the door, and if he pleaded nicely enough--she smiled, remembering Paul, who could beg for anything so compellingly--then, of course, she would go along.
    But Uncle Hans isn't outside the office building that afternoon. Well, the call will come tomorrow, fresh and new. She knows how this goes. Emil, too, once took two days before he couldn't stand the longing any longer.
    But even after two days, Hans Turner still hasn't been in touch. Now she's getting a bit restless; the weekend is approaching, and she'd had that smart hiking dress made--all for her boyfriend's vacation. Should she try what she did back in the Harz Mountains with Fritz? He'd been consumed by jealousy one evening--not without reason; she smiled at the memory--and hadn't made a sound until the following noon. The little note she sent to his room, inquiring anxiously about his health, had worked wonders. He was even more attentive and in love than before.
    Her nimble little fingers typed out a few harmless questions: was he sick, or was there something else--something she'd done wrong? Surely the vacation couldn't just pass by without them clearing the air.
    The next morning, the mailman brings a letter in Hans Turner's large, firm handwriting. Fanny triumphs. She knew it--her little note would work wonders here, too. And tomorrow, when he saw her in that smart dress--her hair freshly washed, that lovely, colorful scarf artfully draped--he would once again, just as last year, want to see someone other than her at night.
    With trembling fingers, she opens the letter. Her smile freezes. "A big mistake, little girl," it reads, firm and final; "we had our talk, and it couldn't have been clearer. You know exactly what I expected of you. You weren't meant to be a plaything for me, and I'm not the sort to go chasing after some foolish young thing just because she has a pretty face and a lovely figure. My leave will pass without us seeing each other. I'm heading to Mecklenburg this evening to visit a friend. You'll have to find someone else for the weekend--have fun."
    No matter how she turns the letter over in her hands, the message remains: "A big mistake, little girl." She starts up in anger and furiously crumples the letter; yet later that afternoon, when she takes her new hiking dress out of the wardrobe, she collapses into an armchair and weeps uncontrollably. And it is not merely wounded vanity that wrings these hot, desperate tears from her. For the first time in her young life, she senses that being a charming girl is not enough--that a real man wants something more. And Hans Turner is a real man--and lost to her, lost forever.

ENCOUNTERS
BY FRITZ MÜLLER-PARTENKIRCHEN
    It was on the express train from Munich to Mannheim. A businessman sat opposite me. You could tell at a glance. Not that every businessman can be identified as such at first glance. It is not a profession--nor is being an artist, a civil servant, or a ne'er-do-well--that defines a person entirely. When someone does appear to fit neatly into a professional category at first glance, he is merely a businessman, merely an artist, merely a civil servant--instead of a tapestry, a confluence of all things; instead of a human being. The businessman spoke only of prices, goods, and market trends. Two things mattered, he expounded: grasping the spirit of the times and mastering risk.
    There was a third person in the compartment. Although his face was exposed, I could not see it; it was turned inward. His features held knots tied long ago--a tapestry, then, and a human being.
    We traveled for ten hours. Complications arose. By the time we reached Mannheim, the connecting train had already left. The three of us were ushered into the waiting room.
    The businessman raged. It was a disgrace; the railway was going to the dogs. The decline of Western civilization. He had a meeting scheduled at a major global enterprise--he named the company. He would tell the company's president about this. The man was a titan of German industry and had a "long reach"--meaning great influence. "You know the 'Royal Merchant,' surely?"
    "By name," I admitted.
    "And you?"
    "A little," the third man said slowly; he glanced darkly at his watch and smiled.         "We have time until the next train--may I tell you a story?"
    "By all means," the businessman said graciously.
    "I often have a little time on my hands. Due to missed connections. At such times, I like to pursue my own history."
    "Whose?"
    "My own. Or rather, the story of my ancestors."
    "So, you're of noble birth?"
    "Like all of us. Everyone has ancestors. Mine are from around here. Recently, I sorted through a great-grandfather's letters. He was a merchant. Under the first Napoleon, he became a powerful figure here. Napoleon fell. And my great-grandfather fell with him. Things went badly for him. He couldn't stay afloat--"
    "Wasn't he entitled to a pension?"
    "When men like Napoleon fall, pensions fall too. My great-grandfather heard
there was no prospect for him in Munich. So he decided to leave the Rhenish Palatinate. Not by express train, of course."
    "Slow train," the merchant said with benevolent disinterest. "Slow trains were the way back then, too."
    "Back then? That was eighteen-fourteen. The first railway in Germany didn't run until eighteen-thirty-five--"
    "You're a history professor or something like that, eh?"
    The third man delivered the question. Unperturbed, he picked up his thread again:
    "--certainly not by express train, but by means of a hay wagon. A few beds loaded on, and the wardrobes. My great-grandfather sat on the chest of drawers; beside him, his wife--"
    "Oh really? Her too?"
    "And nine children walking alongside, left and right."
    "Well, well--so the whole brood from your home town made the trek with you?"
    "My great-grandmother gave birth to twenty-three children. Eighteen were alive at the time of the move. They were on the road for seventeen weeks. On the road--covering the same distance we now travel in half a day."
    "Hm, seventeen weeks--that is, one hundred and nineteen days--every day in a different… hm… a different…"
    "Hotel bed? No; in summer you can--or rather, you have to--sleep in the open air if money is tight."
    "Ahem, and all those one hundred and nineteen days…?"
    "All one hundred and nineteen days, they remained in high spirits, as the letters tell us; for you see, in all those many days, they never missed a single connection, whereas we…"
    "You mean me?"
    "Whereas we, because of a connection missed by three minutes, prophesy the downfall of Western civilization and plan to stir up the president of a global enterprise to reproach the relevant government agency for such dawdling…"
    "If I may--this is the first time I am attending a meeting of that global enterprise; it is crucial to me that the president… regarding my punctuality…"
    "--gets an idea?"
    "Gets an idea? Will get an idea, my dear fellow."
    "Has gotten an idea--I am the president--the new train has just pulled in. May I lead the way?"
    He led the way. Upright, quiet, and in good spirits. In his firm stride, one could hear the farm wagon rolling under the first Napoleon, nine children walking on the left and right, and--the resurgence of the West marching along.

[illustration of man on rooftop urinating into inferno]
FIRE REPORT
From the official notices of an East Prussian district gazette
    The fire broke out due to the insanity of Josef Nagel or because children had been employed to feed the livestock.--Various rumors are circulating in the village. The fire alarm was raised according to regulations by the ringing of bells and signalmen.--The fire messenger made his way with difficulty, as the country roads were shrouded in heavy fog. The owner of the burning property could not attempt to extinguish the blaze because he had no water and was not at home. The scene of the fire was illuminated by two lanterns and a gendarme. The firefighting operations were directed by the municipal clerk, because the commander's own house was ablaze. Since water would not flow from the mains, the fire pump was initially fed from the victim's liquid manure pit; later, it was supplied with water by girls carrying it and pouring it into the pump. From a neighboring roof, Baker Froehlich directed a powerful jet of water at the fire--while the neighbors plugged all their openings with manure. A chest of drawers and a cow were saved; the cow was subsequently stolen. The maidservant escaped with nothing but her life. One firefighter suffered an ear injury from sudden flames, as his ear protruded from beneath his helmet. The fire described above has demonstrated that the fire station should not be located so far from the scene of a fire.

Entertainment
with an educational touch
   
From the realm of natural science:
CAN ATOMIC ENERGY BE HARNESSED? / By Erwin Maisch
    We know from the decay of radioactive elements that atoms possess significant internal energy within their nuclei. During decay, so-called alpha particles are ejected from the atomic nucleus with great energy. Composed of two protons and two neutrons, these particles form an extremely stable structure within the atomic world--one that occurs frequently and has, to date, defied all attempts at artificial "disintegration." So-called beta particles--which are essentially electrons--are ejected from the nucleus at even higher speeds. Accompanying these is an amount of energy derived from penetrating gamma rays, a type of radiation similar in nature to X-rays but possessing an even shorter wavelength.
    The question now arises: can atomic energy--not only from radioactive substances but also from other materials, such as granite or water--be released and channeled into a steady, controllable flow of energy?
    Let us first consider the answer to this question based on an actual physical experiment. This experiment utilizes the uranium isotope with an atomic weight of 235, which has been isolated and produced in microscopic quantities.
    The nucleus of this uranium isotope is "bombarded" with neutrons (a neutron carries no electric charge and has the same mass as a proton; the nucleus of a hydrogen atom is a proton). This causes the uranium isotope to transform into two lighter elements. The energy released during this transition has been calculated at 175 million absolute electron-volts per atom. For comparison, it is worth noting that the combination of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms (oxyhydrogen gas) to form a single water molecule generates only about 2.8 absolute electron-volts--and this reaction represents perhaps the most violent "explosion" in all of chemistry. The energy released by a single molecule of the explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT) is, in fact, only about 1 absolute electron-volt.
    Just how significant are these energy values--2.8 electron-volts per water molecule versus 175 million absolute electron-volts per uranium isotope atom? These figures could be expressed precisely in terms of standard units of work or energy, such as the meter-kilogram or the calorie. However, our primary aim here is simply to see just how much more potent an energy source the uranium isotope is compared to the "oxyhydrogen explosion":
    On an atomic basis, the uranium isotope is a source of energy 62.5 million times more powerful. The energy actually released during the decay of the neutron-bombarded uranium isotope manifests as heat. However, harnessing this energy for practical use requires two things: first, the availability of the uranium isotope not merely in microscopic quantities, but in large amounts; and second, the development of a chemical-technical process to utilize the energy obtained from the uranium isotope for economic purposes. In short, a uranium-isotope "furnace" would have to be built--one that "burns" uranium isotopes as fuel. For the time being, however, there is little hope of displacing coal as an economical energy source with uranium isotopes (or the like). Nevertheless, one can certainly view certain radioactive uranium salts--or substances rendered artificially radioactive--as sources of immense energy. What, then, can be said about the magnitude of the total atomic energy we "could" extract from a single gram of water? This question can only be answered theoretically. We rely on the physical principle that mass and energy are essentially the same. Converting the mass of one gram of water into energy yields a figure of 9.18 trillion meter-kilograms. This amount of energy would be sufficient to lift every human being on Earth--assuming an average weight of 60 kilograms each--to a height of 75 meters. We can actually obtain an amount of energy equivalent to the atomic energy theoretically contained in a gram of water by burning coal. If the coal has a calorific value of 8,000 kilocalories per kilogram, 2,700 tonnes--or 2.7 million kilograms--would need to be burned. It remains questionable whether humanity will ever be able to harness atomic energy on a large scale. Energy would become extremely cheap, and sources such as coal, petroleum, and hydroelectric power would become obsolete. At present, there is no indication that such a revolutionary shift in energy production could be realized. [In January 1945 few people had heard the term "atomic energy." Occasional newspaper articles mentioned German hopes early in the war to develop it as a weapon, but most considered it impossible. The Army examiner reviewing Heimat would have been as unaware of the Manhattan Project as the writer.]

LITTLE THINGS NOT EVERYONE KNOWS
Knowing how to make do
    Water is scarce in the Kalahari Desert, so the indigenous people must use it very sparingly. There are no buckets or jugs available for fetching and storing water from the waterholes. However, the locals know how to improvise. [Ostrich] Eggs are carefully emptied and filled with water; the small holes at either end are meticulously plugged with earth and grass to ensure not a single drop of the precious contents is lost. In this way, water is stored for the dry season.

The origin of the English "yard"
    All our readers are likely aware that measurements in America differ from ours. The "yard" corresponds to roughly one meter (1 yard = 91.44 cm). This unit of measurement was introduced by King Henry I of England. While our meter represents one forty-millionth of the Earth's equatorial circumference, King Henry I based the yard on the distance from the tip of his nose to the thumb of his outstretched hand.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER--
    The year's finest holidays have passed. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve unfolded quietly, harmoniously, and full of hope. On December 24th, there was a bustle of activity. Almost everyone had some small gift to wrap for a friend or acquaintance. White paper and colored ribbons were in high demand. In most cases, things worked out, and when the candles were lit that evening and the various companies gathered in the mess halls, everything was in its proper place. During the simple yet dignified celebrations, Camp Leader Master Sergeant Karl Brandl appeared to convey his Christmas and New Year's greetings.
    After the companies had dispersed, Christmas Eve began in small, intimate groups for many. For a long time, a soft Christmas glow shone through the windows of the otherwise cheerless barracks; people sat in every corner--reading, reflecting, and letting their memories drift to the lands across the water.
    When the brass players welcomed the New Year on New Year's Eve, a solemn shiver ran through us all--the kind that comes when countless people share the same thoughts and contemplate great things. And that is what we did--

INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH CHEER
A fun evening at the "Funny Button"
    After being kept in the dark for quite some time regarding the plans of Gerhard Schulz, Fritz Mildahn, and their associates, the secretive group finally let us in on the secret just before the year ended by kindly inviting us to attend the opening of the "Funny Button" tavern. People in our position don't need to be told that twice--after all, it's been quite some time since we've seen the inside of a Berlin restaurant.
   
[illustration of cabaret scene]
   
[illustration of performers]
   
    And so, in high spirits as the year drew to a close, we set off to find the establishment. Upon entering, we hardly knew what to marvel at more: the throngs of guests or the striking, immensely stimulating murals. Ultimately, we found the exquisite drawings the more intriguing of the two; they depicted--or hinted at--scenes we had long since filed away among our memories (whether pleasant or otherwise--though often limited to the "Scheunenviertel" variety). This unexpected reunion with such imagery brought back a host of small details revolving around the life of the common Berlin folk. We had barely been seated when the "friendly" landlord began greeting the guests in his own peculiar style. His initial foul mood was understandable. The reserved tables were filling up very slowly; the "ladies" who did show up likely seemed too daring and questionable for his respectable, middle-class clientele. The head waiter, in fact, blurted out something to that very effect. As I said, the landlord had set the tone. Once the musicians were finally settled, things began to pick up. Guests in the cheaper seats in the hall bravely tucked into Berlin doughnuts and coffee, while those in the raised seating area settled in and sparked general merriment. Amidst the striking décor by Hermann Dooker and Horst Wilke, a small variety show unfolded to the accompaniment of pleasant music; Joo Mannhoff (Hoffmann) as a tap dancer and Abra Mazda (Kurzernus) as an Indian magician garnered particular applause. Alongside this, the performers enacted a framing narrative; however, due to a script that was perhaps ill-chosen and last-minute cast changes, it failed to achieve its full effect. Nevertheless, Eto the landlord (Mildahn), the couple Justav and Frieda (Frohnert and Buettner), the other couple Theophil and Trudchen (Schuhmann and Mildahn), and--of course--Orje the headwaiter (Linnstaedt) managed to delight the audience with their skillful comic acting and spark uproarious merriment. Nor should we forget the other "lady" (Winterhoff) from the neighborhood--someone who earned her living on the street, to be sure, but in a different way: by assisting Ahura/Mazda. The "Rixdorfers," led by Karl Stuekor, were truly impressive; they played with great enthusiasm, performing fluid melodies that harmonized perfectly with the show and underscored the distinctive flavor of cheerful Berlin life.
    It was undoubtedly a success for everyone involved, despite the many difficulties that arose shortly before the performance--particularly due to Gerhard Schulz falling ill. Let us therefore extend our heartfelt thanks to them all and encourage them in their future endeavors.--Werner Baecker


CONSIDERATION IS EVERYTHING
    We do not care for lecturing our readers like schoolmasters, but sometimes it is simply unavoidable. We are well aware that 90% of our readers may find entering the ground floor of the building marked "Laundry" even less appealing than visiting our dental clinic; yet, once you do go in, you really ought to see through the task you so reluctantly undertook. Not everyone thinks this way, however. Quite a few contemporaries merely soak their laundry in water, toss in a packet of "Lux," and leave the rest to the Good Lord--who, naturally, remains inactive in such cases. But--beware the activity of the stoker. For if he loses patience with the situation and the wash basins refuse to empty, any laundry forced to wait an unconscionably long time for the second stage of the cleaning process is ruthlessly consigned to the trash bin. It is harsh, but effective. If the owners then get upset because they aren't treated with enough friendliness in their desire to rule the laundry shack all by themselves--well, let them talk. The sensible opinion of the camp community at large, which understands the necessity of consideration, simply sweeps past them.

THE LIBRARY IN NUMBERS
    Our camp library holds 1,800 volumes, even though the book numbering might suggest we have 3,000. These 1,800 books are categorized into novels (750), tales (250), novellas, and short stories. We have 150 editions of the classics; natural sciences, technology, and geography are represented by 100 volumes. The remainder consists of philosophical writings (120), dialect poetry (50), and literature in foreign languages ​​(250). One-third of all the books came from Germany, 600 from the International Red Cross, and the rest from the YMCA. All the books require constant repair; novels suffer the most wear and tear. Consequently, not all volumes are available during our library hours. We make a serious appeal: please treat the reading material with care. Doing so means fewer admissions to the "library hospital"--and more books available during our library hours.

A SUGGESTION
    The editorial staff has no desire to see copies of our newspaper piling up unused in the administrative offices. While this hasn't happened yet, such things can occur amidst the rush of paperwork. Nor are we pleased by the prospect of interested readers "snatching up" the paper for themselves--though, naturally, that hasn't happened either. (?) To maintain good relations between us and our readers, we suggest that the offices create special binders for Heimat to be distributed among the individual barracks. This would not only keep the paper clean for readers who see it later but also make it harder for copies to simply disappear. Surely, it should be possible to ensure the paper circulates properly?

[illustration of movie camera, strip of film, klieg light]
FILMS WE'VE SEEN
    Note: We present these film reviews not to rehash impressions of past movies that are long outdated, but rather to briefly recall certain films to our readers' minds--as this newspaper aims to provide as complete a record as possible of all events within the camp.
   
"It Comes Up Love"--and a remarkable short film
    The story centers on Gloria Jean, who--following a strict upbringing by her grandmother--must strive to adapt to her father's rather lifeless world. A mischievous boy plays a key role in the attempt to overturn her grandmother's educational principles. The shy, serious girl transforms surprisingly quickly into an attractive young lady who does full justice to her talents as a nightclub dancer and, of course, as a "sweetheart."
    On the same program: a remarkable musical short film, "Dance of the Hours." Here, the powerful effect of the interplay between music and photography was demonstrated. Delibes' music provided the accompaniment to surging waves, sinking banks of clouds, pale moonlight, rustling forests, and rushing torrents--a feast for both eye and ear. It is a pity that the audience was so disengaged, and regrettable that the door kept opening and closing. This film deserved more attention than many a full-length feature film.
   
"Top Hat"--This was not a film about a top hat, but a colorful spectacle featuring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire; amidst a brisk yet inconsequential plot, they had ample opportunity to showcase their dancing prowess. The film's production design was lavish. Despite its venerable age (1935, Berlin), the film still struck many viewers as highly engaging.
   
"Spring Parade"--In Germany, the film was titled "Frühjahrsparade." Wolf Albach-Retty, Hans Moser, and Adolf Sandrock played the lead roles. An American film company purchased the screenplay and music and restaged the entire story. If we preferred the German version, it was because we are accustomed to hearing Viennese accents in a Viennese setting--even though all the performers, led by the singing Deanna Durbin, strove to make the portrayal of Vienna as authentic as possible. Screenplay: Marischka; Music: Stolz.
   
"Higher and Higher"--At the heart of the meager plot was the beautiful, lovely Morgan, who remained strikingly beautiful even in the simplest attire. Her journey from scullery maid to a woman in love was paved with obstacles and complications, navigated by a whole host of actors. Frank Sinatra ultimately untangled the situation and, through his songs, gave the film a musical quality that made it interesting--and perhaps even worth seeing--provided one does not harbor a congenital (or perhaps innate) aversion to sentimental jazz singers, a category in which Sinatra holds the top spot in America. To each their own.--Werner Baecker.

COMING AND GOING
Changes and New Faces
    Whenever suitcases pile up at the doorway and their owners appear shortly thereafter, a journey in a Pullman car is invariably in the offing. So it was, too, two days after Christmas, when 500 comrades from this camp waved a final farewell through the fence, leaving behind many friends and acquaintances with whom they would gladly have remained. We shall not dwell on the inevitability of such measures, but rather on the fact that we sent our best wishes to all those departing for California. And then, suddenly, there were new comrades. They are not "newcomers" to the P.W. system, for most of them have experience in Africa or Sicily. We extend our warmest greetings from "home" to these comrades, coupled with the hope of finding in them loyal readers and--eager contributors.

CULTURE
    Today we begin our series "Bearers of the German Spirit." Under this heading, we will from time to time introduce our readers to great figures from German intellectual life and--briefly, as the occasion arises--highlight their significance for posterity. We believe that in doing so, we can make a valuable contribution to a better understanding of our people's cultural history.--The Editors.

JOSEPH VON EICHENDORFF--Poet of the Landscape
    Eichendorff's art--especially his poetry--was a spontaneous gift of grace; it possesses an air of inevitability, as if willed by nature itself. Characteristic of Eichendorff is a focus on the peaceful and idyllic aspects of the Central German landscape--hills, fields, valleys, rivers, and forests--along with the charming small-town atmosphere of the Biedermeier era.
    Born on March 10, 1788, in Lubowitz and raised amidst the beautiful scenery of Upper Silesia, Eichendorff possessed an innate, deep-seated feeling for nature. This is why his art achieved such fresh perfection. His very first work, "Ahnung und Gegenwart" (Premonition and Present), already displays--through the poems interspersed within it--the characteristic range of the new elements he brought to German poetry; these appear not merely as tentative beginnings, but as pure, resonant expression--as seen in the concluding poem, "O Täler weit, o Höhen" (O Valleys Wide, O Heights). He began this work after returning to his parents' home in 1808, and completed it in Vienna in 1812. He had returned from a life rich in external experiences: He had studied in Halle and Heidelberg, traveled through Northern Germany as far as the North and Baltic seas, knew Paris, and had counted significant men of the era among his associates. In the brief span from 1808 to 1812, his art staked out the entire territory--situated between the drafting of official documents and the drudgery of bureaucratic duties--to which he would confine his creative efforts for the rest of his life. Only the liberation of the fatherland brought a measure of external activity back into his life, as he took part in the campaign as an officer in the "Landwehr." Later, his existence was defined by faithful service as a civil servant in Danzig, Königsberg, and Berlin. From 1840 onwards, he lived in complete seclusion from the world, devoting himself solely to literary history and translation. The way contemporary poetry feverishly tracked the events of the day--often parading a sense of inner fragmentation--was alien to a nature like his, which was rooted in harmonious balance and eternal truth. He made no attempt to adapt to the tastes of the times. He died in obscurity on November 26, 1857, in Neisse.

RADIANT LIFE
Reflections on the 1st German Art Exhibition
    Guided by the instructions of Georg Fr. Sorg, our artists presented a rich, colorful world filled with radiant praise. We were surprised and readily admit that our highest expectations were surpassed. No unbiased visitor would have overlooked the fact that most of the exhibiting art students possess relatively little practical experience or fundamental technical knowledge. Naturally, this accounts for the fact--though it is ultimately irrelevant to the exhibition's assessment--that not all the paintings could withstand objective art criticism (which is neither intended nor possible here).
    We view the exhibition's primary significance in the fact that it served as a compelling reminder to the large group of soldiers held here as prisoners of war--men often numbed by nearly two years of captivity and less receptive to artificially induced joy--of how beautiful life truly is. It reminded us of the comfort that wafts toward us from those radiant colors, provided we make a modest effort to understand the emotions the artists have captured on canvas. By fostering a renewed joy in life through the presentation of the beautiful, the noble, and the aspirational, our artists have rendered a service to our community that should not be underestimated--a service deserving of our gratitude and recognition.
    The exhibited oil paintings, watercolors, charcoal drawings, book illustration sketches, and caricatures naturally bore the hallmarks of individual artistic aptitude. It would go beyond the scope of this report--and might even imply taking sides--to single out specific details or list names that, in the humble opinion of the writer, deserve mention. We are convinced that our artists themselves are aware of what requires improvement. We also believe they will not make the mistake--provided they are truly committed to pursuing their path with a drive for perfection--of settling for mediocrity. Art students should not lull themselves into a false sense of security or be content with what they have already achieved. They must learn from their mistakes and derive valuable insights from them for future endeavors. Indeed, it is perhaps better at the outset to produce a few less-than-perfect pictures where errors are immediately apparent, rather than the dangerous "mediocre" works where flaws do not immediately stand out--works that might prompt a viewer, out of misplaced regard for the painter's artistic reputation, to swallow their reservations and move on with a nod and an air of apparent satisfaction. This is a general observation and is not necessarily intended to apply to the works we saw. All the artists gave their best and will surely produce even better work when they next present themselves to the public in a new exhibition.
    The exhibition was well attended, and there was great demand for the paintings available for purchase. On the second day of Christmas, the camp orchestra, led by Karl Stueker, provided pleasant light music, for which the strolling audience expressed their thanks with hearty applause.--Werner Baecker.

CULTURAL NEWS FROM HOME
    The Vienna Künstlerhaus recently presented an exhibition featuring collections by the "Master Prize Winners of 1944." The exhibition offered a rich and varied overview of the active creative output of Viennese artists not currently serving in the war. The City of Vienna's Master Prizes were awarded to painters Prof. Ferdinand Andri (Waldmüller Prize) and Hans Frank (Kriehuber Prize), and to sculptor Alfred Hofmann (Raphael Donner Prize).

Color Photographs of Monumental Paintings
    For several months now, color photographs have been produced throughout the Reich of artworks that cannot be adequately protected against bomb damage. The plan, comprising around 100,000 images, focuses primarily on wall and ceiling paintings in ecclesiastical and secular buildings. (Excerpted from "Kunst dem Volke" [Art for the People], Heinrich Hoffmann Verlag, Vienna, 1944.)

Recipients of the Goethe Medal for Art and Science:
    Actor Hugo Thimig, on the occasion of the anniversary of his seventy-year career on stage; the distinguished eighty-year-old Egyptologist Ulrich Wilke, formerly Professor of History at the University of Berlin; and Kammersänger Heinrich Schlusnus, in recognition of his achievements in interpreting major dramatic baritone roles in Italian opera and the serious, lyrical characters of German music drama.

SOLUTIONS TO THE PUZZLES FROM THE CHRISTMAS ISSUE
   
Who can figure it out? (There were 6 eggs in the cake.)
   
Geographical syllable puzzle: 1. Edam, 2. Indus, 3. Nice, 4. Einbeck, 5. Karnak, 6. Albula, 7. Timbuktu, 8. Zehlendorf, 9. Elbe, 10. India. To buy a pig in a poke.
   
Rhyme puzzle: Garten--Karten.
   
The first and second books cost RM 5.00 each, the third RM 10.00, the fourth RM 20.00.
   
Transformation puzzle: Gewalt - Wogo - Schiff - Kalta - Wert - Kanne - Mitte - Riese - Stute - Wolke - Loden - Feder - Wanne - Bonne - Wette - Laune.

OUR SPORTS
   
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW--
    We are publishing a series of excerpts from our football and handball rules here. They are intended to help us conduct all our matches in a manner that upholds the highest standards of sportsmanship.
    Football Throw-in: When taking a throw-in, the player must stand with both feet behind the touchline; furthermore, both feet must remain on the ground until the ball is released from the hands. The ball is thrown into the field of play with both hands from over the head. The player taking the throw-in may not touch the ball again until it has been touched by another player.
    There is no offside during a throw-in; however, as soon as another player has received or played the ball, the offside rule comes back into effect.

TABLE TENNIS IN THE RECREATION HUT
    Following the conclusion of the art exhibition, the table tennis players have moved back into the recreation hut.
    A specially marked table is available for each of the following units: the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th companies. (The 6th Company has set up a table in its own company area.)
    Tables belonging to other companies may only be used for play if the table in question is not currently required by the unit to which it is assigned.
    We believe these arrangements are in the best interest of all players and hope that every visitor will conduct themselves accordingly.
    The table tennis tables in the wash hut (1st floor) are available exclusively for company matches scheduled as part of the sports program.

Sports Review--December 24/25, 1944:
    Unfortunately, the extensive Christmas sports program fell victim to poor weather conditions. Only one select match took place on December 24, in which the A Team defeated the B Team 8-2 (3-0).

A CHEERFUL LIFE…
   
A Telling Reply
    During his stay in London, the great composer Handel received a card with the following message:
    "Lady Sybil will be at home on Tuesday between two and five o'clock."
    The composer, uninterested in this obvious invitation, replied immediately on the back of the card:
    "George Frideric Handel will be too."
A Toast
    "And I dedicate this glass to women into whose arms one can fall without
ending up in their clutches."
A Successful Poetry Reading
    Doorkeeper to a late-arriving visitor: "Please make as little noise as possible; the audience is sleeping so soundly right now."
From an Essay
    In the knights' castles, there were great knights' halls. But there were also small ladies' chambers that could be heated.
A Mother-in-Law's Threat
    Mother-in-law: "If I see your husband drunk one more time, Alice, I will never visit you again."
    Daughter: "Just don't tell him that, Mama, or else he'll never get sober again."

NOTE TO OUR READERS
    Due to delays in the delivery of materials we ordered, we were able to release only one issue this month. We are confident that in February we will reach our readers twice, as planned.

Publisher: German Camp Leader. Editorial Staff: Werner Baecker / Hans Buettner / Erich Becker. Design: Erwin Lange. Heimat appears twice a month. Circulation: 120 copies. Submission point for correspondence and contributions: Camp Library. Responsible for this issue: Hermann Doeker and Heinz Polter. Passed by U.S. Army Examiner #23533.

    On December 25, pitch conditions had improved somewhat, allowing four matches to be played. Here are the results:
   
Football:
    6th and 7th Cos. A.H. Team vs. 1st and 2nd Cos. A.H. Team--3:5 (1:2)
    7th Co. 3rd Team vs. 5th Co. Comb. Team--3:4 (2:3)
    2nd Co. 3rd Team vs. 3rd Co. 2nd Team--1:0 (1:0)
    6th Co. 2nd Team vs. 1st Co. 2nd Team--1:0 (1:0)
   
Table Tennis:
    2nd Co. 3rd Team vs. 7th Co. 3rd Team--12:24

Sports Review of December 31, 1944:
    The final match day of the old year saw only two games:
   
Football:
    6th and 7th Cos. Comb. Team vs. 6th and 7th Cos. Comb Team--8:0 (1:0)
    6h Co. 2nd Team vs. 7th Co. 3rd Team--1:0 (1:0)
   
Table Tennis:
    2nd Co. 1st Team vs. 6th Co. 1st Team--36:18

Sports Review of January 7, 1945:
    The sporting tally consisted of just one match between two combined teams.
   
Football:
    6th Co. A.H. Team vs. 6th Co. B. Team 3:3
   
Table Tennis:
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 2nd Co. 1st Team--8:22
    5th Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team--15:21

Sports Review of January 14, 1945:
    Of the 10 scheduled football and handball matches, only 4 football matches could be played.
The results were:
   
Football:
    1zt Co. 1st Team vs. 2nd Co. 1st Team--2:3 (1:3)
    6th Co. 1st Team vs. 3rd and5th Cos. 1st Team--5:0 (2:0)
    6th Co. 2nd Team vs. 7th Co. 2nd Team--1:2 (0:0)
    2nd co. 2nd Team vs. 7th Co. 3rd Team--4:3 (1:2)
   
Table Tennis:
    2nd Co. 1st Team vs. 6th Co. 1st Team--10:5
    2nd Co. 2nd Team vs. 1st Co. 2nd Team--8:7
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 3rd Co. 1st Team--11:4

This is relevant even for non-athletes:
YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO HELP YOURSELF
    You have an important document in your room. In the evening, you go out and turn off the electric light. When you return, you think you see a glimmer of light, but when you enter your room, it's dark again. Has someone been in the room to steal the document? How can you tell if the electric light was on?
    A wooden ball has fallen into a very narrow but quite deep shaft. You can't climb down because, as mentioned, the shaft is very narrow. But you need the ball, and you need it quickly. What do you do?
    (Answers in the next issue.)



Heimat February 1, 1945  The cover pictures the sun over a burning, ruined village and a fork in the road.

PERSONAL STANCE
BY WERNER BAECKER
    Even during the monotonous period of prisoner-of-war captivity, the need arises now and then to form an opinion on some matter. This may be something quite trivial--such as an opinion on the latest midday meal or the film shown the previous evening. Yet it can also become more significant, involving a certain responsibility--whether one that an individual bears toward themselves, or one assumed by a person responsible for many others.
    When it comes to minor matters, the judgment passed in any given instance is not of great importance--though even here, the fundamental issue is touched upon: that personal stance which will be discussed in the lines that follow.
    The composition of a prisoner-of-war camp is entirely a matter of chance. The people living there come from all walks of life, harboring the most diverse views on existence and the phenomena of life. They are by no means alike, even if their training and discipline as soldiers had once molded them into a uniform whole. No other situation could have brought the consequences of this diversity into sharper relief than captivity; it affords the thinking individual ample time--perhaps too much--to ponder their own condition and their relationship to the world around them, viewed in a broader, general sense. For a soldier on active duty--at the front, that is--this process of internal reckoning would be less pronounced; likewise, the modern civilian, living in fast-paced and eventful times, finds little leisure to dwell at length on questions that go beyond the daily demands of their work. Thus, it becomes natural for us to find ourselves increasingly confronted with facts that we must accept, evaluate, and internalize in our own way.
    A crucial necessity is that the responsible individual--more precisely, the person who has a task in a prisoner-of-war camp that entails responsibility--takes a clear stance. They must not succumb to the momentary opinion of an agitated mob if they do not want to risk making a wrong decision that could lead to bitter self-recrimination when it turns out shortly afterward that their own opinion, although contrary to the general consensus, was the right one. Unpleasant consequences that may arise from a stance dictated by the broad and, in no way, responsible public will always be blamed on those who should actually be making their decisions according to their sense of duty and responsibility, even if they are temporarily misunderstood by the soldiers entrusted to their care.
    The meaning of these remarks should not be misinterpreted. No accusations are being made, and no culprits are being sought. However, the many among us who are of good will, and who look toward the end of this era with composure and self-discipline, ought to learn to understand that even German soldiers, when carrying out orders or measures, never disregard the sense of binding responsibility--provided, that is, that they possess what is known as personal integrity.
    Another matter worth discussing is the way news, both good and bad, is interpreted and debated here. The urge to exaggerate may sometimes be understandable, but it is always highly dangerous. One need only look at the disappointed faces when it turns out that someone's opinion--presented so convincingly and sounding so plausible--was, once again, utter nonsense. That leads to a bitter letdown--one that could be avoided if people simply made the effort to face the facts. All those who hold forth on these matters would do well to examine themselves critically and ask whether, in their own judgments, they are sometimes too hasty and not objective enough.
    It is not an overly difficult path to follow. What remains decisive is one's personal attitude--something one either possesses or does not. In all likelihood, those who do not yet possess it will not acquire it here, either. We must simply let them be, while remaining on guard to ensure they do not cast aside all principles of reason. It remains a worthy goal to give pride of place in our hearts to values ​​such as honor, comradeship, loyalty, and faith. Only then can life together become easier, our outlook on the future brighter, and our belief in life itself more steadfast.

SUNDAY
   
TO A FEMALE FRIEND
By Wilhelm von Humboldt, Berlin, July 1822.
    You marvel that a love for dwelling on feelings--a gentleness and delicacy regarding them, and an ability to enter into the moods of others--has remained with me amidst so many exhausting affairs. Yet this stems simply from the fact that such is the true nature of my spirit; it has always been my way to treat worldly business merely as a matter of practical living--subordinate to my inner, essential self--and to remain always its master rather than letting it dominate me. One only becomes a better person by doing so, and in this manner. And that which touches a person as a human being--the emotions that fill him, that surge and jostle within him--have always held a primary fascination for me. I began by learning to know and master myself; no one sees through himself more clearly, or holds himself more firmly in check, than I do. In this, I have always striven for two things: to remain receptive to every joy in life, yet to remain utterly independent in all matters I cannot provide for myself--needing no one, not even the favors of fortune--but rather standing on my own and building my happiness within myself and through my own efforts. I have achieved both to a high degree. I have never grown jaded toward any joy or pleasure in life--never become "past" them, as people say. The simplest thing--provided it possesses some grace and intrinsic worth, or appeals to me for some reason--affords me pure joy. Thus, no one is more grateful than I, for truly, few people have cause for gratitude. In part, perhaps, they encounter fewer delightful things; yet in part, they fail to discern the joy in what they do encounter, and do not savor it as they might. Yet no one has fewer needs than I do, and a great part of one's happiness rests on this; for every need--however it may be satisfied--is essentially merely the alleviation of pain, and whatever is expended upon it is lost to pure, tranquil enjoyment.
    W. v. Humboldt lived from 1767 to 1835. Apart from his work as a statesman, his primary significance lay in his role as a scholar in the field of comparative linguistics. As a writer, Humboldt distinguished himself through works of literary criticism that brought him into contact with contemporaries such as Schiller, Goethe, August Wilhelm Schlegel, and Ernst Moritz Arndt.

A LETTER RETURNS
BY HANS WALTER BOLSE
    Brigitte stands by the window, holding a letter the postman returned to her just moments ago. It is as if her heartbeat had suddenly stopped, as if life around her had suddenly come to a standstill. The people hurrying past on the street below seem like insubstantial shadows--dark shapes flitting through the veil of snowflakes dancing softly down. It is as though a light within her has gone out--a light she had never even noticed before. Her hand is cold, and cold are the fingers clutching the letter--the very letter she had sent off weeks ago, now returned to her exactly as she had dispatched it. Her thoughts are dark. She feels a pain unlike any she has ever known. Or perhaps… perhaps she has. Back then, when her mother fell asleep and never woke again--that same pain was within her then, too. The pain of losing something unspeakably beautiful. One wants to scream, or weep, or simply be silent--silent, just as Brigitte is now. To stand by the window, saying nothing, merely gazing--gazing deep into herself.
    It was an autumn evening. Leaves shed by the trees rustled beneath people's footsteps. A sense of melancholy hung over the city, like the prelude to a deep, dreamless sleep. Such evenings always stirred that melancholy in Brigitte. It was the same back then, when she hurried to the variety theater to carry the placards announcing the acts across the stage. Dressed in her colorful little costume, wearing a friendly smile, she would walk across the stage--just as she does today--feeling the men's gazes upon her legs, her slender figure, and her rouged lips. And then, after she had held up the glittering word "End" to the loudly applauding audience, after she had removed her makeup, changed out of her costume, and left the theater, a young, slender soldier stood outside the stage door and smiled at her.
    "I think we know each other," he said.
    "You must be mistaken," Brigitte replied.
    "Aren't you the Elisa from Munich who, two years ago…"
    "I've never been to Munich."
    "That's a pity. Then… please, forgive me."
    The soldier's eyes suddenly looked very sad--so sad that Brigitte simply couldn't leave the young man standing alone on the street; instead, she spent half an hour chatting with him in a coffeehouse.
    Two days later, he had to return to his unit.
    Yet, following that brief autumn encounter, letters began to pass between Heinz and Brigitte. She hadn't thought much of it at the time--just that there was a nice person out there who would surely be pleased to receive a letter written by her. That was all. But she, too, felt a sense of joy whenever a letter from him appeared in her mailbox.
    Now, however, her last letter to him had been returned--without any postal markings or notations, exactly as she had mailed it.
    And suddenly, there is a deep, piercing pain--the kind that arises only when something cherished has been lost. Something cherished--now, when it is all supposed to be over, Brigitte realizes that it was love that dictated those letters to her, that it was love that made her feel such joy whenever a letter from Heinz lay in her mailbox.
    The day passes like something mysteriously quiet. As Brigitte hurries through the streets in the evening, with people flitting past or walking alongside her, everything feels dreamlike. The bright light of the dressing room washes over her like something new, something never before experienced--something that doesn't feel real at all. Mechanically, she applies powder and makeup; mechanically, she slips into her glittering costume, combs her lustrous hair, and descends the narrow spiral staircase to the stage.
    She returns the greetings of the stagehands, the performers, and the stage manager; she smiles at the dancers, yet she remains worlds away from it all--for just a few hours ago, a letter came back.
    The orchestra plays, the dancers tap out a few steps behind the curtain, Brigitte picks up the silver "one," and then the spotlight bathes her in its glow as she walks across the stage, laughing. Strangely, today she does not feel the men's gazes upon her figure or her red lips.
    Today, she walks as if through an endless world, moving toward a light that shines far, far away and never draws any closer. It is the light that once burned within her but has now gone out. But the stage manager leans toward the master carpenter:
    "Did you see Brigitte's smile? How strange, how wonderful."
    "Perhaps she's in love?"
    Evening after evening passes, and evening after evening, more of her colleagues
notice the strange change that has come over Brigitte.
    There is a stillness about her, something unfamiliar that everyone senses, yet cannot put into words.
    For Brigitte, everything has suddenly changed. Breathing, living, the world itself. She recognized the light within herself too late. How many people recognize the light shining within them too late--or refuse to recognize it at all.
    And then, one morning, a card arrives--a simple card. And the light shines once more, surging up against the clear sky.
    Brigitte is standing by the window again. This time it is open, and the scent of
spring drifts in from the nearby mountains, over the rooftops. A light breeze blows the card off the windowsill and down onto the street. An old man walks by, picks it up, and reads:
    "Dear Brigitte, we traveled for long days. Many, many kilometers. I couldn't get in touch sooner. Perhaps one of your letters didn't reach me, either. I can't write any more. There is plenty of sun here. Spring will soon be with you, too. Heinz."
    The old man looks up at the open window and waves the card at Brigitte, but Brigitte stands there laughing, seeing only the light--which no longer shines in infinite vastness, but is locked deep within her.

Entertainment
presented in an instructive way
   
A Look Behind the Scenes of Berlin's Theaters:
PERSONAL REPORT BY PETER HOPMANN
[illustration of theater set under construction]
    Late summer 1940 in Berlin. Brown-skinned, rested people fill the train stations. They all have finished their vacations and are returning to their jobs with renewed enthusiasm for work. A new winter season is about to begin, despite the war, of which one feels almost no sign at this time.
    The state theaters have opened for the new season.
    On stages, in studios, conference rooms, and workshops, there is a flurry of activity. Several new works have been accepted for their world premieres, including Hans Hoenberg's "Kirschen für Rom," a comedy about the Roman general Lucullus, who is shown here from a lighthearted and quite "private" perspective. General Director Gustaf Gruehndgens has taken on the directing and lead roles; his co-stars are Heli Finkenzeller and Lola Muehthol. The supporting roles are played by Will Dohr, Gustav Knuth, and Malte Jaeger.
    The set design for the play is in the hands of Willi Schmitt, to whom I am assigned as an assistant.
    Even after the initial directorial meetings, Schnitt makes his sketches, and very soon afterward, the first construction rehearsal takes place. The set for the construction rehearsal is purely makeshift; the actors perform in it until the "real" set is completed.
    First major task: creating the model at a scale of 1:33⅓. I cut the walls and ceilings from plywood, and a woodturner turns the columns.
   
[illustration of man at drawing table]
   
    I craft the necessary miniature cherry trees using wire, modeling clay, and paper. After a few days, the components are assembled on a base and shown to the set designer, who--after making a few minor adjustments--submits the model to the general director for approval. Gründgens gives the go-ahead, and production begins. Armed with a wealth of instructions from the director, set designer, and technical director, I take the model to the workshops. The workshop supervisors examine it with a critical eye; they often find plenty to fault and require persuasion on certain points before work can actually start. The cost estimator calculates the material quantities and expenses. Meanwhile, in the paint shop, old canvas is stretched out so that the set pieces can be sketched to full scale. The master craftsman gathers his team of foremen. Time is tight, and the workflow must be seamless. The paint shop delivers the ground plans and elevations for the columns right on schedule. The carpenters take the measurements, and the machinery runs at full capacity. One by one, the set pieces emerge from the paint shop as full-scale sketches and are brought to completion in the carpentry workshop.
    As a set design assistant, it is my job to attend rehearsals in the morning, where I constantly receive new instructions for the workshops from the director and the set designer. The telephone is an indispensable tool for me, even though it has long since started to get on the workshop staff's nerves. One day, the set designer travels to the storage facility in person to confer with the workshop supervisors. There, every detail is thoroughly reviewed once more before work--now nearing completion--proceeds.
   
[illustration of costumers fitting actress]
   
    The costume workshops also play a vital role in the success of the production as a whole. Costumes spanning many centuries are housed across four floors--ranging from Chinese silk kimonos to Roman togas, and from Egyptian draped robes to medieval suits of armor. A Germanic hunting outfit displayed alongside a modern evening gown illustrates the evolution of our clothing. Highly skilled tailors and seamstress are at work here, tasked with bringing the set and costume designer's vision to life. We are particularly interested in the department where the costumes for "Kirschen für Rom" are being created. Gründgens' black toga--which he wears in the third act--lies on the cutting table. Tomorrow, Heli Finkenzeller will try on her millet-blue gown; her sandals, too, still need to be made, as the cast will be rehearsing in costume for the first time in just a week. The premiere date is set, yet the work remaining to be done seems almost overwhelming. One task flows seamlessly into the next. Every piece leaving the carpentry shop is immediately painted, while the various other components of the production gradually take shape, fostering a growing, joyful certainty: Don't worry, it will work out; success is inevitable--it simply cannot fail. It is the day before the first set rehearsal. An outsider would hardly believe that the many individual pieces--some of which assistants are still painting--are destined to stand on stage tomorrow. Yet the stage manager of the "Kleines Haus" appears, and things begin to pick up momentum. The next morning, everyone gathers at the theater, including the workshop staff--people rarely seen on stage. The stage manager is sweating as he directs his crew. The technical director's commands ring out loud and sharp: the new set is being assembled. The actors, arriving later, scrutinize everything critically. Schritt, the designer, comes off well in their assessment. However, during the subsequent rehearsal, certain wishes arise that necessitate specific changes. Gründgens cuts the rehearsal short because the technical crew needs to practice the scene changes. The next morning brings the lighting rehearsal--a crucial stage where the set designer can draw the final effects out of "his" visual composition. The lighting technician carefully notes down instructions for every scene to ensure no errors occur during a full-house performance.
   
[illustration of worker painting amphora]
   
    At last--the day of the dress rehearsal. All the actors are in costume, except for Heli Finkenzeller; she is still waiting for her outfit and therefore wanders through the Roman setting in modern street clothes for the time being. The rehearsal goes well until the second act. Then Gründgens calls a halt. The scene changes are taking too long for his liking. He sends the actors into the auditorium and rehearses the set changes. Everyone is running, working, and sweating. Gründgens remains dissatisfied. "It is out of the question; I cannot perform under these circumstances." The stunned silence that falls around him does not last long, however, for everyone knows that the difficulties will be overcome and success is assured.
   
[illustration of actors in Roman costume]
   
    "Kirschen für Rom" has captured Berlin's attention. Every advertising space in the city--at U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations--announces the premiere. The moment has arrived. The house is sold out. An expectant audience witnesses a delightful premiere--undoubtedly a significant event in the history of Berlin theater. Bathed in the glow of spotlights, the actors bow amidst thunderous, seemingly endless applause, accepting the audience's gratitude--gratitude that also extends to the many unsung figures who experienced the opening night with pounding hearts, and whose work, however much it might be taken for granted, is so indispensable to the success of the production as a whole.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
[illustration of hands presenting Red Cross package]
   
GREETINGS FROM HOME
    Whenever something big arrives from across the border, we feel a special joy. It might be a small experience, a small package of books, or a box of fragrant tea biscuits. In any case, loving hands have prepared it and sent it on its way with countless good wishes. Behind it all lies the most beautiful gift that can be bestowed upon people in a foreign world: A loyal homeland that, from time to time, quite unobtrusively, and therefore perhaps all the more overwhelmingly, reminds us that we are not forgotten. We thought something similar again when large boxes and packages arrived from Germany. The Red Cross was the conduit for this heartfelt greeting from home, presented in the form of cigars, sweets, cosmetics, writing materials, baked goods, and long-life bread. The handcarts had to make several trips; nimble hands grabbed, loaded, and distributed. And through every barracks came the palpable greeting of a sorely tested homeland, which spared no sacrifice to bring joy to us, those swept away by the storms of war. Is there any form of gratitude that could even begin to do justice to such sacrifices? We have every reason to continually prove ourselves worthy of such remembrance.

WE CALL "MUCHAS GRACIAS" TO ARGENTINA
    A sign of friendly sentiment was the shipment of gifts from Argentina, which arrived here a few days ago and has since been distributed. The gifts, some from the Argentine Red Cross and some from German expatriates living there, testified to a warmth that was especially comforting to us. So, to our friends in the south, a sincere "thank you"--or, as they say there, Muchas Gracias--and the promise that we will not forget this gesture of camaraderie and will tell you about it when we return home.

A Lively Weekend--and a Necessary Observation
    Last weekend was quite lively by our standards. Clear, cold weather gave the athletes a welcome boost, allowing for a fine, varied sports program to take place. The preceding hiatus in film screenings also came to an end with the arrival of "Show Business"--an entertaining feature that satisfied quite a few movie buffs.
    We have already discussed the rewarding musical evening featuring works by Richard Wagner in the cultural section. Here, we simply wish to note that, unfortunately, some people attended who would have been better off staying home. We are still at a loss for words when we think of those who--while Brünnhilde's funeral song played--stuffed their mouths with "Blue Bell Potato Chips" and, citing a "lack of time," couldn't even be bothered to listen to the speaker's closing remarks and final "Good night." We bear no ill will toward anyone if Wagner's music doesn't appeal to them. However, the program was posted in all the display cases, so there was hardly any reason to believe the organizers would surprise the audience with a "snappy" second half. A regrettable point to raise, perhaps, but necessary to spare future evenings from similar "fried-potato recitals."

   
[illustration of departing train, arriving truck full of prisoners]
   
FAREWELL TO CAMP WHITE
    Friday marked the departure of quite a few comrades, many of whom had been in our midst for only a very short time. There was the familiar scene of piling duffel bags, endless handshakes, and the poignant waving that conveys all the good wishes one can send along to departing comrades.

IS THIS REALLY ENJOYABLE?
    It makes no difference whether you want to go to the movies or visit the canteen at six o'clock: the outdoors is everywhere--and many, far too many, seem to take pleasure in it. Aside from the fact that glass display cases are bound to shatter and doors will be forced off their hinges, it creates a truly poor impression when grown adults shove and jostle one another just to get their hands on a pack of "Prince Albert" or bags of "Fluhrer's Cookies" a mere two minutes sooner. A little common sense and consideration could make both the cinema visit and the canteen purchase significantly more pleasant. But, of course, we are just talking to the wind here, and we don't expect the situation to change. It just needed to be said--

MUSIC EVERYONE LOVES
Our Camp Orchestra Performs
    An entertainment concert by the camp orchestra, conducted by Karl Stueker, was a delightful addition to our camp's schedule of events. Performed for all companies throughout the week, it also served as a musical farewell to the comrades who had since departed the camp.
    The program's first, more serious section featured the "Preciosa" Overture by Carl Maria von Weber and melodies from Verdi's "Aida," alongside a skillfully performed selection from Delibes' ballet "Coppélia"--a performance that clearly demonstrated the progress the camp orchestra has made in recent weeks. The lighthearted second half instantly won the audience's hearts with familiar melodies by Strauss and Lehár; these tunes have become timeless favorites thanks to their popular appeal--music that is especially worth turning to when external living conditions are joyless and far from ideal.
    Warm applause greeted our musicians as they performed for each of the companies.--W.B.

Stories About Benjamino Gigli
    At a large social gathering, Gigli encountered a famous female colleague who--as they say in professional circles--possessed an impressive "resonance chamber," or, in plain language, was very large in stature. Yet, her ravishingly beautiful voice captivated everyone. On the way home, an acquaintance asked Gigli for his opinion of the opera singer. Gigli paused for a moment and said: "She is… an elephant that has swallowed a nightingale."

CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE YEAR 1945
    The year 1945 is the 1,945th since the birth of Christ, the 1,890th since the introduction of the Julian calendar, the 565th since the invention of artillery and gunpowder, the 505th since the invention of the printing press, the 553rd since the discovery of America, the 363rd since the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, and the 247th since the invention of the steam engine.

Native Americans Are Not Dying Out
    When Columbus discovered America, approximately 900,000 Native Americans lived in the region. By 1900, this number had dropped to 70,000, but it has since risen to 351,878. It is therefore incorrect to say that Native Americans are dying out.

CULTURE
A contribution to the evolutionary history of human culture
   
[illustration of ancient eras represented as months of the year]
ON THE AGE OF THE EARTH AND ITS LIVING BEINGS
By Erwin Maisch
    The period during which organic life developed on our globe--"organic geological history"--can be divided into five eras. During these eras, the Earth also underwent a significant portion of its geological development. These five eras are designated as follows:
    I. The Primordial Era (Urzeit): geologically reckoned from the beginning of organic life to the end of the Cambrian--the Age of Acraniates (creatures without skulls).
    II. The Ancient Era (Altertum): from the beginning of formation to the end of the Permian (salt deposits)--the Age of Fish.
    III. The Middle Era (Mittelalter): from the beginning of the Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous--the Age of Reptiles.
    IV. The Tertiary Era (lignite): from the Eocene to the Pliocene--the Age of Mammals.
    V. The Quaternary Era: from the Ice Ages (Diluvium) to the post-glacial deposits of the present (Alluvium)--the Age of Man, which encompasses world history (i.e., the history of civilized peoples).
    The durations of the individual eras are determined through scientific comparisons (pollen analysis), examinations of fossil finds, and measurements of the radio-lead and helium content in rock strata. Based on their relative duration--distributed across a scale of 100 million years--the five eras of organic geological history can be outlined as follows:
    I. 52 million years; II. 34 million years; III. 11 million years; IV. 3 million years; V. up to 0.5 million years.
    For our further consideration of the duration of these eras, we take the length of a human life as a baseline. By this measure, world history--spanning 6,000 years--is 100 times longer. And our 200th ancestor lived in 4000 BC. We can view ourselves as the 1,000th grandchild of the Stone Age human who lived roughly 30,000 years ago during the Ice Ages. "Homo heidelbergensis"--the oldest human skeletal remains in Germany were found near Heidelberg--lived approximately 500,000 years ago. Thus, some 20,000 generations separate him from us. Fifty to sixty million years further back lay the transition between the Middle Ages and the modern era. At that time, the dinosaurs had just gone extinct, and the massive rise of mammals--of which we consider ourselves the pinnacle--was beginning. To reach the point where the Earth's first solid crust formed, one must look back across a span of time at least 25, if not 100, times longer. The total history of the Earth is estimated to span between 1.5 billion and approximately 6 billion years. Compared to such timeframes, a human life is like a single second set against 31.4 million seconds (the equivalent of one year). To make the immense duration of these geological eras easier for the human mind to grasp--and, in particular, to illustrate the relative brevity of so-called "world history"--we can project the history of the Earth onto the scale of a single year. What, then, does Earth's history look like within this single "year"? The first traces of life on Earth appear during the second half of April of this "year of creation," marking the emergence of the evolutionary stages preceding fish. The Paleozoic Era begins on July 18. The first vertebrates (fish) appear on September 9, followed shortly thereafter by the first land plants. During the second half of September, the rock formations of the Rhenish Massif are created. Footprints of a quadruped appear on October 1. The first week of October sees the formation of the Alps (specifically the Carboniferous-era structures), while the granite of the Black Forest and Odenwald solidifies in mid-October. The second half of October yields the coal deposits, and the final days of the month witness the activity of porphyry volcanoes in southern and central Germany--such as those near Baden-Baden and Oppenau, as well as others now buried beneath younger geological strata. On November 6th, Earth's "Middle Ages" begin: The formation of the Bunter Sandstone takes only a few days, that of the Muschelkalk Sea merely three days, and the entire Triassic period--including the varied Keuper era--lasts just eight days in total. The earliest remains of unassuming mammals appear on November 14th; the Jurassic Sea covers parts of Germany, finally receding from the Neckar Valley on November 25th. It takes only five weeks for the present-day landscape to be carved out of the deposited strata. The beginning of December sees the arrival of the earliest deciduous trees. All flowers--with their splendor adorning the Earth--make their appearance in December of Earth's history. The age of the dinosaurs falls within the first half of December. The modern era begins on December 16th. The folding of the Alps and the Earth's other high mountain ranges takes place during these last 14 days, as does the momentous evolution of mammals. This period seems to us to unfold with astonishing speed. Around Christmas, the glow of numerous volcanoes is visible across southern and central Germany--in the Hegau (Hohentwiel), the Kaiserstuhl, along the edge of the Swabian Alb, in the Rhön, and at the Vogelsberg (Upper Hesse). Germany's lignite deposits are a geological gift from these final 14 days. On New Year's Eve, the Ice Age begins at 6:00 p.m., and by 9:00 p.m., humans are "already" living near Heidelberg. Ten minutes before midnight, Stone Age people are hunting reindeer. Yet the last two minutes of the "year" are all that remain for the entirety of human history. A single human life spans just the final second. We cannot expect to perceive decisive changes and transformations in the flora, fauna, and humanity itself within the span of one human life. However, through the collaborative efforts of various natural science disciplines--such as paleontology, anthropology, comparative anatomy, and evolutionary biology--prehistoric and early historical findings yield a vast and accurate picture of the overall evolution of organic life on Earth, and of the planet itself. Even the timeframes--with the exception of the primordial era--have been reliably established, despite their immense scale.

From America--
    Around the turn of the century, there were all sorts of peculiar magazines in America--some of which even achieved quite high circulation figures, even if they could not survive in the long run. Among the publications that appeared back then were a magazine "For Mosquito Lovers," a "Newspaper for Snoring Humanity," a "Newspaper for Everyone Who Hates Umbrellas," and a "Newspaper for Misanthropes." A wealthy animal lover even had a newspaper printed in "dog language." It was typeset using Latin characters, and the contributions were written in a language supposedly intelligible only to dogs. The publisher also organized public lecture evenings to which he invited all of New York's dog owners. Sitting in a large hall amidst his two- and four-legged audience, he would read the newspaper in dog language from start to finish--though neither the two-legged nor the four-legged listeners understood a single word of it--

ON THE STRUGGLE OF THE GERMAN SOUL
An Evening of Music Featuring Works by Richard Wagner
    As the sun sinks in the west and bluish shadows weave around the mountains,
there begins a brief moment of calm--something so precious to us all in these
present days of momentous events.
    In grateful silence, the large audience savored the soothing twilight,
while Richard Wagner's music acted like a healing balm upon wounded souls.
Not that every burning emotion was calmed by the musical tones; Richard Wagner himself created many of his works out of inner turmoil. Hence the profound effect on the listener, who gains thecompelling impression that the struggle of the German soul is noisolated phenomenon, but rather a collective destiny--one whose significance stands before us today, vivid yet unresolved. It was a stroke of good fortune that the organizers, with fine sensibility, had selected the very essence of the work.
    The carefully chosen, melodious words of Johannes Tiedemann complemented the performance beautifully; their understated nature made them a gift in their own right to the audience, who delighted in the artistry of great Wagnerian singers such as Lauritz Melchior, Ivar Andresen, and Kirsten Flagstad. Particularly noteworthy to the undersigned was the Overture and Venusberg Bacchanale from "Tannhäuser,"
masterfully performed by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski.
    The success of this first musical evening of its kind should provide sufficient impetus to begin preparations for a second one immediately.--Werner Baecker.

PUZZLE
   
    Please complete the following:
    L--wand; Gostei--t; I--s; Li--[omission?]; Neg--rung; Fi--zant; An--as;
    Form complete nouns from the word fragments above by inserting the same
number of letters in place of the dashes. When read in a meaningful sequence, the inserted letter groups form an aphorism.

Geographical "Capsule" Puzzle
    Donaueschingen - Forbach - Oberlahnstein - Ober - Assmannshausen - Geiselgasteig - Winterthur - Grenzruhnen - Wernigerode.
    A geographical name is hidden within each of the words listed above. The initial letters of these "capsule" words, when read in the order given,spell out the name of a part of the Alps.

OUR SPORTS
   
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. . .
    Offside in football: A player is in an offside position if--at the moment the ball is played by another player--they are located in the opposing half of the field, level with or behind the opposing defense, such that no player from the opposing team stands between them and the goalkeeper.
    However, a prerequisite is that the ball is being played towards the opposing goal. It does not matter whether the ball is actually passed to the player in the offside position or not.
    A player is not offside, however, if the ball comes from an opponent or if the opposing defense is located in its own half of the field.
    There is no offside immediately following a corner kick or a throw-in; the offside rule only applies again after the ball has been played by another player.

Sports Roundup: January 21, 1945
    A gradual improvement in weather conditions allowed seven matches to take place.
The results:
Football:
    6th Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team--4:3 (2:2)
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 5th Co. 1st Team--3:2 (2:1)
    2nd Co. 1st Team vs. 3rd Co. 1st Team--5:2 (2:2)
    5th Co. 2nd Team vs. 7th Co. 2nd Team--1:11 (0:4)
    2nd Co. 2nd Team vs. 3rd Co. 2nd Team--2:2 (0:2)
    6th Co. 2nd Team vs. 7th Co. 3rd Team--1:1 (1:0)
    2nd Co. A.H. Team vs. 7th Co. A.H. Team--0:4 (0:2)
   
Table Tennis:
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 6th Co. 1st Team--4:11

Sports Roundup: January 28, 1945
    The onset of night frost and the rescheduling of the main matches to the morning hours made an extensive sports program possible.
The results:
Football:
    5th Co. 1st Team vs. 6th Co. 1st Team--1:1 (0:1)
    2nd Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team--2:4 (2:0)
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 3rd Co. 1st Team--1:1 (1:0)
    5th Co. 2nd Team vs. 6th Co. 2nd Team--1:9 (0:5)
    2nd Co. 3rd Team vs. 3rd Co. 2nd Team--0:0 (0:0)
    2nd Co. A.H. Team vs. 6th Co. 3rd Team--0:5 (0:1)
   
Handball:
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team--0:2 (0:1)
    2nd Co. 1st Team vs. 5th Co. 1st Team--5:1 (2:1)
    1st Co. 2nd Team vs. 3rd Co. 1st Team--5:0 (2:0)
   
Table Tennis:
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 2nd Co. 1st Team--16:20
    2nd Co. 2st Team vs. 3rd Co. 1st Team--29:7

YOU AND THE REFEREE.
    I know you aren't always the best of friends, even though you need each other--you, the players on the field, and him, the eye of the law. His decisions are harsh, unyielding, and final. His whistle halts your sporting contest, and you submit to his instructions. Sometimes, however, you feel you are being treated unfairly by him. You may even feel compelled to protest his decisions now and then, even though you know full well that this rarely ends well.
    I would therefore like to urge you to consider the following:
    If we desire clean and fair matches--and I am convinced that this is what we all want--then we must, in every instance, accept the referee's decisions. He always strives to do his best, but he can only call what he sees. Naturally, he is only human; so do not be petty if he makes a mistake. Acknowledge his good intentions and bear in mind how few referees we have who are willing to step up, Sunday after Sunday. If you are truly such experts on the rules of the game, why haven't you volunteered as officials yourselves?
    In the coming days, we intend to gather all handball and football referees to ensure they apply our rules consistently. We will discuss all relevant questions in detail, but we must also uphold the authority of our referees on the pitch--and you are well aware that a sending-off results in a suspension of at least 14 days. We would much rather see you engaged in spirited competition on the field than standing idly on the sidelines.
    So, summon the courage and discipline to accept the referee's decisions as final.--E.B.

A Cheerful Life…
   
A FITTING REPLY
    Whistler, the great English painter, took pleasure in flouting the conventions of his tradition-bound country. On one occasion--in complete defiance of custom--he asked Sir Mackenzie, London's most renowned throat specialist, to examine his poodle for a supposed throat ailment.
    The professor could barely suppress his anger at this impertinence. However, he did not let his annoyance show; he examined the dog and prescribed a medicine. Two days later, the painter--who was working in his studio--received an urgent call from the professor asking him to come to his consulting room as soon as possible. Assuming the matter concerned his beloved poodle, the painter hurried over. The professor received him in his study and said, with the utmost courtesy: "It is very kind of you to have come so quickly. I wanted to ask you to paint my front door; it really needs it…"

A SHARP RETORT…
    The famous surgeon Friedrich von Esmarch was once summoned to the owner of a large Hamburg banking house who was on the verge of suffocating after swallowing a fish bone. After much effort, Esmarch finally succeeded in removing the foreign object. Once the banker could breathe freely again, he immediately asked: "How much do I owe you, Excellency?"
    Esmarch, a shrewd judge of character, replied: "Give me one-tenth of what you intended to give me when the bone was still stuck in your throat!"

Roast Duck
    Uncle Franz comes for a visit. Quite "coincidentally" around mealtime. "My goodness," he says, sniffing the air, "are you having roast goose?" "No, no, unfortunately just a duck," says little Willi.
    "Why 'unfortunately'? Duck is much more delicious!"
    "Yes, but also much smaller. We could have invited you over for a goose…"

Good Opportunity
    "I want to give Franz something for his birthday, preferably a book, but I don't know which one." - "Why don't you get him 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'?" - "But maybe he already has it?" - "No way, I borrowed it from him a year ago and haven't given it back yet."

[illustration of notice placard, dog on leash, rich man falling on rear]
FROM OLD PAPERS
    Announcement: All those keeping dogs must wear a collar.
    Those who violate this rule will be punished with three hours of confinement on bread and water.
    Since the back is walled up, the front entrance is at the back.
    Homeowners are required to remove the refuse from in front of their doors within 24 hours; otherwise, a high-ranking magistrate will intervene.
    Newspaper advertisement: People who want to sell their bones should bring them to Zimmerstrasse 4.
    A umbrella, lost in thought. Also lost: a one hundred DM gold bond, unwrapped, and a seal; whoever delivers them to Krausenstrasse 17 will receive one thaler daily between 9 and 10 a.m.
    Medieval woman sought as housekeeper.

[illustration of folded sheaf of paper]
How many times can you fold a sheet of paper?
    It is practically impossible to fold a sheet of paper fifty times. A sheet folded three times is already eight times as thick as a single fold. Folded seven times, it reaches 128 times its original thickness. With the twentieth fold, the sheet would be about 25 meters thick, and with the twentieth, about 400 meters. If the folding continues, a sheet folded 34 times would correspond to the Earth's diameter, and the distance from the Earth to the Moon would be filled in after the 44th fold.

MOVIES WE SAW
[illustration of movie camera on crane, actors on set, klieg light]
"She's for Me"--An extremely crude comedy that clearly highlighted the difference between our conception of film comedy and the output of the German film industry. While our films increasingly derive their humor from dialogue or camera work, here, situational comedy--expressed through grotesque scenes--still seems to dominate. For instance, we could not recall ever having seen a scene before this movie in which two elegant women in evening gowns brawl like fishwives. The effect is certainly there, and the film's success in eliciting laughter is undeniable. However, a viewer who expects a certain level of quality--even in comedies--would likely prefer our style of film comedy to the American variety.
   
"One Night in the Tropics"--This comedy followed a similar path, though it far surpassed "She's for Me" in terms of production values--specifically regarding the cast, set design, and, above all, the music. There was also the introduction of Lou Costello; many already knew him from the radio, and his mere appearance in the film made us laugh uproariously. Rarely has a film in the camp cinema sparked such gales of laughter as "One Night in the Tropics." Costello played the biggest part in that success.
   
"Show Business"--An enjoyable entertainment film with a believable plot. It depicts the world of small-time performers in the years leading up to World War I. The journey of the modest troupe is filled with hard work, joy, and disappointment, and success--not merely in artistic terms--is by no means guaranteed. Human failings and complications bring about a dramatic turn of events that only resolves toward the end of the film, leading to a satisfying conclusion. The film is enhanced by the variety of its music and the interspersed cabaret-style performances.--Werner Baecker.

Answers to the questions from the "Knowing How to Help Yourself" section in the January issue:
    Even if the bulb has only burned briefly, a distinct bulge can be observed.
    Fill the vessel with water; the wooden ball floats.

Publisher: German Camp Leader. Editorial Staff: Werner Baecker/Hans Buettner/Erich Becker. Design: Erwin Lange. Heimat is published twice a month. Print run: 120 copies. Submission point for correspondence and contributions: Camp Library. Responsible for this issue: Hermann Doeker, Heinz Polter, and Peter Hofmann. Passed by U.S. Army Examiner #23533.



Heimat February 15, 1945
I am constantly in a state of extraordinary agitation--and, I feel, the day itself was a rather unseemly and unpleasant beginning. I often have to summon all the strength of my soul to keep from being overwhelmed by this turbulent state; vexed with myself, I find no relief but in the tears that swirl around my restless sleep. I feel that, when morning comes, I must confront my destiny. This human will has always seemed to me the most powerful force on earth--a strength one must hold fast even when death approaches. There is a certain comfort for my spirit in the power of resignation--yet, whatever path one takes, a vital means of survival is a resolve that does not slumber away in years of idleness and outward impotence, but bears every blow of fate with steadfast courage--only to intervene, when the long-awaited moment finally arrives, and wrest hope by force from a cruel, wayward destiny, or else destroy oneself in a terrible, decisive act, just as the old king of the Cliff-Court once did.--Carl von Clausewitz

THE LANGUAGE OF DESTINY / By Johann Gottfried Herder
    Every human being is awakened for his destiny and carries the seed of it within himself; year after year, he nurtures within himself the strength to face the adversity he is to encounter, as well as the senses and faculties to enjoy all the good that is destined to become his--and no one else's. God called him forth; God gave him time, place, the hour of his birth, parents, station, and destiny; no human being can alter this, nor can any choose it for himself. He made room for him to exist, and will make room for him to become what he is meant to be. Every step of his journey is a number in the book of God; every complication and resolution is one of His precious, hidden divine thoughts . . .
    The language of our destiny is God's secret language for the individual destiny of each human being; in it, He speaks to him alone, telling him what He had to say to no other--what no other could or dared understand--but what this person, provided there is still some purity and truth within him, feels vividly and deeply at every step. God does not speak as a human speaks. Through centuries, signs, and indeterminate syllables and words, He speaks event through event, deed through deed, truth through fallibility and truth. No step in our lives, no success achieved or missed, no good or evil--whether of our own making or not--is devoid of this meaning, this profound connection to our heart and its instruction and formation… Blessed is he who understands this language, who acts upon its every new hint. It is the language of the Father with His children; it is the veiling and unveiling of the book of God--precisely when, wherein, and to the extent that we needed to know it.


JOHANN GOTTFRIED HERDER
    Born in 1744 to a schoolmaster in the small East Prussian town of Mohrungen. After a very strict upbringing in his father's home, he earned his living as a clerk for a preacher. Following an unsuccessful attempt to study medicine, Herder chose theology, later adding history, political science, ethnology, and languages ​​to his studies. In 1764, he arrived in Riga to serve as a preacher and teacher at a local school. Three years later, Herder embarked on an independent path that, through extensive study, led him to devote himself entirely to art and its origins. In Strasbourg, he met Goethe, exerting a decisive influence upon him. Herder's works include writings on art and literature. His most significant work is "Ideas for the Philosophy of the History of Mankind" ("Ideen zur Philosophie der Geschichte der Menschheit"). Herder died in 1803.

SUNDAY…!
   
HUMOR IN GERMAN LANDS / A Cross-Section
    True humor is rooted in the earth; it springs from the soil of one's homeland. The joy of liberating, hearty laughter--along with the love of jokes and wit, buffoonery and pranks, whimsical mockery, life-affirming irony, and satire--is something innate in every human being, though always in varying blends and shades. Every people possesses its own brand of cheer, and every landscape contributes its own unique character. We all know what German humor is, yet it is only through crisscrossing the country and interacting with people from every region that we discover the diverse sources from which this humor draws its strength and constantly renews itself.
    Northern Germany--here, the Frisians and Lower Saxons sit by the water's edge. The Low German sailor jokes--led by the Hamburgers--are hearty and full of zest. Wit in Westphalia is also expressed in Low German; it may be somewhat ponderous, yet it holds a mischievous core. It was on Westphalian soil that the magnificent "Eulenspiegel-like" figure of the "mad Bomberg" emerged. However, the true Eulenspiegel was born in Eastphalia, in the village of Kneitlingen in the Duchy of Brunswick. A love for playful teasing is said to still linger throughout the region. Bodenwerder, also in the Brunswick territory, was the home of that classic braggart, Baron Münchhausen. And it is surely no coincidence that the two great masters of a knowing yet smiling humor--Wilhelm Raabe and, above all, Wilhelm Busch--were sons of this cheerful land; thus, "Max and Moritz" are truly the great-great-grandsons of old Eulenspiegel. The humor of the people of Mecklenburg is regarded as good-natured and genial; their Low German dialect and cozy manner became familiar to all of Germany through Fritz Reuter, and Inspector Braesig, Pomuschelskopp, and Mamsell Westfalen--to name but a few--are known throughout the world.
   
[illustration of Till Eulenspiegel]
   
[illustration of man leaning against building]
   
    The East Prussians contribute much to general merriment through their manner of speaking, their peculiar intonation, and their idiosyncratic way of expressing themselves. Berlin wit occupies a special place, said to be apt, unerring, and usually tinged with a bit of mockery. It is not universally popular in the Reich, but even behind it, despite its biting irony, lies a warm heart. From Alton Fritz to the present day, everyone, including the great aristocrats, has adopted this wit in the unmistakable "Berlin jargon." "The real Berliner comes from Treslau," goes a saying, implying that only a small portion of the population is long-established. Berlin wit is particularly fond of humor from elsewhere. The Upper Silesian characters Antock and Sofflik are as well-known as the Cologne characters Tünnes and Schäl. But it is the good-natured Silesians, with their distinctive dialect, who, along with the "godless" Saxons, have contributed to joyful laughter throughout Germany.
    On the Rhine, wine awakens a sense of old, carefree cheerfulness; not only university towns like Bonn and Heidelberg, but also Frankfurt is known for its droll humor. Cologne, the city of Carnival, the "Hänneschen Theater," is famous for its "Kraetzcher," all of which revolve around the beloved Tünnes and Schäl.
   
[illustration of Seven Swabians attacking rabbit with halberd]
   
The people of Schilda in Lower Saxony are the famous "Seven Swabians." Their Swabian rascals are known throughout the world. Swabian folk humor is already reflected in the Zimmernachen Chronicle, just as it still manifests itself in Lucrilo's comic characters, such as the Lieb und Maria play in "Kaler Kelten." The mischievousness of women lives on in the Swabian tales of Hans Sachs as well as in the delightful short stories of Jean Paul, such as "Schulmeisterleins Maria Wutz," the lawyer Siebenkaes, or the droll Dr. Katzenberger. And let us not forget the Bavarians. There is Munich--the city of Oktoberfest, of the "Fliegende Blätter" and "Simplicissimus." Ludwig Thoma represents the quintessential Bavarian in lighthearted literature in the most spirited fashion. Yet in the mountains, one finds the "Schnaderhüpfl" and the rough pranks of lads eager for both dancing and brawling.
    German humor springs from the very soil. Time and again, a quick-witted mind finds the perfect, funny phrase for a situation; anecdotes pass from mouth to mouth, awakening everywhere that liberating, conciliatory laughter--laughter that travels across space and time, enduring through the centuries.--A.H.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
   
THE SNOW IS GOING
    Frederick the Great was returning to Sanssouci Palace after a long stay in Berlin. A grenadier stood guard at the palace entrance. The King stopped. It was a warm day in early spring, and the King asked the sentry, in high spirits: "Well, what's new here, grenadier?" The sentry reported: "The snow is going away now, Your Majesty!" "Is that so? The snow is going away?" the King laughed. "That suits me fine; I have no objection!" The next day, it was reported to Frederick that a man from the grenadier battalion had deserted. "What is the fellow's name?" asked the King. "Schnee [Snow], Your Majesty!" At this, Old Fritz laughed heartily. "Bring the fellow back to me; he shall go unpunished," he said. "After all, I myself gave permission yesterday for it to go away--this snow…"

THE FLATTERER
    Queen Christina of Sweden--dubbed the "Sibyl of the North" by her contemporaries--was not only a great ruler but also a vain woman. During a grand celebration, she sat surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting, conversing with Count Monaldeschi, a witty knight who was highly popular at court. The Queen spoke of one of her ladies-in-waiting, describing her as very beautiful, and then asked the Count to express his opinion on the beauty of the ladies present. Sensing that the question might be a trap, he replied quickly and with composure: "Who can pass judgment on the stars, Your Majesty, when gazing into the face of the sun?" This answer made him the ruler's favored courtier for years to come.

ENTERTAINMENT
presented in an instructive manner

Here is something else worth knowing:
ROOT-CANAL TREATED TEETH--A Health Hazard / By E. Maisch
    To make this topic reasonably understandable, we must first take a closer look at the tooth itself. Three "levels" or sections can be distinguished in a tooth (refer to the labeled diagram): the crown, the neck, and the root. The crown is the visible part of the tooth; the neck is covered by the gums; and the root--which may be single or multiple--is embedded in the jaw.
    The crown is encased in an outer layer that is exceptionally hard and durable: the enamel. Its function is to protect the tooth's interior. The bulk of the tooth consists of a bone-like substance called dentin (depicted in black). Inside the tooth lies the pulp chamber (depicted with stippling). This space is filled with connective tissue known as the pulp--commonly referred to as the "nerve." The chamber has outlets leading toward the root tips: the root canals. Nerves and blood vessels enter the pulp chamber through these canals. The roots are encased in a bone-like substance called cementum, which is surrounded on the outside by the periodontal ligament.
   
[illustration of healthy tooth]
   
    The tooth faces several formidable enemies that seek to destroy it. One category consists of "mechanical" enemies. Chewing mechanically breaks down food. Pressure and friction--especially from hard items like bones--contribute to gradual wear and tear, often causing cracks or chipping in the enamel. We count fruit acids, other chemical components of our diet, and chemical substances resulting from the fermentation and putrefaction of food residues--all of which attack the enamel--among the "chemical enemies." Brushing one's teeth is necessary to effectively combat this enemy. Finally, there is another sometimes dangerous enemy of the tooth: the "bacteriological enemies." They are always poised to invade a breach and carry out their destructive work--namely, causing the tooth to decay (dental caries).
   
[illustrations of diseased teeth]
   
    If detected early, the decay is eliminated by drilling out the affected area and filling it with a suitable material. However, if the decay has progressed to the point where the enamel and dentin have been "eaten through," the pulp chamber becomes exposed, resulting in toothache. The dentist then faces two options: either extract the tooth or perform a procedure known as a "root canal treatment."
    The specific details of the procedure are a matter for the dentist. For us, the crucial point is that by killing the so-called "nerve," the tooth becomes a lifeless object within the jaw, no longer receiving any nourishment. Years of observation have conclusively proven that root-canal-treated teeth--even those treated with the utmost precision--cannot be saved from eventual decay. The periodontal membrane (root membrane) complicates matters; it is prone to infections that lead to inflammation. If this inflammation becomes chronic, it often goes unnoticed for years. Actual pus sacs can form at the root tip without the unsuspecting owner even realizing it. Quite apart from serious jaw disorders, we must consider the internal damage to the body when such a "decoration" of the dentition releases its waste products into the bloodstream; kidney, liver, and heart damage can result. The simple rule is this: root-canal-treated teeth can pose a health risk. Therefore, we should have a dentist tap-test them or, better yet, X-ray them from time to time. An X-ray usually provides evidence of existing or incipient changes at the root tip or in the surrounding tissues. It is up to the dentist to decide how to treat a tooth with root disease; however, the patient is well-advised to defer to the dentist's decisions.

LISTENING TO THE RADIO SHOULD BE ENJOYABLE
    Indeed, listening to the radio should be enjoyable. This is a self-evident fact that hardly needs stating. Yet, many radio owners and their fellow listeners in the neighborhood would say that scanning the dial up and down isn't exactly pure pleasure--especially when you tune into a program just as the announcer, in an earnest voice, is listing the virtues of Dr. Lyon's Tooth Powder or describing the astonishingly rapid effect of Bayer Aspirin alongside practical advice. The impatient listener will likely keep turning the dial without waiting to see what follows the commercial (undoubtedly a mistake!). That impatient turning simply leads to more sales pitches, and for the music-hungry seeker, it makes no difference whether the ad is for Lucky Strike or "Evening in Paris" face powder. The result is, in all likelihood, a decisive switch-off and the vexed realization that everything here is different--and that back home, one doesn't have to go to such lengths to find an appealing two-hour music program.
    However, fellow radio enthusiasts, the way broadcasting works here is different, too. Four major broadcasting companies air their programs independently of state influence. These are the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), the Blue Network (Blue), and Mutual. Each of these companies operates a "key station" (main station) connected to a network of stations that typically spans from the East Coast to the West Coast. Alongside these, there is a multitude of small local radio stations that are not necessarily affiliated with a major broadcasting company. Our local station, KMED-Medford, carries its main broadcasts from the National Broadcasting Company and, more recently, a few programs from the Blue Network. While broadcasts from the Mutual network cannot be heard here without interference, the offerings of the Columbia Broadcasting System come through exceptionally well--represented by two powerful stations that provide consistently good reception during the evening hours: KSL Salt Lake City and KIX, Los Angeles ("the voice of Hollywood"). Most of our radio listeners have to make do with these stations. More powerful receivers are capable of picking up KEX Portland. This connects them to the Blue Network, whose broadcasts are transmitted by the aforementioned station in Portland, Oregon.
    And what about the nature of the programs? Here, too, there is naturally a difference compared to what we heard in Germany. The duration of the broadcasts alone differs significantly from our standard 60- and 120-minute formats. The sponsoring companies bear the costs for all broadcasts, thereby gaining the right to advertise their products within their own programs. Costs are so enormous that even the largest corporations cannot afford to air more than one 30-minute weekly program on any given network. Consequently, many companies produce only 15-minute broadcasts or merely short segments featuring recorded music--where, understandably, the advertising takes center stage. To the best of the author's knowledge, the longest radio broadcasts in America are General Motors' "Symphony of the Air" (50 minutes), "The Standard Hour" (60 minutes), and Lucky Strike's "Hit Parade" (45 minutes). A great many corporate-sponsored programs manage to pack a dance band, comedians, and soloists into a tight 30-minute window. To anyone who does not understand English, these broadcasts often come across as an unintelligible jumble of music, whistling, applause, and advertising. Admittedly, this is hardly enjoyable--at least not for us. However, since there are a number of appealing broadcasts--whose airtimes and origins are often unknown--we took pleasure in identifying programs that consist almost entirely of music, with the intention of recommending them to our radio-listening readers. The list appears on this page. The programs included in this selection were not chosen based on artistic merit. We leave it to the radio listener to decide which type of music brings them pleasure and which singer they dislike. However, the view that no good programs--especially music programs--are broadcast here is undoubtedly incorrect. In addition to the "Symphony of the Air" (heard every Sunday at 2:00 p.m.), KSL Salt Lake City presents "Masterpieces on Record" every evening at 12:45 a.m., a program sure to satisfy any music lover. Fans of light music (by which we do not necessarily mean "hot" music) are also well catered for.
   
MUSICAL RADIO PROGRAMS

Day:	Time:	Title:	Radio Station:
Sunday	1400	Symphony Concert	KMED-Medford
Sunday	1800	Light Entertainment Music (cont. across 3 separate broadcasts)	KMED-Medford
Sunday	1930	Recorded Music	KSL-Salt Lake City
Sunday	2030	Opera and Operetta Music (standard hour)	KMED-Medford
Sunday	2200	Organ Music	KSL-Salt Lake City
Monday	1730	Organ Music (Firestone)	KMED-Medford
Tuesday	2100	Light Music	KSL-Salt Lake City
Wednesday	1800	Sinatra Program	KNX-Los Angeles
Wednesday	1900	Grand Musical Scenes	KSL-Salt Lake City
Thursday	1800	Bing Crosby Sings	KMED-Medford
Thursday	1930	Romantic Music	KSL-Salt Lake City
Friday	1800	Waltz Music	KMED-Medford
Saturday	1800	Hit Parade	KSL-Salt Lake City
Saturday	1845	Evening Serenade	KSL-Salt Lake City
Saturday	2100	Hit Parade	KNX-Los Angeles

All times are Medford times.
   
    We would simply like to draw attention here to the local station's Sunday evening programming starting at 6:00 p.m., which features a continuous stream of light operetta or film music until 7:30 p.m.
    However, one cannot expect the radio to broadcast exactly what one wishes to hear at any given time of day. While this may be possible near very large cities--where each of the aforementioned broadcasting companies operates its own station--it is not feasible here in the countryside. We therefore recommend curating your own listening schedule, using our broadcast timetable as a guide. At other times, when the loudspeaker offers nothing worth hearing, one should simply switch the set off and wait. Doing so not only enhances the enjoyment of truly fine broadcasts but also fulfills the unspoken wishes of involuntary listeners--for whom a radio running continuously for twelve hours can sometimes become a real nuisance.--Werner Baecker.

ECLIPSES OF 1945
    Partial lunar eclipse on June 25; not visible here, but--generally speaking--visible in the Pacific, Australia, eastern and southeastern Asia, and the Indian Ocean.
    Total solar eclipse on July 9, 1945; visible in North America, Europe, northern and western Asia, and North Africa.
    Total lunar eclipse on the night of December 18-19, 1945; visible in the Americas, as well as in central and western Asia, Europe, Africa, the western part of the Indian Ocean, and the far southeastern Pacific.

PROOF OF IDENTITY
    The English poet Johnson once received a gracious invitation from a lord to visit him. When Johnson arrived at the lord's house, the caretaker refused to let him in because he was so shabbily dressed. Eventually, the servant went to the lord and told him there was a vagabond outside claiming to be the poet Johnson. The lord went to the door and examined the odd visitor; since he did not yet know Johnson personally, he said, "My dear fellow, you are anything but the famous poet Johnson. You look so simple-minded, you wouldn't even be able to say 'baa' to a sheep." Johnson looked kindly at the lord, said "Baa!," and walked away.

    It is a fact that the most ruthless people are often the most sensitive.

    An optimist is a man who promises his wife a new dress and believes she will buy a simple housecoat.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
Sunday Reflections--
    Sunday--the word sounds so different, so far removed from the everyday, and thus somehow festive. No matter where we are or what we experience, Sunday makes itself felt; it reminds us and invites us to pause and reflect. People can find greater contentment when they understand what Sunday means to them. One cannot turn every day into a Sunday; that would strip the day of its special quality, leaving the actual Sunday drab and gray. Yet Sunday itself is meant to be a day of sunshine. With every line that completes a letter sent "over there," countless hours of sunshine are created. Immersing oneself in that circle of radiant light--both there and here--offers far more than any attempt to numb the mind through work or the restless pace of daily life. Stringing together these hours of sunshine creates a long chain of happy, sunlit days--a chain that will surely continue, and which will certainly include those Sundays that currently seem to slip by so inconspicuously and grayly. For all that is bad or unpleasant fades into the past and vanishes when compared to those days of sunshine; we must therefore cherish and preserve them carefully, revisiting them whenever the Sunday of the present grants us the time--and with it, the hope--that everything returns and nothing is truly lost.--W.B.

Farewell to the Dogs
    When, one day, our four-legged friends--along with their belongings (collars, leashes, and blankets)--withdrew at the gate, many of us suppressed a deeply felt emotion. We had all grown fond of these little dogs, even though their naughtiness or lack of house-training often exasperated us. Yet they frequently provided a welcome distraction, and their unconditional reliance on our goodwill instilled in us a sense of responsibility--a duty of care that almost all the dog owners fulfilled with touching devotion. It was not just their owners who found joy in them; many others delighted in playful interactions and felt a quiet sense of contentment whenever they could pet or even feed one of these dogs. That time has now come to an end. Greif, Rex, Senta, Micki, and the others have marched through the gate to await new owners--with whom they will surely be just as well off as they were with us. And that is, after all, a comforting thought for those who found that final "shake of the paw" particularly difficult.
   
[illustration of lawn with "Keep Off the Grass" sign]
   
Future Lawn Areas
    The mounds of earth delivered behind the infirmary are intended for the creation of a lawn area. Responsibility for realizing this project has been assigned to the Post Engineer. Anyone familiar with the area behind the barracks at Camp White--and who may have lamented the state of the construction site in years past--might well conclude from this new undertaking that an ideal spot for lounging on the grass is taking shape. Let us wait and see, however, whether a "Keep Off the Grass" sign might yet thwart our plans once the project is complete.
   
[illustration]
   
White Receptacles by the Roadside
    When the white receptacles were first placed along the road, the personnel tasked with the job didn't believe anyone would be crazy enough to respect their intended purpose. Yet, they were proven wrong. Surprisingly, there is always "something inside" them, and the general cleanliness of the camp has certainly not deteriorated. We mention this to show that we do not merely complain, but also offer praise whenever a welcome development gives us cause to do so.

Sports Field Improvements
…are welcomed by all athletes. Winter rains have taken a heavy toll on our playing fields. Last week, a few athletes attempted to remedy the situation. Several truckloads of soil were spread over the areas that needed it most. The sun was shining, and a successful Sunday of sports seemed assured. But towards evening, the weather put an end to those hopes. It rained. That is not to say, however, that work on improving the fields has ceased; the project is by no means complete, and volunteers should naturally step forward when the time comes (and the sports coordinator issues the call).

For Film Enthusiasts
    We would like to point out that the films screened here (16mm film) do not necessarily reflect the quality of the country's film industry's overall output, as we have been informed that major producers such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Paramount are less interested in the production of narrow-gauge films. [Feature films were distributed to smaller venues via lower-quality 16mm prints instead of the standard 35mm.]

THE LIBRARY IN FIGURES
A Correction
    Our stock library holds 1,770 volumes, even though the book numbering might suggest we have closer to 3,000. These 1,770 books are categorized as follows: novels (600), short stories (230), humor (70), history (70), classics (150), poetry (20), art (25), natural sciences (15), geography (10), language books (30), technology (10), biography (15), philosophy (10), dialect literature (5), other sciences (15), texts with English explanations (150), and foreign-language literature (350).

From the Math Class
    We are discussing multiplication, polynomials, parentheses, positive and negative numbers, products, and factors. If one factor is zero, the entire product is zero, because "If I take something zero times--that is, not at all--then I have nothing, or zero; likewise, 4 times 0 equals zero."
    At this point, Herrmann speaks up. "Why? Surely 4 times 0 has to be 4!"--"How so?"--"I imagine I have four beers on the table. If I don't drink any of them, I still have them, don't I?"--R.K.

Hamburg English
    Peacetime. An English ship arrives in the port of Hamburg. When the aging ship's boiler fails, the captain summons a Hamburg coppersmith to patch it up. The master craftsman inspects the damage and gives the Englishman the following verdict:
    "Well, you see, Captain, the bottom is quite "kaput," you know. The side is also terribly rickety. Patching it up won't do the job properly. I think, Captain, it's best if I take the whole lot home and make you a brand-new one!"

--and English at Camp White
    When the dogs were being vaccinated at the gate, a P.W. asked: "Sir, dauert it a long time, bis die Hunde kommen back?" ["Sir, does it take a long time for the dogs to come back?"]--Answer: "No." The best proof that the P.W. was understood.

America
    The management of the La Veta Hotel in Colorado offers guests free meals on days when the sun doesn't shine. However, over the last 25 years, the sun has failed to appear on only 17 days. So, the chances of getting a free lunch are very slim.

CULTURE
   
Continuation of the series "Bearers of the German Spirit":
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE / A Brief Biography
    At the beginning of the century, engaging with Nietzsche's writings was considered perilous for young people; teachers not only warned against them but locked them away from high school and university students as if they were poison. Indeed, more than one young man was found with a slashed wrist or a bullet through his forehead, a text by Nietzsche lying beside him. Such an effect produced by a philosophy was unprecedented and unheard of. The fear felt by fathers and teachers stemmed from an instinct that was, in its own way, correct: In their experience, the intellect had served to perfect and elevate material existence, and philosophy itself was merely the conceptualization of a worldview and a vision of life by minds that observed and interpreted. Yet here was a man wielding the intellect like a military commander. He engaged in tactical maneuvers, donned masks, and planted dynamite; and this entire enterprise was directed against the sacred tenets of the age. Philosophy and poetry served as camouflage for a politician and strategist; the man was, in effect, a dangerous revolutionary. And yet, he was a pastor's son and a teacher--did he aspire to be Emperor? In fact, his story did end in a similar fashion: "I have summoned a congress of princes to Rome; I intend to have the young Emperor shot," he wrote at the onset of his illness--a state of megalomania.
    The tragic and decisive event was his appointment to a teaching post in Basel at the age of twenty-four. It entailed an overwhelming burden of obligations at a young age--a "senseless squandering of extraordinary powers." The appointment came just as he was on the verge of embarking on a journey to Greece and Italy. That trip would likely have led to a life more deeply engaged with the wider world. Moreover, during his student years in Bonn and Leipzig, he had already withdrawn into his work with excessive zeal. His year of voluntary military service in Naumburg--intended to provide a break and a counterbalance--had to be cut short due to a riding accident. Yet his constitution was already vulnerable, given his upbringing and background; he was the son of a pastor, born on October 15, 1844, in the village of Röcken near Lützen. Neither his youth in Naumburg nor his schooldays at Schulpforta had offered opportunities to embed his roots in the more robust soil of reality. After a severe illness contracted while serving as a volunteer medical orderly during the Franco-Prussian War, he resumed teaching before he had fully recovered. Consequently, in 1879, he was forced to resign his post due to ill health. From then on, he lived mostly south of the Alps--in Sils-Maria, Rapallo, and Nice--until his mental collapse in Turin during the first days of January 1889.
Based on the clinical picture, it has been concluded that he suffered from a general nervous breakdown. His illness deepened his isolation; the reception of his writings further contributed to this state. Nietzsche lived for another eleven years after his collapse: first at the Binswanger institution in Jena, and subsequently with his mother and sister in Naumburg and Weimar. His life came to an end on August 25, 1900. He is buried in the family plot in Röcken.

TWO CENTURIES OF MUSIC
   
Reflections on the Second Recorded Music Evening
    A large gathering of serious music enthusiasts had assembled for the second evening of our recorded music concerts. They were not disappointed. Hans Tiedemann is arguably the person best suited to present such evenings. His simple yet apt words set the mood for the musical pieces and convey the essentials about their creators without ever sounding didactic. We are delighted that these presentations are attracting the interest they deserve, and we look forward to the next evening. A veritable treasure chest was opened, revealing gems ranging from noble, softly lustrous pearls to sparkling diamonds. Who could resist the mellow atmosphere of Handel's music as the first warm waves of sound flowed into the darkened room? We no longer felt as though we were sitting in a bleak barracks; instead, we were transported far from everyday life into a more beautiful world. Later, we heard songs by Bach, Schubert, Brahms, and Strauss, performed by magnificent voices: Elisabeth Schumann, Kirsten Flagstad, and Alexander Kipnis. Wherein lies the greatness of these works of art? In their genuine, deeply felt emotions--whether love, religious devotion, or the dark events of the "Erlkönig"--and in the simplicity inherent in any true feeling, lo and behold, it is but a small step to humor: not the humorlessness that provokes a menacing laugh, but a steadfast, memorable serenity.
    In the second part, we listened to operatic music, rendered to perfection by great singers--foremost among them Caruso, followed by Gigli, Ezio Pinza, and Rose Bampton--performing arias from German and Italian operas. Mozart--a brief life marked by poverty and hardship, yet a wealth of melody: cheerful and deeply soulful, tragic and dance-like. Verdi--the quintessential Italian: pure music, pure sound. The program opened with Humperdinck and the evocative music of "Hansel and Gretel," and concluded with Wagner--the thrilling "Ride of the Valkyries," sung by Kirsten Flagstad.
    As we stepped out beneath the dark night sky, we felt it: here, gifted souls had reached for the stars and captured their radiance for the earth. As long as the German people can feel the nobility and goodness inherent in these works, the German spirit will continue to live and exert its influence.--Rolf Kremser.

ON THE SHORT STORIES IN THE CAMP LIBRARY
A Brief Overview
    It need not always be a novel. Many interesting and valuable short stories can be found among the works in our library; the deeper purpose of these lines is to awaken an appreciation for these little books and bring them to the widest possible readership--people who are often, perhaps unconsciously, seeking good literature about their homeland because they do not always clearly perceive what they are missing: that very sense of home.
    In "Wandern auf Gottes Strom" (Wandering on God's River), Carl Oskar Jatho shows us the beautiful Rhine. Embellished with twelve fine pen-and-ink drawings by Kurt Jatho, the author presents a vivid account of a journey along the river. The landscape rises up before us in brilliant colors. We leave Rüdesheim, St. Goar, Bingen, and the Binger Loch behind. Tugs and steamers approach us; vineyards drift past. It is an impressive picture of life pulsating through the German landscape--an unforgettable impression for those who know and love the German Rhine. In "Das Wiesenbuch" (The Meadow Book) by Karl Heinrich Waggerl, the author brings nature to life. We experience early spring, the lavish blossoms of the trees, the lush green of the meadows, the swaying grain fields of summer, and the radiant, colorful splendor of autumn.
    Friedrich Schnack presents "Geschichten aus Heimat und Welt" (Stories from Home and the World). With a simple, clear, and thus perfect narrative style, the author tells of the homeland and the wider world. He depicts Germany as we know it--its landscape, its people, and its animals. Then, as the book progresses, he draws comparisons with the wider world: Port Said, the Nile Delta, the Indian Ocean, and Madagascar.
    Hanns Ohst is one of today's successful authors. His story "Ave Maria" portrays the lives of two people through a conversation held on an express train traveling the Würzburg–Munich route. The man, still deeply impressed by the Riemenschneider exhibition in Würzburg, offers a glimpse into his fractured life. In contrast stands the woman of the postwar years--hardened, yet restlessly buffeted by circumstance. The insights into life that emerge from the conversation between these two figures make "Ave Maria" a book well worth reading.
    These few examples serve to illustrate the diversity and quality of our "Short Stories" section. May these suggestions inspire a wide audience to find pleasure in these or other works, helping them to wrest more moments of joy from the monotony of everyday existence.--Friedrich Lindner.

TRUTHS--
   
    A flirtatious woman may well forget a bold compliment, but never a secret shared in her company.
   
    Separation is to love what the wind is to a flame: it extinguishes the small one, but fans the great one.

OUR SPORTS
   
A WORD TO THE SPECTATORS
    When you visit our sports grounds Sunday after Sunday, and when our footballers and handballers run out onto the field in long lines, dressed in their neat, smart sports gear, you wait in eager anticipation for an interesting and sportsmanlike contest. Naturally, you wholeheartedly desire victory for your team; indeed, your very presence is meant to show the players that you stand firmly behind them, pinning all your hopes on them. You want to spur them on to even greater achievements with your applause, and you want to witness the gripping, suspenseful action as the ball--and sometimes luck itself--swings back and forth. But you must bear this in mind:
    A truly sportsmanlike game is only possible if you do not heckle the referee or the players with inappropriate or abusive shouts. A sports ground is not a fairground where anyone can let off steam however they please. Just as the referee on the field ensures the game proceeds fairly and decently, you, for your part, must ensure that your players need not feel ashamed of your presence.
    Your comrades--who, like you, must work during the week--seek relaxation and joy in sport; through their performances, they aim to relieve the drab monotony of captivity for a few hours. Therefore, have the courage to silence groups of hecklers in the interest of our sport. And do not lose heart if your team loses.
    Your comrades need your support most of all when luck happens to be on the opponent's side. It takes no great feat to always side with the winners; however, standing by one's team even in defeat demonstrates a person of upright and steadfast character.
You know how slowly and sluggishly the hours drag on those Sundays when weather conditions prevent sporting activities. Please help ensure that our match-day Sundays--with their continuous schedule of sports--are given a fitting, festive atmosphere through your presence.--Erich Becker.

SPORTS IN JANUARY
    Weather and pitch conditions allowed for only a limited sports program to take place over the course of three Sundays. Nevertheless, a total of 36 football teams and 6 handball teams competed for victory on those days.
    This gave 462 men the opportunity to engage in sports, and 21 referees were required to officiate the matches properly.
    Players were sent off--automatically resulting in a 14-day suspension--in only two instances. A total of 106 goals were scored, averaging 5 goals per match.
    The 2nd and 7th companies fielded the most teams, with 8 football teams and 1 handball team each. Next came the former 6th Company with 7 football teams, followed by the 1st Company with 4 football and 2 handball teams; finally, the 3rd and 5th companies each fielded 4 football teams and 1 handball team. Together, these two companies also fielded an additional football team.
    Our table tennis players competed in 9 team matches involving a total of 18 teams. Their distribution across the various companies was as follows:
    1st and 2nd Companies: 5 teams each.
    3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th Companies: 2 teams each.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. . .
    Handball in football: There is no distinction between intentional and unintentional handball. Consequently, there is no such thing as the ball simply striking a player's hand. Handball always results in a free kick; inside the penalty area, this is always a penalty kick. If a defender commits a handball offense but the ball still enters the goal, the goal stands. Deliberately catching or grabbing the ball must result in a warning.
    Advantage rule: There is no "advantage" to be assessed. Play must be stopped for every rule violation.

Sports Roundup from February 4, 1945:
    The sporting results from four football matches were as follows:
The results:
Football:
    3rd Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team--1:4 (1:4)
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 2nd Co. 1st Team--2:2 (1:2)
    3rd Co. 2nd Team vs. 7th Co. 3rd Team--0:5 (0:1)
    5th Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 2nd Team--1:4 (1:2)

Sports Roundup from February 11, 1945:
    Once again, weather conditions prevented a more extensive sports program this Sunday.
The results:
Football:
    1st/3rd Co. Comb. Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team--7:3 (3:3)
    2nd Co. 1st Team vs. 5th Co. 1st Team--2:4 (2:4)
    2nd Co. 2nd Team vs. 5th Co. 2nd Team--1:0 (1:0)
    3nd Co. 3rd Team vs. 7th Co. Comb. Team--0:6 (0:4)
   
Handball:
    2nd Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team--2:3 (1:3)
   
Table Tennis:
    3rd Co. 1st Team vs. 6th Co. 1st Team--16:20
    7th Co. 1st Team vs. 1st Co. 1st Team--20:16
    7th Co. 2nd Team vs. 1st Co. 2nd Team--21:15

Camp Table Tennis Championship. . .
    On February 10th, we began the round-robin matches for the camp championship, in both singles and team play. The results of the 1st round:
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 5th Co. 1st Team--18:18 (45:44 sets)
    2nd Co. 1st Team vs. 3rd Co. 1st Team--26:10
    The 7th Company had a bye.
A Quick Joke:
    Doctor: "Well, let's have a look… We have a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, a bit of a fever, and insomnia. What shall we do about that, my dear fellow?"
    Patient: "Well, then we can go to the next doctor together…"


[illustration of mailbox disgorging mail and large question mark]
MAILBOX
   
THE EDITORS REPLY
    L.W.--Thank you for the suggestion. However, we were under the impression that puzzles weren't particularly expected. We'll see what we can do.
    F.H.--Our humor section is too short? Aside from the fact that we don't want to be a joke sheet, we believe we include enough jokes and anecdotes. What do the other readers think?
    B.D.--We were pleased to receive the letter of appreciation. We share the same view: Heimat should not be skimmed over, but reflected upon. Only in this way can we offer our readers what we hope to achieve with this work.
    W.S.--The short story turned out a bit too long; perhaps you should rewrite it. The poem didn't quite work. Our advice: Stick to prose.

EVERYDAY LIFE…
   
The Clever Partridge
    "Waiter, a partridge--but not as clever a one as yesterday's!"
    "Why is that, sir?"
    "Yesterday's had managed to evade the hunters' traps for years."
    Nervous gentleman: "This simply won't do: You've been standing at the phone for half an hour without saying a word. After all, other people want to make calls too!"
    "Shhh, shhh--I am talking to my wife!"
    Wife: "Well, Walter, what would you like for your birthday?"
    Husband: "Oh, just give me a sofa cushion."
    Wife: "Another one? You've already received so many from me."
    Husband: "True. But this time, I'd like one that I'm actually allowed to use."
    Mr. Stone, a partner at Miller & Co., set off on a business trip to South America and had his life insured for $10,000 by his firm. Shortly thereafter, news arrived that the ship had sunk; as there were no reports of his rescue, it was assumed he was among the disaster's victims. Eight days later, however, Stone's brother received a cablegram from Brazil reading: "Was rescued after all. Please break the news gently to my partners."
    Voice from below: "Frau Luschinski, could you toss your rug beater down to me?"
    Voice from above: "No, Frau Mueller--your husband hasn't come home yet either?"
PUZZLE . . .
   
SYLLABLE PUZZLE
    a - al - an - ap - bei - beth - chen - de - dol - dor - der - di - e - o - e - ex - fel - fou - frie - ho - ka - la - le - leuch - li - lo - lun - mon - na - no - ne - nie - ny - o - o - on - on - pe - po - pon - phe - pilz - po - ra - sa - si - sos - stand - stein - stro - ta - tan - ten - ter - ti - ti -
ti - to - tracht - un - voil - wot.
    From the 62 syllables above, 18 words are to be formed; reading their initial letters
from top to bottom and their final letters from bottom to top yields a saying by Schiller. Meanings of the individual words:
    1. natural phenomenon, 2. game animal, 3. edible forest plant, 4. flowering shrub, 5. tropical fruit, 6. evergreen plant, 7. sheer malice, 8. Greek god, 9. evergreen tree, 10. support, 11. ornamental plant, 12. disintegrating state, 13. Ostrogoth king, 14. English queen, 15. French ruler, 16. severe misfortune, 17. medical procedure, 18. examination.

DER, DIE, DAS.
    DER is welcome everywhere, may approach the most aloof beauties,
    DIE can bring great bliss to tender love with a gentle squeeze,
    Finding DAS is often hard; some stumble upon it by chance.

BLACK AND RED.
The crayfish is black in life and red after death.
Yet I am red in life and black after my death:
Woe betide the one who touches me,
For though I bear no teeth, I bite with mighty force!

(Solutions in the March issue)

SOLUTIONS TO THE RIDDLES FROM THE PREVIOUS ISSUE
    Please fill in: 1. Objection, 2. Rock type, 3. Irma, 4. Light, 5. Provisions, 6. Tax office, 7. Andreas.
    Geographical capsule puzzle: Don, Orb, Lahn, Ob, Man, Isol, Thur, Ems, Niger--Dolomites

"The Saar"
German Landscapes in the Camp Cinema
    A very pleasant surprise for us was the film about the Saar region; although it was already several years old, it brought a piece of our homeland to life before our eyes. Starting with the significance of the Saarland and providing an overview of the region's fate after World War I, the narrator's commentary guided us through cities, mines, and factories. We saw the people of the Saar at work and were reminded once again of the tremendous feats these hardworking individuals achieve in coal production alone. The American producers used German musical themes for the background score, which only heightened the film's pleasing impact on us--we who were waiting for the day we would see our homeland again.
    The main feature was "Follow the Band," a lively affair--both musically and in terms of plot--showcasing several radio sensations. Special mention goes to the "King Sisters," who not only sang beautifully but also looked great.
   
"Four Jacks and a Jill"
was a harmless comedy that didn't demand too much of the audience. While no one was quite sure what the plot was actually about, the film featured plenty of brawling, the classic brand of police comedy, and the inevitable gunshots, resulting in uproarious, non-stop laughter. A delightful highlight was Anne Shirley, who did a touching job of making the most of her unusual role.
   
"East Side of Heaven"
Bing Crosby--that other internationally renowned "crooner," who was well-known in Berlin and Vienna before the war--starred in an "exciting" film that centered mainly on the kidnapping and recovery of an adorable millionaire's baby. It was funny at times, while at others, the line between the sentimental and the kitschy became blurred. Musically, the film was satisfying, especially in the scenes featuring Crosby's voice. Yet the highlight was actually the baby; its naturalness created a contrast--perhaps unintended, but clearly palpable--to the artificial world of Hollywood film sets.--Werner Baecker.

Publisher: German Camp Leader. Editorial Staff: Werner Baecker/Hans Buettner/Erich Becker. Design: Erwin Lango. Heimat is published twice a month. Circulation: 150 copies. Correspondence and contributions may be submitted to the camp library or the newspaper's administrative office. Responsible for this issue: Hermann Doeker, Heinz Pelter, and Peter Hoffmann. Passed by U.S. Army Examiner #23533.



Heimat March 1, 1945    The cover pictures an iron cross superimposed with busts of a wounded man, woman, and small boy--"Our Fallen Ones"


TO THE UNFORGOTTEN…!
BY WERNER BAECKER
    Never before in the history of mankind has a war inflicted such deep wounds as the present one. This struggle, spanning every continent, encompasses and embraces everything that civilized human beings understand by the concept of "life." It would be a futile endeavor--now that the fury of war has raged through the sixth year of its reign--to attempt to gloss over its devastating impact with fine rhetoric or to coin a phrase that might serve as an excuse for the hardships this war has inflicted upon us all.
    No, any attempt to downplay its effects would be pointless. Precisely because the war has been--and will continue to be--waged with such relentless severity, we have learned to take it seriously as an immutable fact and to view it accordingly. It is possible that, during the initial years of this struggle, the war did not seem quite so drastic to us Germans. We knew no setbacks and could evidently achieve everything for which we had resolved to fight--and, if necessary, to die. Yet the fickleness of the fortunes of war--to which all belligerents are subject--has since broadened our experience of this conflict and underscored its bitter gravity. The question of a nation's very existence--to be or not to be--weighs heavily upon us.
    In these days, we commemorate the blood sacrifices of this global struggle--our fallen, whose ranks we know have grown and will continue to grow. Each of us has witnessed comrades fighting and falling. Certain images of this kind have become so deeply imprinted upon us that they can never leave us. They have become part of our inner selves--a lesson on the male experience of dying, an enduring commemoration of heroes, and often even a comforting certainty regarding the mercy of death, which is not always harsh but can also bring deliverance. Yet the path to realizing that death does not merely destroy is long and arduous.
    The mother, holding the captain's letter announcing her son's death in the war, needs superhuman strength if she is not to collapse under her grief. The same is true for the wife upon her husband's death, and the bride upon receiving news of her beloved's irrevocable fate. And superhuman strength is also required by the soldier at the front or the prisoner of war behind barbed wire when they receive the message that their father, mother, wife, brother, sister, or children have fallen victim to this war at home.
    For all those who are deeply affected by such devastating personal news, the rest of life initially loses all definition; their own suffering is so immense that they can forget everything else unless they are gently and sensitively reminded that their own plight, however harsh and terrible it may be, is no longer an isolated fate, but that an entire nation shares in it profoundly. For no one--whether within Germany's borders, at the front lines, or in prisoner-of-war camps across the globe--expects the war and its consequences to pass them by. Mentally preparing oneself for the possibility of receiving bad personal news is the surest defense against being struck down by a cruel twist of fate.
    If these thoughts--pursued with the determination to find a measure of comfort even in the unfathomable--take root, then in many instances a harsh individual fate will be significantly eased by being seen as part of the greater whole, once the passage of time--which is said to heal all wounds--has done its work.
    There is no need here to specify a particular form of commemoration for our fallen. Our thoughts are with them all every day, and our fervent wishes accompany the living on their paths. Our loved ones back home, as they honor the memory of those who can never be forgotten, will sense that they do not grieve alone. A vast community bound by a shared destiny stands beside them; through its sympathy, it helps transform desperate personal grief into a proud, collective act of remembrance--one that honors those who, through supreme sacrifice and simple soldierly loyalty, gave the ultimate gift: the life bestowed by God.

   
SUNDAY…!
   
A MOMENT OF GRACE / By Schneider-Baumbauer.
    The ever-present proximity of death lends a deeper intensity to one's sense of things and a profounder quality to one's gaze; the soul awakens, rising ever higher toward the natural, self-evident nearness of God.
    In the valley of Provenchère, before the protective earthwork to the right of the observation post--and under the suspicious gaze of a dark mountain--a single flower stands upon a small rise, as if keeping company with the observer, Andreas Schaefer. Beyond its blossoms and past its leaves, Schaefer--a "vizewachtmeister" decorated for bravery--keeps watch and scans the terrain for his battery and the sector assigned to it. He is entirely on his own. What is happening to his right or left remains unknown. His gaze is fixed straight ahead. And the village behind him--whose name he does not know--has died.
    Andreas Schaefer is entirely on his own; he sees only the patch of earth before him and the forest rising over the mountains--from which flashes and hisses erupt, and an enemy battery drums out a deafening rhythm that fills the valley with a colossal, thousandfold echo.
    Schaefer, the observer, loves the flower. He does not know its name; he knows only that it had to struggle through a hundred years to bloom here for him. Yet its delicate scent is one of fear and defiance against the cruel ecstasy of death.
    Andreas Schaefer talks often to the flower during his lonely hours. But only he speaks of doom; the flower never denies life.
    At first, he called it his sister. Yesterday, he gave it his mother's name. But in the evening--as the sun was setting and the mountain peaks touched the golden horizon, if only for a brief moment--he called it his sun, his everything.
    The soldier Andreas Schaefer is unconcerned when the dull boom of a barrage thunders from the forest into the silence; after all, he is not alone. He remains calm and composed. Nor does he let his solitary communion be disturbed when a pitch-black shadow erupts roaring from the earth not far from his observation post. Andreas Schaefer has surrendered himself entirely to the grace of the moment; all anguish has vanished, and all longing has faded away.
    Then came the blow. It happened so swiftly that Andreas Schaefer did not feel the wound torn into his soul. A whistling shell fragment ripped the flower from its roots and its miracle; only a stem and a single blossom remained.
    Just as one might seek to comfort a gravely wounded man with tender, careful ministrations, Andreas Schaefer binds the injured stem to a small stick. But in this world of dire peril, the wind is fierce; a fresh blast roars from the woods. Andreas has left his cover, and suddenly the flower towers up to a gigantic height. A swirling struggle into infinity. Then the German soldier falls back into the trench. Abruptly, night takes possession of life; a dark solitude expands boundlessly into the silence. With eyes searching in vain, Andreas Schaefer tries to grasp the flower; he wants to wither away along with it.
    That very day, the captain sends a letter to the mother--one his comrades found tucked into the turned-up collar of his greatcoat. It reads: "Something strangely blissful has happened to me, Mother. A flower stands--lonely, just like me--on the front line; it could just as well be growing in your garden. But it chooses to be here with me, and to fade away here. I gave it your name; then I also called it my sun. I called it my sister, too, when I began to love it, for it wanted to journey with me into the stars.
    "Today is a day of sunshine, and the experience of God has come upon me as well. I believe that only he is a poet who can descend with his whole soul into sorrow, into happiness, and into the innermost depths of being. He may or may not fashion a poem from this; he may or may not give form to such sanctification. Only he is an artist who can salvage precious things from renunciation and struggle, and bring to light what was lost--whether he paints the image in radiant colors on canvas for his own joy, or keeps it locked away within his soul. Here, questions and rank no longer exist; here alone is there boundless sanctification; here alone does the Spirit of God descend upon us. I shall return to you with the flower. Or it shall be the crest upon my helmet in my final charge. Farewell, Mother; I am happy."


[illustration of men flying gliders]
Where the white clouds graze…
A DIARY ENTRY BY HANS ADAMO
    It is a beautiful thing to let one's head sink into the greenery and dream into the infinite blue of the sky, watching the white clouds drift by and giving in to longing. I used to do this back when I was still in school, and my young friend would join me on those sun-drenched summer days. Once school was over, we would lie in the large meadow and gaze upward. A great desire would always take hold of me--fueled by a child's imagination that grew ever stronger--to fly, completely free from the heaviness of earth, soaring through the blue sky just like my father; I knew he had been a fighter pilot up there during the Great War. Early on, I built many small models with my own hands; their smooth glides from the Scheuberg down into the valley brought me great joy. But in the long run, that was not enough for me. It had to be a real glider--and I, of course, had to be the one sitting inside and flying it.
    That, in turn, was not so simple. While the older comrades welcomed me into their ranks with pleasure, they certainly didn't intend to put me in a glider on the very first day. "If you want to fly, you have to build," they said--and I soon found out what that meant. For a whole year, I worked on ribs and spars, right up until the time I turned fifteen. With a stack of unfilled forms and a very big request, I stood before my gift table, my heart pounding. Mother just looked at me, shook her head, and said "No." For Father, it became an internal struggle between pride in the boy's enthusiasm and memories of his own flying days--which had certainly been anything but a safe bet. Yet, in the end, I won the family debate over whether or not I would be allowed to fly.
    A wonderful time began. Hard work at one of our flight schools eventually earned me my first "white wing on a blue background" badge. A well-deserved achievement, I thought, for the path hadn't always been easy. Then, with renewed zeal, I set out to emulate the "old hands." Our Sundays were dedicated to flying. We would roll out of bed at three in the morning. After a journey of several hours, we arrived at the airfield--still fresh with dew--with our bicycles. We quickly assembled our trusty "birds"; they stood gleaming in the fresh morning sun. Siegfried--our senior member and, by then, a highly decorated fighter pilot of the war--offered a brief morning address.
    Flight operations began on all the slopes. Familiar commands echoed through the morning stillness: "Launch crew?" "Ready." "Start crew?" "Ready." "Take up the slack" "Run… Go!" A faint whistling in the wires, a brief flight of the glider, and a quick landing. We run tirelessly across the slopes all day long to fetch new machines for the next launch. In my spare moments, I keep glancing over at the "O-Slope," for that is where "real" flying happens, and that is where my goal lies. But my big day arrives too--after having often watched fellow pilots receive a proper "treatment" of their backsides in keeping with old aviation tradition once they've passed their exams. Finally, I am sitting in the "Baby" model glider myself. The feeling is indescribably wonderful. I feel like a "fully-fledged" pilot: I have my cockpit, my aircraft, and a heart brimming with enthusiasm. After further test flights and training courses, I reach my goal. I can now call myself a glider pilot and wear the badge of three wings set against a circular blue background.
    On my flights, I discover the beauty of my homeland more than ever before. Often, I glide for thirty minutes in almost reverent silence above our fields in my plywood bird. My fellow pilots on the slopes shrink to tiny dots; houses and villages become like toys. Each time, a sense of giddy exhilaration sweeps over me--and naturally, there are moments when my "crate" joins in this giddy dance, a mishap caused solely by neglecting the control stick. Time and again, the view captivates me: the narrow silver thread of the Unstrut River, the forests looking like thick carpets of moss, the lush green meadows, and the rippling fields of grain brushed by the gentle summer breeze. As the sun sinks lower and lower over distant heights, I, too, steer my bird downward in steady, spiraling turns. The grass rustles softly beneath the skids as they touch down. I feel the earth and know that, once again, I have made a good landing. The cool evening breeze refreshes me, and in this moment I am so happy--a happiness that can truly be understood only by someone who knows what it is like to fly, to fly all alone… And so it is no wonder that I cannot forget those happy hours; I often think of them when twilight falls and the blue of the sky gives free rein to my thoughts, guiding them back to my homeland--the place that holds everything this life here speaks to me of.

FROM CHILDREN'S ESSAYS
   
    ."…Columbus stood on the stern until he discovered land.…"
   
    ."…A maid sat by the pond milking a cow, but the water was unmilked.…"

ENTERTAINMENT
An Educational Story
   
Who Came Up with the Name "America"? / An Unknown Story
    "Columbus discovered America." However, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller was the one who--as far as the name itself is concerned--gave it its title. This Martin Waldseemüller hailed from the small town of Radolfszell on Lake Constance. A "Waldseemüllerstraße" still exists there today in his honor, yet few people know the true story behind this famous--or perhaps infamous--native of Radolfszell.
    Many are familiar with Radolfszell, that charming old town on Lake Constance; for many years, it was the home of the poet Josef Viktor von Scheffel, author of "Ekkehard." Hohentwiel--the setting of that famous historical novel--lies not far from Radolfszell, and the town itself houses a Scheffel Museum.
    It was there, in 1470, that young Martin was born. His father was a master butcher and a respected citizen of what was then an Imperial City. Since the son was bright and the father had the means, he was able to attend university in Freiburg. From there, he traveled to Saint-Dié to the court of Duke René II, a prince with a keen interest in the sciences. Waldseemüller lived, worked, and died in Saint-Dié. He did not live to a great age--only about fifty years.
    As a scholar, Waldseemüller was what we would today call a geographer, a role in which his drafting skills served him particularly well. At that time, accounts by a Florentine named Amerigo Vespucci began to appear--reports of voyages he had undertaken between 1497 and 1502 to the newly discovered land in the west, across the ocean.
    He titled these travelogues--written with vivid imagination--"Quattuor Navigationes." These books also found their way into the hands of the ducal cartographer in St. Dié. Waldseemüller was no less enthusiastic about this sensational reading material than so many other scholars and monks during that era of excitement over discovery--for these were, after all, the first accounts of a journey to a new continent.
   
[illustration, map of western North America and Caribbean]
   
    For--strange as it may sound today--the fact that a man named Christopher Columbus was the first to discover the land in the West just a few years earlier, in 1492 (a land he famously mistook for India at first), had gone virtually unnoticed and was, in any case, very quickly forgotten. For it was the travel writer, not the bold navigator, who reaped the true glory of the discovery. At the time, Waldseemüller was engaged in publishing a major geographical work: he called it "Cosmographia Universalis Introductio"--an introduction to general world geography--written in Latin, in keeping with the scholarly custom of the era. Waldseemüller, too, fell prey to the error of his age, which regarded Amerigo Vespucci as the discoverer of the new continent. In his geographical work, he wrote: "Another, fourth part was discovered by Amerigo Vespucci." "Therefore, I see no reason why anyone should object to this part of the earth being named after its discoverer, Americus--a man of brilliant genius." To accompany his work, Waldseemüller also drew a world map--the first on which the new continent appeared with the designation "America." And thus, America came to be called America--a name it famously retains to this day.--G.Kl. [Guenther Klaus]
   
[illustration of Waldseemüller writing "America" on map]

A LAND WITHOUT CANCER PATIENTS
    While cancer spreads its terrors widely across almost all civilized nations--now ranking far ahead of all other widespread diseases--Egypt presents a truly astonishing phenomenon: the near-total absence of cancer. Some researchers have attributed this fact to the high magnesium content found in the Nile water and the soil--an element believed to possess a significant anti-cancer effect. This claim might not warrant particular attention were it not supported by the famous cancer map of France. This map plots the incidence of cancer in various regions of the country alongside the magnesium content of the soil in those same areas. Indeed, the map appears to confirm the explanation proposed for Egypt. Of course, the distribution of cancer patients in France could also be determined by entirely different factors, meaning there is no absolute certainty regarding the hypothesis in question.

TRADITIONAL SALT PRODUCTION
    Along the shallow coastal lagoons in the Gulf of Bohai (near Beijing), salt is harvested using windmills--a method unchanged for centuries. These windmills pump the local seawater--which has an unusually high salt content--onto vast areas where it evaporates rapidly in the dry air and scorching sun. The remaining salt is then gathered and either sold directly for use or refined. This is the same method of salt production once practiced along the flat coasts of India. Salt is still produced this way in Sicily today.

WHAT COLOR IS THE SKY?
    Records from stratospheric flights reaching altitudes of 22,000 meters have provided new insights into the color of the sky at great heights. At an altitude of 8,500 meters, the color is said to be pale blue; at 11,000 meters, dark blue; and at 13,000 meters, deep violet. At 22,000 meters, however, the sky appears almost black.

OLD WINE FROM DONAUWÖRTH
    Near Dapfing, close to Donauwörth, an ancient bottle was discovered that clearly dates back to the Roman imperial era. The bottle contained a small amount of wine--arguably the oldest wine in existence.
   
[illustration of P.W. reaching through barbed wire toward wine bottles]
   
Did you know that…
    --Four different types of wine are produced from grapefruit (our dessert fruit!)? These include sweet and dry Sauterne-style wines, as well as sweet and dry sherry-style wines.
    --America has more laws than any other country in the world? The United States' law books contain over 2,500,000 federal, state, and municipal statutes.
    --The water of inland lakes can be saltier than the water of the great oceans? Proof: the Great Salt Lake in the state of Utah.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
CHANGE IN CAMP LEADERSHIP
    Master Sergeant Karl Brandl, who had served as camp spokesman since the camp's inception (April 1944), resigned from the position mid-last month for health reasons. With the agreement of all companies, Master Sergeant Walter Ensconatus (7th Company) has been appointed to take over the duties of camp spokesman; in his letter announcing the handover, he asked for the full support and unity of the camp community.

"ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW"
    As part of the "German Legal Thought" series published by Vittorio Klostermann in Frankfurt am Main, Lorenz von Stein authored a work titled "Administrative Theory and Administrative Law." A limited number of copies are available in the camp library and may be borrowed by anyone interested.
   
[illustration of flames shouting through megaphone at drowsy man in bed]
WE HAD A FIRE ALARM
    Many simply couldn't believe it, but we actually had a fire alarm. We had just crawled into bed and were thinking about all sorts of things--except, of course, having to get up suddenly. But the sirens were impossible to ignore. So up we got--some very quickly, others slowly. The fast ones grumbled at the slow ones, and vice versa. The result was thirty minutes spent outdoors. It probably would have been only ten minutes if the slow ones… well, it wasn't the end of the world anyway, though there is pretty much universal agreement on the most pleasant place to be in the dead of night, isn't there?

CAMP CHOIR SEEKS VOICES
    It took quite a long time--nine whole months--for a group to finally come together and start a choir. The little band is still small, but they are singing--and, all difficulties considered, not badly at all. We may well have the chance to hear the choir soon. That does not mean, however, that the circle of participants is already fixed; on the contrary, the purpose of these lines is to recruit more members. Of course, not everyone is a Gigli or a Chaliapin. Having an exceptional voice isn't the main thing here. What matters is good will, along with the desire and love for singing German folk songs. The time you devote to the necessary rehearsals is certainly not wasted. So, dear readers, don't hesitate too long:Come and join in the singing. Rehearsals and sign-ups: Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7:00 p.m. in the 8th Company's classroom.--G.K.
   
[illustration of flying birds]
PIGEONS, RAVENS: A Little World
    Lovingly set up and well cared for--that is the impression one gets when glancing at the little animal world that Lance Corporal Puls has created in the 2nd Company's area. The owner is intimately familiar with his charges; he knows exactly when they are brooding, taking turns, and flying out--he is well acquainted with their labors and their joys. He never tires of doing whatever contributes to the comfort of the raven and pigeon families. He certainly has the opportunity to do so, even though it is not his only duty. For P. looks after his comrades even more than he does his winged friends. They have found him an exemplary "caretaker" who not only knows how to handle the heating system but can also give the floor of his washroom a coat of paint (specifically, white) that earns him the unreserved admiration of the other "barrack chiefs" and, naturally, the company sergeant major as well.

NEW POSTAGE STAMPS (GERMANY)
    A 6-pfennig plus 4-pfennig stamp was issued bearing the portrait of Albert I--founder of the University of Königsberg and first Duke of Prussia--along with a 6-pfennig plus 4-pfennig stamp in blue-green and a 12-pfennig plus 88-pfennig stamp inscribed "Freudenau"; both of the latter commemorate the great Vienna horse race.
   
[illustration of man hanging from gallows as money flies away]
SOMETIMES HAPPINESS COMES TOO LATE
    A hairdresser in Tehran, sentenced to death for murder, received news just hours before his execution--news that would otherwise have been delightful--that he had won the jackpot in a lottery. Since he left no relatives, yet did not wish for the state that had condemned him to acquire the money, he bequeathed the sum to the executioner on the condition that the execution be carried out in the most humane manner possible.

PRIZE SKAT--PLEASANT ENTERTAINMENT
    A few days ago, the 2nd Company held a prize Skat tournament in which numerous "Skat brothers" participated. Interest in the event was considerable, so other companies will likely follow suit (if they haven't already; after all, we don't know everything). This type of leisure activity is valuable for banishing boredom from the barracks. For this reason alone, it deserves full support and emulation wherever nothing of the sort has taken place yet.

NEW BOOKS FROM GERMANY
    A shipment of new books has arrived from Germany and has since been added to the library's collection. In addition to good light reading, the shipment includes academic works and educational texts that should prove highly useful for the camp school and for participants in the Extension Service.

WHEN DO THE SEASONS BEGIN?
    Here are the start times for the seasons, specified down to the exact minute:
    Spring: March 20, 16:43 Medford Time. Sun enters the sign of Aries. Summer: June 21, 11:57 Medford Time. (Sun enters the sign of Cancer). Longest day of the year. Autumn: September 23, 02:55 Medford Time. (Sun enters the sign of Libra). Day and night of equal length. Winter: December 21, 22:09 Medford time (Sun enters the sign of Capricorn). Shortest day of the year.

CULTURE
IMAGES OF THE HOMELAND
   
New Paintings by Georg Fr. Sorg
    It was a happy idea to bring together, in a small weekend exhibition, all the paintings created in recent weeks in the studio of the artist Georg Fr. Sorg.
    When an artist behind barbed wire seeks to undertake a worthwhile task for his fellow captives, he can truly choose no better path than to make images of the homeland glow in all their colors--and through them, to repeatedly remind us of the precious treasure we possess in our country across the ocean.
    Georg Fr. Sorg guided us through almost every landscape of the homeland: from Lake Constance to the southern mountains, across the Rhine to the North Sea, into the quiet corners of familiar cities, and to the banks of the Weser and the wine-rich Mosel. Underlying it all was a profound understanding and an evident love--even for the small details--that complete the great circle of memory connecting us to that distant land. The juxtaposition of the diverse stylistic approaches Sorg employed in his works offered clear proof of his artistic talent and technical mastery. Particularly impressive to this writer were "North Sea" (capturing the waves so vividly) and "Mountain Solitude"--a painting executed in a realistic-impressionist style using a palette knife. The artist's strength lies in the bold choice of subjects and an ability--constantly surprising--to let colors speak; one can certainly look forward to his future development.
    Another talent--less well-known until now, yet undoubtedly gifted--is H. Weimar. His faithful readings of Eichendorff prose complemented the spirit of the paintings in a most felicitous way, and he fully deserves recognition for the work of his we have seen so far.--Werner Baecker.

THE FINE ART OF SMILING
Event in the "Poetry and Music" series
    "And even if he should get angry--what do I care about Uncle Nolte? That is what Helene thinks--alas!--and writes to the uncle out of sheer defiance." And heaven help me--I must admit--I took quite a liking to Grabbe; for otherwise, dear reader, believe me, I would never again put pen to paper to craft anything resembling verse--though, strictly speaking, I never quite reached the heights of Busch, even if my style might bear a certain resemblance. The reason for this is simply that one constantly strives to tread new paths--paths where few riders venture.
   
[illustration of man declaiming from book while riding Pegasus pulling grand piano converted into a chariot]
   
    A rider firmly in the saddle--gallant and cheerful, too--was Ulrich Kaiser just the other day. He had plenty to say. For starters, he rode a steed whose name is known to all--a noble breed of old that often spurs the poet's pen to greater speed. They broke into a spirited trot, casting off gems of thought--classic names that still resonate deeply today. The joy was loud and genuine; the rapid thinking, a mix of rough and smooth--for "high school" (in the equestrian sense) implies a great deal, and "high" was undoubtedly the name of the game. After all, the witticisms of great men usually require a true connoisseur to appreciate them. Brentano, Storm, and Hoffmannsthal--we had certainly read them before. But that Lessing, too, could speak in such a vein? To be honest: we hadn't a clue. The list of poets was rather long, and many felt a bit apprehensive about hearing Kaiser's program. Sometimes it is best not to interrupt. For that knowing, smiling humor is a rarity these days. The circle of friends is exclusive; if this doesn't suit you, feel free to take offense.
    Music accompanied the spoken word. Rolf Kremser played with great skill; his talent is truly exceptional. His programming was wonderfully dynamic. Here, too, the names were illustrious--Mozart, Liszt, and Weber. We are grateful to have heard them.
    Everyone was delighted. The applause was certainly not sparse; there was plenty of clapping, and it was sincere.They had to take many bows--Ulrich Kaiser did so with ease. They all left very satisfied, and it falls to one person to voice that appreciation aloud--even though tastes may differ. The man who wrote this--and means it, too--is named--Werner Baecker.

WHO TOLD THIS STORY…?
    "You dance as if you've been rejuvenated, Madam; today you look almost like
your daughter."
    "Beg your pardon--I am the daughter."
   
    "Tell me, how are your two sons doing, Mrs. Biedermann?"
    "Well, one of them got married a year ago, but the other one is doing quite well."

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 9 on Records.
    Beethoven's musical creativity remains unsurpassed to this day. When he became known in the music world towards the end of the 18th century through numerous compositions, his far-reaching and progressive form of compositional expression was a surprise. He began with a systematic development in the various forms of chamber music, intending to later transfer what he had gained in this area to orchestral music. Beethoven made use of the musical means handed down by Mozart and Haydn, expanding them by deepening their expression and developing their so-called architectural forms. His busy life was devoid of joy. Early-onset hearing problems deteriorated into profound deafness. This affliction clouded his already melancholic disposition. He became distrustful and lonely. The pinnacle of his work was the completion of the Ninth Symphony, whose final movement concludes with choruses on Schiller's "Ode to Joy." The work, due to its length and technical difficulties, places unusual demands not only on the performers but also requires a high degree of musical sensitivity from the listeners. The performance, scheduled for March 3rd, could not take place due to a malfunction of the record player. It can be safely assumed that the event, for which Hans Tiedemann again prepared the introductions, took place by the time this edition was published.--W.B.
   
[illustration of baby, doting mother, prayerful father overseen by angry God]
   
MAKES YOU SMILE
    Advertisement: Announcing the happy birth of their daughter Frieda to Pastor Fromm and his wife. Thanks be to the Lord who dwells above us.
   
    Cathedral blood: Here we must take great men as our role models, such as Goethe, Schiller, or Caroline Pichler…
   
    Old leadership: Passed away here was the journeyman Christian Heidemann from Magdeburg, who served his master as a faithful assistant for only three years.

FILMS WE SAW--
   
[illustration of mountains, Goethe, Dresden]
GERMANY ON FILM
    They were but a few glimpses of our homeland, yet they sufficed to command our rapt attention. With intent eyes, we followed the roving camera's path from the breathtaking Alpine mountain landscape to the artistic city of Dresden--where every street in the old town has a story to tell, and every structure serves as a reminder of what we today understand as "Western civilization." Testaments to such culture are rare in this world, as are great minds comparable to Goethe--whom the accompanying English narration described as one of the most significant figures in world history. The places where he lived and worked--Frankfurt am Main and Weimar--flashed across the screen. The impression left by the short film was profound and lasting.

[illustration of people dancing under disapproving gaze]
"HIS BUTLER'S SISTER"
    Deanna Durbin is not merely a singer but an actress as well. She possesses the full range of talents and qualities an artist needs for enduring success. With every film we see her in, we like her more and more. Her natural charm and appealing voice were central to a lively plot featuring accomplished actors such as Franchot Tone and Pat O'Brien--to name but a few. A musical highlight: an aria from Puccini's "Turandot." Films like this have universal appeal.

[illustration of woman singing, couple kissing in jalopy, woman swooning with "sale" flyer]
"GET HEP TO LOVE"
    When a child star grows weary of singing but her money-hungry aunt remains stubborn, something is bound to happen. And happen it did--in such a delightful way that we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Gloria Jean, the "wonder child," found not only a loving home during the "forbidden journey" but also the requisite nice boyfriend--played by Donald O'Connor in true mischievous fashion. The strong supporting cast reinforced the film's pleasant overall impression.

[illustration of cameraman and actors escaping from neurology clinic]
"HITTING A NEW HIGH"
    Being a talented singer is by no means a guarantee of being a good actress. A discerning viewer doesn't expect too much to begin with. But when the script concocts such a silly and uninteresting plot--shipping an opera star off to Africa only to have her captured as a "human bird"--we feel a "new high" (see title) has indeed been reached: the absolute pinnacle of nonsense. It is astonishing that an artist of Lily Pons' stature went along with such a spectacle. The audience was universally relieved when the liberating "The End" finally brought the whole mess to a close.

[illustration of romantic triangle and preacher]
"STEP LIVELY"
    Unfortunately, the film's script failed to capitalize on all its potential. There was ample opportunity for real success, especially since the production design and cast left nothing to be desired. George Murphy played the head of the performance troupe--a man who could handle any situation--while Adolphe Menjou played the perpetually jittery hotel manager. The plot revolved mainly around unpaid hotel bills and theatrical woes linked to a planned revue. While one cannot say that Gloria De Haven and Frank Sinatra smoothed out the chaotic proceedings, they certainly stole the show during the musical numbers--regardless of the fact that opinions on Sinatra remain sharply divided.

[illustration of woman in evening gown on telephone and Roman legionnaire]
"THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE"
    Naturally, one had to bring a good dose of high spirits to the cinema to be in the right mood for the jokes the film indulged in against the backdrop of ancient Greece. Given that the intention was simply to engage in some nonsense, the whole affair was an agreeable one; at times, it recalled the German UFA film "Amphitryon"--in which, as is well known, Paul Kemp roller-skated in heaven and Adele Sandrock, as the goddess Juno, floated down to earth clutching an umbrella. However, our film was less stark in its contrasts, thanks to the occasional inclusion of Kleist-esque verses and music that was more fluid and attuned to the era and plot depicted. Nevertheless, the effects in "Boys from Syracuse"--particularly the dialogue delivered in the intended "slang"--provided plenty of amusement.

"HIS FAVORITE WIFE"
    After numerous musical comedies of little artistic merit, this film--featuring a fine cast--came as a pleasant surprise. The plot, while not unusual, was fast-paced and eventful. It succeeded largely thanks to the actors' performances. Irene Dunne was delightful, displaying a typically feminine shrewdness regarding matters of the heart--a trait that (naturally) gave way to genuine emotion, casting aside any calculation or feigned coldness the moment her husband showed signs of abandoning his battle against female obstinacy, at least for a time (in the film, until Christmas). Cary Grant played the poor fellow caught between two women, turning a difficult role into a brilliant performance. Gail Patrick was "the other woman," and Randolph Scott--"the guy in the swimming trunks"--managed to make a dignified exit. The child actors also scored a particular success. The audience had no complaints.
   
(Film section concluded on March 4, 1945.) Werner Baecker

RIGHT?
    "It really is terrible that so many lies and untruths are told in the world."
    "Nonsense--it would be far worse if everything you heard were actually true."

OUR SPORTS
   
Sports Review.
    Gradually rising temperatures in the second half of February improved pitch conditions, thereby allowing for more matches to be played. On Sunday, February 18, one handball match and seven football matches took place, while on February 25, the entire sports schedule--comprising one handball match and ten football matches--was successfully completed without issues. The first Sunday in March then featured a football "blitz" tournament. We kicked off this year's series of weekday evening matches on Tuesday, February 20, with two handball games. All results are listed below:
   
Sunday, February 18
Football:
    5th Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team 1:5 (1:3)
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 2nd Co. 1st Team 3:1 (2:0)
    3rd Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1b Team 1:0 (1:0)
    1st Co. 2nd Team vs. 2nd Co. 2nd Team 2:0 (2:0)
    3rd Co. 2nd Team vs. 5th Co. 2nd Team 2:2 (1:2)
    1st Co. 3rd Team vs. 7th Co. 4th Team 1:0 (0:0)
    2nd Co. A.H. Team vs. 2nd Co. B Team 0:2 (0:2)
   
Handball:
    1st Co. 1st Team vs. 7th Co. 1st Team 2:2 (1:1)
   
Tuesday, February 20
Handball:
    2nd Co. 2nd Team  vs. 7th Co. 2nd Team 7:1 (5:1)
    1st Co. 2nd Team  vs. 5th Co. 1st Team 4:4 (1:3)
   
Wednesday, February 21
Football:
    5th Co. 2nd Team  vs. 7th Co. 3rd Team 0:1 (0:0)
   
Saturday, February 24
Handball:
    5th Co. 1st Team  vs. 7th Co. 1st Team 1:8 (1:1)
   
Sunday, February 25
Football:
    5th Co. A.H. Team  vs. 7th Co. 2nd A.H. Team 4:0 (2:0)
    1st Co. A.H. Team  vs. 2nd Co. A.H. Team 0:0 (0:0)
    2nd Co. 2nd Team  vs. 5th Co. 2nd Team 5:1 (2:1)
    1st Co. 3rd Team  vs. 2nd Co. 3rd Team 2:2 (1:2)
    5th Co. 3rd Team  vs. 7th Co. A.H. Team 0:6 (0:3)
    1st Co. 2nd Team  vs. 3rd Co. 2nd Team 1:2 (1:1)
    7th Co. 3rd Team  vs. 7th Co. 4th Team 4:3 (3:2)
    2nd Co. 1st Team  vs. 7th Co. 1st Team 1:0 (0:0)



Heimat Easter, 1945  The cover pictures sunrise over a peaceful village.


The Triumph of the Joy of Living
by Werner Baecker
    To the extent that Easter traditions do not stem solely from purely religious lore, they have always served as a welcome occasion to emphatically express a joy of living--a joy that seizes all those who observe the unfolding of nature with keen eyes and derive from it the unshakable certainty that a new summer and a new harvest will follow the spring.
    Humanity's yearning for light and life dates back to the very dawn of human history. One might seek the underlying reason in the wretchedly primitive conditions under which our ancestors were forced to endure the terrors of winter. The joy felt at the return of a more powerful sun--and with it, new life in nature--was thus a natural human response, rooted, so to speak, in the physical realm. It stands, therefore, in some contrast to the feelings of modern people as they welcome a new spring and openly rejoice in it.
    People today share a common longing: the desire for balanced living conditions--conditions that would encompass everything we normally define as "happiness." But what, after all, is "happiness"? It is all too often the case that a period of life which appears outwardly smooth is not necessarily a happy one. Across all strata of society, we constantly see people searching for what we understand as a "happy existence." And if we are to be completely candid, we must admit that there is, in fact, no such thing as a truly, completely happy person in this world.
    It would be a grave error to lean toward the view that the individual has no influence over their own happiness or contentment. We are, of course, all subject to our fate, and railing against the circumstances that accompany it would be as futile as it is ridiculous. Yet this does not mean that those facing such a situation are condemned to total passivity and blind resignation when it comes to drawing driving forces from the facts at hand--forces that save us from the danger of succumbing to fleeting events in numb despair.
    The pursuit of inner equilibrium and spiritual harmony plays a significant role in resolving the question of what the individual can contribute to their own destiny. However difficult such an endeavor may be, the challenge itself does not diminish the necessity of undertaking it. For nothing comes unbidden; if we do not take the trouble to gather life's small joys--often sparse and barely perceptible--we will sooner or later be startled to realize that we have completely lost the joy of living. The current weeks of awakening spring offer a welcome opportunity to look within and ask ourselves whether we still possess sufficient zest for life. It would likely be a mistake to assume that a positive change in life circumstances naturally brings with it a rekindling of the joy of living. Rather, I believe that those who have inwardly broken with life can hardly regain the attitude toward it that a successfully lived life requires.
    One should not expect these remarks to offer cheap advice on how to maintain the joy of living. Individual temperament will always be the decisive factor. Moreover, it is undeniable that a certain apathy is inevitable. It is often far from easy to see the same people around one every day, to be constantly condemned to endure their rudeness and shortcomings without a word, to grind through the same daily routine, and to perform almost every task in lockstep formation. One may feel however one pleases about this--one may rail, harbor inner resentment, or despair. Yet none of this alters the fact that time marches over us and sweeps us along, whether we wish it or not.
    Happy are those who have learned to master themselves inwardly to the point where a sense of smiling forbearance has taken root--a feeling that does not collapse at the slightest shock and is grounded in a genuine, innate joy of life. For here, patience is truly everything. It may well lead to a passive attitude--one that might otherwise invite criticism--but in this context, such an attitude is merely the result of a painstaking discipline of one's own will.
    If I attach any significance at all to Easter 1945, given our circumstances, it is only on the condition that we all make a sincere effort to preserve our joy in living. Amidst the spectacle of nature's rebirth--whose blossoming beauty recalls so many happy spring weeks of the past--we may once again find the certainty that nothing is lost, provided we do not abandon faith in ourselves. For just as winter in nature gives way to spring, followed in turn by summer and the harvest, so too must there come a time for us that sets everything right again. Let us never forget that the sun in the heavens shines for everyone, and that no one in the world is strong enough to alter this law of nature or to question its validity.


SUNDAY…
   
GREETINGS FROM ELISABETH / By Ernst Hermann Pichnow
    Hellmers Sr. sat at his desk, his hands clenched. Before him lay a dainty, pink letter, inscribed with delicate handwriting. "Unheard of… so it's come to this," he blustered grimly. "Young Master Junior, at nineteen, is already messing around with women. He's getting love letters--'My one and only Helmut'…"
    The old gentleman gave a bitter, ironic laugh. "Well, let's read on. 'I've arrived in Hamburg; I don't know if I'll like it here without you. I felt quite lonely. But the few weeks will pass, and then I'll be back with you.'" A few trivialities followed, and the pink letter ended with the signature: "With a thousand greetings and kisses, your Elisabeth."
    That was the last straw for Hellmers. "So this is my son. A real 'prospect': instead of attending to his future, he's dallying with girls. A fine 'happy-go-lucky' fellow I've got on my hands. I'll soon knock that romance right out of his head. Let him turn twenty-five first, get some wind in his face and learn what life is all about--then, for all I care…" Hellmers crumpled the letter and slipped it into his wallet.
    That evening, he summoned his son to his study. He eyed him first with a deeply furrowed brow and an ominous glare. Hellmers Jr. stood before his father, completely unsuspecting, until--after a brief silence--the older man pulled the letter from his pocket. "What is this?" he growled. The son didn't turn a hair and replied with infuriating calm: "A letter, presumably…"
    "Presumably? Of course it's a letter. And you certainly know who it's from."
    The son gave a firm shake of his head.
    "It is from your Elisabeth in Hamburg--who sends you a thousand greetings and kisses. I intercepted it; it was among my mail today. And the reason I've summoned you here isn't to ask you to introduce me to this Elisabeth of yours right away, but to forbid you--once and for all, at your age of nineteen--from engaging in these little romances. You need to think about your future, not about women. I didn't spend my money on your education just so you could show up one day with some girl and… hmm… perhaps even have to rush into marriage overnight. Do you understand me? You have to make something of yourself first. I am going to answer this letter, and then that's the end of it with Elisabeth--understood?"
    Young Hellmers stared silently at his irate father for quite a while, wanting to say something in reply.
    "Elisabeth…"
    He got no further. "Look… look, don't go on about it. Now you want to sing the girl's praises, show her to me in the best possible light… I don't care at all, even if she's the beauty queen of Patagonia. I simply do not want you tying yourself down at your young age. Period." He swallowed chokingly, tugged at his collar, and paced up and down furiously. "By the way, does Mom know about this little fling with E…E…Elisabeth--?"
    Young Hellmers shook his head.
    "Lucky for you--I was afraid she might be encouraging you. You may go--I'm writing to Elisabeth this very day. And don't even think about looking for a replacement for her… or else… or else…"
    Young Hellmers thought it best not to offer any further resistance and left the room without a word of protest.
   
[illustration of man at desk dressing down younger man]
   
    Two days passed after this confrontation. On the third day, Hellmers Sr. found a bundle of old, yellowed letters tied with a blue ribbon sitting on his desk. He snatched them up angrily, roughly tore open the ribbon, and leafed through the first one. As he read, his face grew darker and darker. After the third letter, he wearily rested his head on his arm, then suddenly gathered everything up in great haste, for young Hellmers was entering the room at that moment. He had just tried to cover the letters with a sheet of paper.
    "Don't bother, Dad," young Hellmers said dryly, yet kindly and calmly, "Mom gave me those letters--they're the ones you wrote to her back when you were nineteen. I confided in Mama, and she gave me the bundle, thinking it might change your mind a little regarding my Elisabeth. You were nineteen then--just as I am today…"
    The old gentleman stared silently ahead, looking somewhat sheepish, and finally grumbled: "I see--I see--well, well…"
    "And now, Papa--to settle the matter quickly--would you be so kind as to hand over Elisabeth's letter? I assume you haven't answered it yet."
    The old gentleman hesitated only a moment. Then he fished the letter out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table toward his son.
    "Here--I haven't gotten around to it yet, but do what you like; I mean, answer it--but--but…"
    "I understand, Papa; I'll give you a chance to find out about Elisabeth--you might even be pleasantly surprised. After all, we're all young once--and only once, aren't we, Papa?"
    With that, the young man left the room, smiling slightly and ironically.
    And his father smiled as he watched his son go.

THE EIGHTH DEADLY SIN / By Rudolf Glauser
    Boredom is a theft from life.
    Tell me what bores you, and I will tell you who you are.
    Those who claim that boredom stems from a lack of objects to occupy the imagination and the mind are mistaken. Rather, boredom arises from a lack of imagination and intellect capable of engaging with the objects that are always present. Anyone who is bored when alone is in poor company.
    Boredom forced upon us by our surroundings is a defeat--though one that must sometimes be accepted without protest out of courtesy.
    If you understand something perfectly--or not at all--then you are free to call it boring. In doing so, you are passing judgment on yourself as well. Truly boring people are quite rare. If you find someone boring, first consider whether the reason might be that you are even more boring yourself. Since boredom often goes hand in hand with idleness, idleness without boredom is a pleasure reserved for the fortunate few. To combat boredom, some people employ methods intended to "kill time." Yet sleep--as a defense against time--overtakes the very person who fears it.
    Unfortunately, unlike the more entertaining seven deadly sins, our system of ethics has neglected to forbid boredom.


ENTERTAINMENT
presented in an instructive manner
   
ON THE CENTENARY OF THE GREAT DISCOVERER'S BIRTH:
RÖNTGEN
   
A GERMAN PHYSICIST AND HIS INVENTION
by Erwin Maisch
    Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was born on March 27, 1845, in Lennep in the Bergisches Land region (between Düsseldorf and Wuppertal). After completing his studies, he turned his attention to pure physics. He served initially as an assistant and later as a professor at the agricultural college in Hohenheim near Stuttgart; from 1876 onwards, he held professorships in Strasbourg, Giessen, and Würzburg. It was there, in 1895, that he discovered--using a cathode-ray tube--rays which he initially termed "X-rays," but which later came to be known as "Roentgen rays" in his honor.
    He dedicated his life's work to researching these rays, which are of such great importance to humanity. In 1899, he moved to Munich. He received the Nobel Prize in 1901 and was ennobled in 1908; he passed away on February 10, 1923.
   
[illustration of a cathode-ray tube]
   
    Roentgen rays are generated within an "evacuated" cathode-ray tube through the braking effect experienced by electrons--emitted from the cathode--upon striking the anticathode. Operating such a tube requires a voltage of 20,000 to 300,000 volts. In modern, improved tubes, electron emission is achieved via a heated incandescent cathode. This makes it possible to regulate the penetrating power of the Roentgen rays.
    The physical properties of X-rays are as follows: X-rays are not streams of material particles--they do not carry small, electrically charged corpuscles--but rather propagate at the speed of light, much like light rays. They induce fluorescence and blacken photographic plates; notably, they are deflected by neither electric nor magnetic fields. Crucially, they pass easily through flesh, wood, cardboard, and many other materials--possessing high penetrating power--whereas they are obstructed by dense substances such as bone and metals (e.g., lead). X-rays cause natural teeth to fluoresce brilliantly, unlike artificial ones. When examining objects such as a wallet containing money, a human hand, an arm or leg, or a body part containing a hidden foreign object (like a splinter), characteristic shadow images appear on a fluorescent zinc sulfide screen. X-rays are used in medical diagnostics to detect foreign bodies, bone fractures, tuberculosis, and gastrointestinal disorders. Furthermore, X-rays exert a physiological effect that can be therapeutic; when administered in the correct dosage, they are employed in modern medical treatment (X-ray therapy). Depending on whether the procedure involves surface irradiation--as is the case with skin diseases--it is referred to as "surface therapy." For deeper-seated organs (in cases of tumors or cancer), treatment is carried out via so-called "deep therapy." Consequently, a modern X-ray facility comprises three departments: 1) one for fluoroscopy and radiography, 2) one for "surface therapy," and 3) one for "deep therapy." In the field of technology, X-rays are put to a wide variety of uses in modern materials testing facilities--for example, to detect cracks and fissures in cast tools.
    In 1912, Laue demonstrated the wave nature of X-rays--that is, their character as electromagnetic waves and their kinship with light. The X-ray spectroscopy developed from this provides us with important physical insights into atomic structure.
    In conclusion, it is worth noting that the current war has once again demonstrated the great blessing that Röntgen's invention has brought to humanity. This becomes clear when we consider how indispensable X-rays have become to medical science today, and how many lives have already been saved through their timely use.

BODY PARTS WITH AND WITHOUT SENSATION
    Not all areas of the skin are equally sensitive; specific pain points exist alongside adjacent areas that are completely insensitive--allowing needles to be inserted into them, a fact well known to fakirs. The muscle and fatty tissues lying beneath the skin are entirely insensitive to puncture. The back of the tongue, the lining of the cheeks, and parts of the throat have low sensitivity; the skin is also relatively insensitive over bony prominences--such as the elbow or other bones. Bones, bone marrow, and lungs are insensitive, as are abdominal organs like the kidneys, stomach, intestines, and spleen. Conversely, organs rich in sensory nerves can cause intense pain. This explains toothache, as each tooth contains a soft tissue rich in sensory nerves and blood vessels.

PAIN AND ILLNESS
    Heroes and cowards experience the same pain in fundamentally different ways. Spartans required not only great courage but also the ability to endure intense pain in silence; Rome's gladiators fought and died without complaint; and martyrs, sustained by faith, joyfully endured the most excruciating torments. In contrast, the sensitive, weak individual whimpers and groans plaintively at even the slightest pain. One should not assume that heroes are impervious to pain; rather, thanks to their willpower and self-control, they are able to suppress any outward expression of it. Provided their nerve pathways--which transmit pain signals to the brain--are healthy, they inevitably feel pain.

WHAT IS SNOW?
    Those who do not know can consult crystallography textbooks, which define snow as "an ephemeral mineral occurring in the lowlands during winter." Powder snow can be produced artificially by agitating water at 0°C mixed with small amounts of a foaming agent (such as saponin), provided the ambient air temperature does not rise above -3°C.

EACH IN THEIR OWN WAY
    All Inuit speak the same language, whether they live in British Canada, Russian Siberia, American Alaska, or Danish Greenland. However, a few hundred words are pronounced differently, thereby acquiring distinct meanings in each case.

Did You Know?
    The first public statement against slavery recorded in the United States resulted from a vote taken by members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) at a meeting in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in February 1688.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY
    She: "And would you love me just the same if my father had lost all his money?"
    He: "Has he?"
    She: "Of course not."
    He: "But of course I would, my darling."

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
EASTER IN THE CAMP
Variety Show--Portrait Exhibition--Cinema--Sports
    Easter used to be the celebration of early spring. Memories naturally arise of Easter morning outings in new spring outfits, of hunting for eggs and picking flowers, and of other festive occasions that were discussed weeks in advance and enjoyed and talked about long after they had passed. Under today's changed circumstances, we will try to make the best of the situation.
[illustration of man with megaphone reading book aloud]
    Fritz Milder and his group are presenting themselves to the camp for the second time with a variety show bearing the promising title: "Two Hours of Contemporary Satire." The performance is intended to serve as a mirror in which many in the audience will likely recognize themselves. The show will be framed by musical performances from the dance orchestra of our camp band, led by Karl Stueker--who once again has the opportunity to delight fans of lively tunes. The performers are Gerhard Becker, Hans Rudolf Buettner, Fritz Mildahn, Gerhard Schulz, and Richard Schumann. A great suggestion for the holiday: Come join the Easter fun--either today, Wednesday, or this coming Saturday. Exact start times will be announced by the companies.
    Georg Fr. Sorg plans to contribute to the camp's holiday celebrations with a small portrait exhibition. At the time of writing, further details were not yet available. We will therefore return to this exhibition in a later issue, though we would like to recommend visiting it right now.
    In addition to these notable special Easter events, we are, of course, counting on a solid film program that will hopefully provide the rest of the camp with some happy hours.
    Naturally, our athletes will also have their moment. We need wish them nothing more than good weather. They bring the enthusiasm, spirit, and passion themselves. And insofar as we can in any way help support the plea for sunshine, we place ourselves fully at your disposal. For we, too, know all too well just how much we need that summer sunshine.--w.b.

A VISIT TO HEINZ WEIMAR
Lettering--Commercial Art--Oil Painting
    Perhaps it is his pleasantly striking modesty that has kept Heinz Weimar from becoming known to the wider camp public until now, even though his talent and drive are in no way inferior to those of the other young art students.
    Heinz Weimar had completed only two semesters at a school of applied arts, studying commercial art, when he was drafted into the Wehrmacht. He intends to become a sign painter or perhaps a commercial artist.
    He works energetically on his own development, harbors no illusions about the gaps in his knowledge that still exist, and deeply regrets that the textbooks he so urgently needs for further study have not yet arrived. Some oil paintings of his that we have seen show that he is only just beginning to grasp the fundamentals of painting technique in this medium.
    As a lettering artist, however, Weimar has undoubtedly made gratifying progress. We need only recall the painted verses by Eichendorff that were displayed during our Christmas exhibition.
    We hope that Heinz Weimar does not view these lines as inappropriate flattery, but rather takes them as encouragement to continue working hard on himself and to try to overcome all obstacles. For only in this way can his work achieve the full artistic success that we heartily wish for him.--w.b.

[illustration of anchored motorboat, dancing couple, dancers in top hats with Eiffel Tower]
GERMAN FILMS IN AMERICA / Marika Rökk is included, too
    We have learned that a number of German 16mm sound films have arrived in the States. We hope--at the very least--that they will be shown in the camps as soon as possible. The list known to us--which is likely incomplete--includes, among others, the films "Das andere Ich" (Hilde Rah, Mathias Wieman), "Hab mich lieb" (Marika Rökk, Viktor Staal), "Zwei in einer grossen Stadt" (Monika Burg), and "Wir machen Musik" (Ilse Werner, Viktor de Kowa).
    Screening times at our camp will be announced in due course, once further information becomes available.

[illustration of anthropomorphic irises]
LET THE FLOWERS BLOOM
Spring is arriving everywhere…
    For several weeks, the companies have been striving to give the otherwise austere and unadorned camp a friendlier appearance by laying out flowerbeds; however, an order for flower plants and seeds placed by the camp spokesman has not yet been filled. It is expected that, once the flower seeds arrive, an experienced hand--chosen from among the experts in flower and garden planting--will be put in charge of the project. We intend to have a committee (to be appointed later) decide which company can claim the glory for having created the most beautiful floral displays. Let's get to work!

[PERSONNEL DEPARTING]
Staff Physician Dr. Schlüter Left Camp White
    Staff Physician Dr. Schlüter was transferred to another camp in the middle of last month. He had been serving here as a troop physician since early July 1944. Many comrades will fondly remember the self-sacrificing care he extended to everyone in need of medical advice and assistance.

[illustration of many people moving bleachers while others drink]
[OUR] STANDS
…and how useful they have become
    A grandstand stood lonely and deserted by the boxing ring. It had long since forgotten the purpose for which it was originally intended. Only occasionally, on Sunday afternoons, when some bookworm seeking quiet wandered into its rows of seats--would it fondly recall livelier times, when crowds of spectators jostled for space and it shared in their cheers and sporting enthusiasm. But now it stood silent and still off to the side, unnoticed.
    Then, one evening, more than fifty men appeared. Calling themselves "volunteers," they set to work, first applying their wrenches to the bolts. Then they paced out the distances, and soon the structure was moving away in four separate sections. It was no easy task--heaven knows it wasn't; the sweat was pouring off them--but because everyone pitched in, they got the job done. Now it stands by the sports field, and she is satisfied--as are the spectators. It was packed right from the first Sunday, with everyone enjoying the matches from a new vantage point. Yet few--far too few, unfortunately--gave a thought to the steadfast, ever-ready volunteers who had managed the relocation of the grandstand through exemplary teamwork, while others sat in the cinema or had a drink in the canteen.

SPRINGTIME MUSIC
Choral and Orchestral Concert
    The newly formed camp choir ventured its first public appearance--and, it must be said at the outset, with great success. For this debut, its director, Guenther Klaus, selected a program of German folk songs and popular melodies that were easy to sing, thereby taking the men's capabilities into proper account.
    The undersigned attended the second concert and was genuinely delighted by the choir's performances, which clearly reflected diligent rehearsal. The vocal blend was surprisingly good; however, in the future, the choir should focus on more sharply defining dynamic contrasts, particularly the piano passages. Strengthening the first tenor section would also be desirable. The choir's discipline was notably impressive. A bravo to the capable choir director and his stalwart singers--and on to new achievements!
    The camp orchestra lent its support to the choir in a spirit of fine camaraderie. It is always a pleasure to hear the men performing under the spirited baton of Karl Stueker. Only those in the know appreciate the immense amount of work required to transcribe and adapt musical scores to suit our orchestra's specific needs. Achieving the harmonious sound we have come to expect from our orchestras demands intensive practice. The orchestra presented familiar pieces with a newly refined touch. The overture to "Poet and Peasant" was played with subtle nuance, while the "Circassian March" and "Entry of the Gladiators" were the undoubted highlights of the evening.
    Werner Baecker took charge of the evening's literary segment. He skillfully wove verses by Eugen Roth and Fred Endrikat into his introductory and transitional remarks. The audience responded to the satirical humor with smiles and laughter. All in all, a pleasant, entertaining evening!--Johannes Tiedemann.

CULTURE
   
YOUNG TALENT REVITALIZES BALLET / By Walter Horn.
    For centuries, stage dance has oscillated between two poles: spirited music and harmonious movement. Costumes and set designs build a bridge for the imagination. Dramatic dance seeks to transform musical passion into vivid, moving imagery--to translate melody into flowing action and visual experience. At its best, it strives for deep emotional resonance. Yet its fundamental principle remains artistic discipline; the very act of refining dancers' physical control to the point of absolute technical perfection--and codifying the complex foundations of this delicate art through ever-new rules--can also cause stage dance to become superficial. The old masters of ballet understood and respected both aspects. They practiced the musical discipline of dance rigorously, yet strove for a lofty artistic goal: to express human emotions--purified by the musical experience--through the medium of dramatic dance.
[illustration of costume from "Turandot"]
    At times, ballet has been looked down upon as the illegitimate child of opera. It then leads merely a glittering, illusory existence--a spirited yet superficial accompaniment to grand musical-dramatic works. The more its independent creative life was curtailed, the more magnificent its outward display became. Especially during the era of courtly art, ballet filled the opera stage as a colossal spectacle--lavishly appointed, consuming vast sums, and excessive in outward appearance, yet impoverished in genuine artistic impulse; a colorful cuckoo's egg in the realm of musical-dramatic art. Today, the fully grown decoy of this dance-based spectacle goes by the name of "revue." There have been, and still are, critics who deny ballet its viability as an art form. They need to be reminded that all the great opera composers, from Monteverdi to Richard Strauss, created ballet music, and that the visual arts--especially stage design--derive much fruitful inspiration from ballet.
[illustrations of costumes from "Turandot" and "Seraglio"]
    There is no shortage in Germany today of promising attempts to revitalize ballet by focusing on its own creative realm. Young composers, choreographers, and set designers have joined forces to create a new, contemporary form of expression for ballet. Here, we present several designs by set designer Luigi Maliepiero (rendered by Hermann Doeker) for dance productions at the Berlin Krolloper and the Dresden Staatsoper; these designs aim to elevate dramatic dance to a level of significance and essential meaning through the synthesis of all artistic modes of expression. Together with ballet mistress Dera de Meroda, Maliepiero revived a forgotten dance work by Mozart for the "Strength Through Joy" ("Kraft durch Freude") ballet company. During her studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Dera de Meroda discovered a violin score for the dance piece "Die Eifersucht im Serail" ("Jealousy in the Seraglio"). The immortal German composer created this lighthearted work for the renowned ballet master and innovator of the art of dance, J. G. Noverre, who staged it at the Imperial Court in Vienna. Maliepiero's costume sketches offer a fine example of how a musical idea is translated into vivid visual imagery through the striking elements of an imaginative style. Guided by a sure instinct for all theatrical means of expression, the artist used light and color to create a spirited spatial setting for this cheerful dance piece. With this new production, dance mistress Dera de Meroda--known for her artistic work both at home and abroad--has demonstrated how the great artistic achievements of the past can be revitalized today and made to yield fruitful results. The Dresden State Opera premiered a "Turandot" ballet--a work imbued with a spirited temperament that Malipiero drew from the dreamy fairy-tale world of Gozzi. The music was composed by the young composer von Einem, a répétiteur at the Berlin State Opera.
[illustrations of costumes from "Turandot" and "Seraglio"]
    With this new dance creation, the set designer also aims to fulfill a fundamental requirement of modern dance through the judicious use of the simplest means, thereby leading ballet out of its limitations and toward the memorable expressive tools of a new style.--From "Bridge to Home"
[illustration of set for "Turandot"]

CHORAL MUSIC SPANNING TWO CENTURIES
Final Recorded Music Concert of the Winter Season
    The recorded music concerts organized by Johannes Tiedemann--and beloved by many--have become a fixture of camp life for a sizable circle of music enthusiasts. They were all sorry to hear that the series must be suspended for the time being due to a shortage of records. In his closing remarks, Tiedemann expressed the hope that the concert series could resume before long. He thanked the audience--who naturally owe him a far greater debt of gratitude--for their receptiveness and also acknowledged the events' quiet helper, Gerhard Kennecke; as the owner of the music cabinet and a volunteer "sound engineer" during the performances, Kennecke played a significant role in the overall success of the evenings.
    The program for the final evening reflected the quiet solemnity of these days--a time of hoping for new life and resurrection. No other music could have conveyed the message more powerfully than the gently consoling, stately, and--at times--jubilant melodies of famous composers.
    Handel's "Largo," accompanied by organ and harp, rang out solemnly; the Bridal Chorus from Wagner's "Lohengrin" radiated quiet harmony; and the sacred choral works of Bach and Grell--uplifting and deeply expressive--spoke to everyone's inner self, inviting deep introspection. Finally, in a triumphant Easter spirit that defied night and death, excerpts from Handel's "Messiah" resounded, with the magnificent "Hallelujah" chorus bringing the evening to a close.
    Here was a true source of balance--a contribution to restoring the inner equilibrium we need not worry about losing, provided we remain receptive enough in the future to listen to such sounds with an open heart.--Werner Baecker.

From a newsletter:
ON CONTEMPORARY FILM / By Otto Heinz Rueb…
    "One of the new members of the 'Young Circle') is state actor Wolfgang Liebenciner, who, following his appointment as professor, has now also become the head of production at Universum Film AG (UFA).
    "German cinema is currently at a remarkably high level. It is far removed from anything lacking a clear artistic purpose; it is imbued with an artistic seriousness that fills even the initiated with sincere admiration. Films such as 'Andreas Schlüter', 'Träumerei' (a Schumann film starring Hilde Krahl and Mathias Wiemann), 'Der Opfergang' (based on the novella of the same name by Rudolf G. Binding), 'Der gebieterische Ruf' (a Wien-Film production starring Maria Holst--known from Willi Forst's unforgettable 'Operette'--and Rudolf Forster), and 'Das fremde Leben' (a Berlin-Film production starring Viktor Staal) are clear testaments to this ambition. At the same time, the lighter side of entertainment is naturally given its due; today, our musical revue films need not shy away from comparison with non-European productions. Johannes Heesters remains the champion of this genre. Indeed, he is the only one; for both the stage and the screen lack good operetta tenors. The fine voices available for this purpose are either physically unsuitable (Herbert Ernst Groh) or too deeply rooted in opera to do justice to the rhythm and relaxed style of revue films (Marcel Wittrisch)…"
   
    Note by the editors: So much for this letter from Germany. The author, Otto Heinz Rueb, is the founder of the "Young Circle" (Junger Ring), a community of young artists that enjoys the support and recognition of nearly all thegreat figures in the arts and sciences. The artists' association has recently made preparations to found a "Rudolf G. Binding Society," which is to be established no later than the tenth anniversary of the poet's death. The poet's sister--Frau Geheimrat Prof. Dr. von Romberg, widow of the renowned heart specialist--has assumed the role of patron alongside a number of poets from the Binding circle.

PUZZLES
   
VISITING CARD PUZZLE:
NIK.TOMPOS      When the characters are rearranged, what I am is instantly revealed.
   
CAPSULE PUZZLE
    Umformer, Scharmützel, Orchesterloge, Unkosten, Heidelberg, Delegation,
Rozitaten, Schulkind, Sorgenfalte. [converter, skirmish, orchestra box, expenses, Heidelberg, delegation, rosaries, schoolchild, worry line.]
    Each of the words above contains a noun formed by a sequence of consecutive letters.
The initial letters of these "capsule words," when strung together, spell out a festive evening event.
   
A PAIR
    "L": a tributary of the Elbe,
    "U": a gourmet's supreme delight.
   
NOT A GOOD MIX
    "Goton" frozen in "ice" are, naturally, cold and hard.

FILMS WE SAW…
   
[illustration of people dancing]
   
IT STARTED WITH EVE.--Even Deanna Durbin took a back seat here to the outstanding acting performance of Charles Laughton, who imbued the aging millionaire with deep humanity. The greatness of his acting lay in his convincing portrayal of love reawakened in old age--a performance that made a profound impression on everyone able to follow the dialogue.
   
STAGE DOOR.--A very realistic slice of life among minor theater folk. The plot unfolded in a New York theatrical boarding house and gained depth from the human stories depicted--stories that often stood in stark contrast to the glittering glamour of the performers in the spotlight. Renowned actors such as Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, and Adolphe Menjou brought life to the familiar theme of the joys and sorrows of the artist's life. A tactful audience overlooked the technical flaws in the film print, which clearly showed its venerable age.
   
[illustration of man dancing on top of bar]
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT.--Without the dance numbers (Fred Astaire and Jean Leslie) and the humorous Robert Benchley, this would have been merely an average film. As it was, however, there were delightful surprises in the musical, revue-style scenes that effectively masked the screenplay's weaknesses.
   
[illustration of dancers and musicians]
THE POWERS GIRL.--A lighthearted, harmless affair centering on the famous Powers models. George Murphy was the spirited driving force behind the lively plot, which featured hilarious scenes capable of making even the grumpiest person laugh. Carole Landis and Anne Shirley played the two women--contrasting characters who, in the end, naturally got what they were striving for: Carole Landis became Mr. Powers' number-one model, while Anne Shirley became George Murphy's happy wife. Benny Goodman's orchestra got on our nerves. There was no melody and no coherence. We have heard better dance orchestras in films and on the radio.--w.b.
   
(Film section completed on March 25, 1945.)

OUR SPORTS
   
A Look Back:
GERMAN FOOTBALL AS A JUBILARIAN / By Erich Becker.
    It seems little known that German football is turning 70 years old around this time. Football was introduced at several schools in Braunschweig back in 1875 by Prof. Konrad Koch and the Martino-Catharineum school. That same year, Englishmen residing in Bremen also played football. However, the first club was not founded until 1880, when the Bremen Football Club was established. In Berlin, it was the Berlin Cricket Club that also played football (1883), while the first South German football club was founded in Cannstatt in 1888.
    At that time, football was played in close adherence to rugby rules. For instance, it was permitted to stop the ball with one's hands and even to pass it on by hand under certain conditions. A clear separation occurred later. Football was played both with and without the practice of picking up the ball with one's hands. Yet there were also many matches in which one half was played under rugby rules and the other under football rules.
    In its early days, the playing of football faced strong opposition. Even prominent gymnastics leaders, such as Schnell and Jaeger, withdrew their support--despite initially backing the sport--once the movement began to gain too much momentum within gymnastics circles. Men like Prof. Koch were rare. In 1895, he wrote the following in the "Deutsche Turn-Zeitung" (German Gymnastics Journal):
    "There is no better remedy for moral and physical lethargy and softness than the game of football. It is the surest way to lure boys and young men from all walks of life--including the working class--out of smoky taverns and into the open air of nature during their leisure hours."
    At that time, there was otherwise no press support for our sport. Columns were written at length about every exhibition of pedigree rabbits and prize roosters, and even about gatherings of Europe's best Skat players; but football--no, such "foolish undertakings" went unnoticed. Yet the rise of our sport continued regardless. The first associations were founded in 1891, and by 1901, the first German national team was already playing against Switzerland. We lost the match 5–2 or 5–3. Willy Becker from Frankfurt--now a government official in Berlin--scored Germany's first international goal. The 500 spectators at the first championship final in Hamburg in 1903 have grown to 100,000 in the Olympic Stadium today; this perhaps best illustrates what has become of that small movement--that "foolish undertaking"--over the intervening years.

SPORTS REVIEW
    The Sundays and weekday evenings in March brought a continuous series of sporting events. However, there were simply too many matches to list all the results here; instead, we intend to display them in monthly reports on the individual companies' sports notice boards. We would, however, like to highlight the successful staging of our handball tournament, which saw the following teams emerge as winners:
Class A:
    Winner: 1st Team of 7th Co.--5:1 points
    2nd Pl.:  1st Team of 2nd Co.--4:2 points
Class B:
    Winner: 2nd Team of 7th Co.--5:1 points
    2nd Pl.:  2nd Team of 1st Co.--4:2 points
   
TABLE TENNIS
    The camp championships in this sport have now concluded under the direction of Buchinger. The winners are:
    1. Winner: Eiland, 2nd Co.--26:3 points
    2. Winner: Buchinger, 2nd Co.--23:6 points
    3. Winner: Kempf, 3rd Co.--23:6 points
    4. Winner: Becker, 2nd Co.--23:6 points
    5. Winner: Caha, 7th Co.--21:8 points
    6. Winner: Dasbach, 5th Co.--21:8 points
    7. Winner: Woehlert, 7th Co.--20:9 points
    8. Winner: Lindner, 2nd Co.--19:10 points
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
    1. Winner: 1st Team of 7th Co.--8:0 points
    2. Winner: 1st Team of 2nd Co.--6:2 points
   
ON THE SIDELINES:
    A dialogue from days gone by.--The year was 1912. Offenbacher Kickers were playing a massive match. Left-winger Christian Hock was furious about a decision made by the referee. The referee was Professor Hunn from Freiburg--that fortunate city which produced even more "football professors." "Herr Professor, surely you've forgotten your glasses?" Christian Hock shouted bitterly across the pitch.--"I am warning you," said Prof. Hunn in a fatherly tone. "Thank you very much!" shouted Christian Hock. "Leave the pitch," said the referee. "See you later, Professor!" shouted the furious Hock.
    But such were the times back then: after the match, they almost certainly had a drink together anyway.

Our sports activities in March by the numbers:
    The individual companies fielded the following teams and players:

	Footbal Teams	Handball Teams	Total Teams	Total
7th Company	22	8	30	330 games
2nd Company	16	10	26	286 games
5rh Company	14	7	21	231 games
1st Company	9	6	15	165 games
3rd Company	11	3	14	154 games
Total	72	34	106	1166 games

    Compared to our February sports activities, this represents a 66% increase. Fifty-three referees were required to officiate all these matches.

THE GERMAN LANGUAGE.
    A few years back, on a snow-covered sports field in Dresden, two football teams were battling for victory in the biting cold. After a hard collision between two players, the referee approached one of the captains and said: "I warn you [using the incorrect dative case 'Ihnen']." The player, who had a better grasp of the German language, tried to correct the referee and called out: "Referee, I warn you [using the correct accusative 'Sie']." But the official didn't get it. Loud and clear, his voice rang out across the field: "I warn you for the second time." Back came the player's retort: ​​"Referee, I warn you for the second time." The indignant official then declared: "I am sending you off the field." And the disappointed player replied: "That's rich, coming from you."

THE STANDS--LISTEN UP, EVERYONE!
    It is certainly nice that we now have stands at the sports field. However, it is less pleasant to observe that most spectators don't give a second thought to keeping the area around the stands clean. Everything the canteen sells ends up lying right there under the seats--not just the food itself, but the packaging too, to say nothing of cigarette butts. The result is that the few people who take it upon themselves to clean up the mess never seem to finish the job. So, let all the sports-loving spectators put themselves in the shoes of those who have to pick it all up. It shouldn't be too much trouble to toss the--often considerable--paper waste into the white bins. Shall we give it a try?

THE CHEERFUL LIFE
   
[illustration of shovel leaning against medieval wall]
TÜNNES AND SCHÄL
    Tünnes was once too lazy to take his shovel home in the evening. He therefore wrote on the shovel blade with chalk: "Shovel, bring it with you, I forgot it." The shovel wipes it off and writes instead: "Bring it with you, I didn't see it!"
   
[illustration of man glancing warily at water]
SO HOW IT CAN HAPPEN
    "Hey, Edgar got married."
    "Who?"
    "Well, the lady he rescued from the water back then."
    "Happy now?"
    "No, but afraid of water."

ALSO AN EXPLANATION
    Teacher: "Kunze, give me an example that shows honesty is the best policy."
    Student: "If I copy from someone, I finish my math quickly, but if I calculate everything myself, it takes much longer."

MISUNDERSTANDING
    A gentleman driver steers his car with one hand through the main street. He had draped another hand around the shoulder of his beautiful companion. At the intersection, the traffic cop shouts at him: "Please, use both hands!"
    Driver: "And what am I supposed to use to steer?"

SPEED
    Speed ​​is when a right winger takes a corner kick, then runs towards the middle and heads the corner kick into the goal.

[illustration of doctor and woman remembering beating her husband]
LOVING WIFE
    Doctor: "Dear Mrs. Lehmann, your husband doesn't have a life-threatening illness. He apparently had a very warm night and therefore has a fever and a headache. First, wrap a wet cloth around his head."
    "Oh, Doctor, I already did that this morning when he came home."

[illustration of man on stage surrounded by five dead women]
GREAT SUCCESS
    "How was your 'Othello' received?"
    "Fabulous. Desdemona had to be strangled five times before the people stopped clapping."

EASY TO UNDERSTAND
    The landlady confronts her tenant.
    "Mr. Schmidt, every time I enter your room, I see you kissing my daughter. How come?"
    "Just shout--you never knock!"

WHAT A VIEW--
    There was another row at the Donners' house.
    "I'm going to get a divorce," sobbed Mrs. Donner.
    Donner shouts: "Stop with your endless promises!"

[illustration of man talking to conductor]
PITY
    Heidepriem is taking the last tram home. The tram is quite empty, and so he strikes up a conversation with the conductor. The conductor complains: wife and child at home, little income, high rent. Heidepriem is quite moved and says: "You know what, give me another ticket."

[illustration of mailbox disgorging mail and large question mark]
ODDS AND ENDS
   
THE EDITORS REPLY
   
"Lilli Marlen":
"Foreign Words":
"Rhythm":
"Pay and Allowances":

INQUIRIES to the camp newspaper's mailbox must include your full name and company affiliation.

Publisher: German Camp Commander. Editors: Werner Baecker / Erich Becker
Design: Erwin Lange. Production: Hans Rudolf Buettner. Heimat is published twice a month. Circulation: 150 copies. Submission point for correspondence and contributions: the newspaper's office in the recreation hut. Responsible for this issue: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, and Heinz Polter. Passed by U.S. Army Examiner #23533.



Heimat April 15, 1945
   

A WORD FROM THE GERMAN CAMP SPOKESMAN
    Now that our camp newspaper has been appearing for several months, I feel it is appropriate to express my own gratitude--and that of the entire camp--to all the contributors to Heimat. We should bear in mind that everyone involved in producing our camp magazine is also assigned to a full workday, and that they use their free time to bring us all joy, entertainment, knowledge, and relaxation. When spare hours were not enough, the quiet hours of the night often had to fill the gap. It would take too long to list here all the difficulties that constantly arise; for the work involves far more than just printing and typing stencils. We should at least take all this into account when we pass judgment on the newspaper. I take this opportunity to ask everyone to do their utmost to ensure the widest possible circulation of the paper. It fails to achieve its purpose if left under a pillow or on a bookshelf; it is meant to be read by everyone. I believe I speak for all my comrades when I reiterate what I said at the start: thanks and appreciation to the contributors of Heimat.

NOTES FROM THE EDITORIAL STAFF
    The next issue of the camp newspaper is expected to appear in time for Mother's Day. Poems or letters related to the spirit of the occasion would be very welcome by the editorial staff.
    We reiterate our offer to provide particularly interested readers with surplus copies of past issues as keepsakes. Please inquire with the editorial staff or at the library.
    Note for Tule Lake: We very much regret that we have not heard from you for months. Have you lost interest in contributing? Give it some thought and write a few lines, as the "Letter from Tule Lake" section is intended to be a regular feature of our newspaper.

Publisher: German Camp Spokesman. Editorial Staff: Werner Baecker, Erich Becker, Hans Buettner. Overall Design: Erwin Lange. Heimat is published twice a month. Circulation: 150 copies. Submission point for contributions and excerpts: Camp library and editorial office. Illustrations provided by: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hoffmann, and Heinz Polter. Passed by U.S. Army Examiner #23533.

The Power of the Heart
BY WERNER BAECKER
    As events on the battlefields unfold rapidly, there is a growing awareness of a force that might be called the power of the heart. We have all come to realize that the struggle has reached a critical juncture--one that, in its current form, we could scarcely have foreseen back in 1943, prior to our capture.
    Today, we cannot tell anyone who asks that current events are trivial or have no bearing on us and our future lives. Anyone who seriously maintains such a view merely demonstrates a lack of the inner courage required to look at matters from a different perspective. For every shift in events inevitably brings a change in attitude toward phenomena that--however unpleasant--cannot simply be ignored.
    We have learned that a danger can only be effectively contained if it is recognized in time, if one adapts to it, and if one knows how to deal with it decisively.
    One might well argue that addressing these questions is not worth the effort. A period of captivity is a time of waiting--a state of suspension that must simply be endured. How an individual copes with these years is a personal matter. Thus, I shall say nothing about those who claim to have completely walled themselves off internally, thinking of nothing but their own selves--a mindset manifested in the tedious logging of every incoming letter, the indiscriminate devouring of available library books, and perhaps the meticulous scrutiny of the menu posted on the bulletin board.
    Yet that group is truly just a small minority. The vast majority of the camp is fully engaged, heart and soul. We entered this war with a clear understanding of its gravity. That is what we have learned. We would therefore not be wrong to follow the climax of this struggle with our whole hearts. For--and there is no doubt about this--something more depends on this war and its outcome than on a rainy Sunday outing.
    Just as we have no desire to target that particular small group, we must also come to realize that by no means are all those people bad who do not constantly laugh or pretend that the whole affair is nothing more than a sporting event. Such frivolity in treating these events is just as irresponsible as the deliberate spreading of rumors--rumors calculated to incite fear and anxiety, leaving one to seriously ponder which length of rope might be best suited for one's final earthly act.
    In times of hardship and superhuman peril, a hidden strength grows--a capacity to absorb and endure blows. It is difficult to provide a rational explanation for this; it is simply a phenomenon inherent to such times--spontaneous and unconscious. It is something that can be neither taught nor commanded. It is the human spirit's natural resilience, asserting itself in every situation through the realization that life must go on.
    And therein lies the heart of this reflection. We must know--and never forget--that we shall return home, that people there are counting on us, and, more than that, placing their hopes in us. This fact imposes upon us the obligation to do everything in our power to remain as fit for service as possible. Physical health, natural vitality, and mental agility--to name but a few attributes--should dominate our thinking. These are far more worthwhile than parroting idle chatter about the collapse of entire continents. Anyone who speaks in such terms clearly knows very little about a people's innate strength. For after every blow dealt by fate, there follows a time of revival, reflection, and reconstruction--shaped by the very people we call the survivors. It must not go unsaid that we could commit no more disastrous error than to begin, at this point, defining the reasons and causes behind these events. Such an intention would mark the first step toward a division that we must avoid at all costs. We bear our fate as Germans who see--in the land that has now become the stage for the most colossal battle of all time--everything encompassed that makes life worth living. The strength of heart of which we spoke will prove whether we can endure these months of decision with composure and self-confidence, and return home without the shameful feeling of having to lower our eyes before our fathers, mothers, and siblings.
    For--I must say it again--they are waiting and hoping for us.


FAREWELL TO
FRIEDRICH LEONHARDT
    An unusual silence lay over the camp as delegations from the companies gathered in the camp chapel for the memorial service for Friedrich Leonhardt. The usual bustle of the evening hours--the movement on the streets and squares--was missing. For hours, a quiet had settled in, commanded by the irresistible power of death. Everyone sensed this in some way, feeling a sense of remembrance or a solemn reminder; for the path Comrade Leonhardt took is one we all must walk, sooner or later. It mattered less who it was that was bidding us a final farewell. Far more significant and all-consuming was the thought that he had come from our own ranks--and that it could just as easily have been any one of us.
    Spring flowers adorned the altar. Surrounded by the vibrant colors of a nature full of life, and draped in the imperial war flag, Friedrich Leonhardt rested in the center of the church. Candles burned quietly and solemnly; the guards stood tall and grave, their gaze passing over the mourners. They had all seen many people die--out there, where few words are spoken. Where there is time, at most, to plant a small wooden cross, offer a silent prayer, and think of a mother waiting longingly for a sign of life that will never arrive. Here, things were different--perhaps even more deeply poignant--for we all think and hope, and believe we have the right, to survive the current struggle of nations. For what other purpose would there be in overcoming every danger in the hell of battle? It is possible that Friedrich Leonhardt thought this way. In his remarks, Pastor Griesheimer alluded to such reflections--thoughts that, while humanly understandable, often diverge from the paths chosen by the Arbiter of our destiny.
    String music by Grieg, performed by members of the camp orchestra, preceded the moving address by the camp spokesman, "Hauptfeldwebel" Walter Ensconatus, who--in well-chosen words--conveyed the camp's final farewell to the deceased.
    Following the strains of "The Good Comrade," the delegations left the church. Meanwhile, comrades not attending the service had formed an impressive honor guard, through which we paid our final military respects to the fallen. Wreaths from the companies, the German doctors, and the camp spokesman accompanied the coffin as it was borne by members of the Luftwaffe and the Army. Then, the funeral procession halted at the gate. A few more moments of reverent silence and a final salute marked the departure of the vehicle. Friedrich Leonhardt had left us forever.
    But all those who knew and esteemed him personally--as well as the others in our circle who, through his death, once again felt the inexorability of human destiny--can surely never forget the evening hours of April 18, 1945.
   
[Friedrich Leonhardt's name at the head of this eulogy was flanked by Toten-Runes, here possibly merely symbolizing death--but someone has circled them and written "SS," pointing out the Nazis' affinity for the runes.]

SUNDAY…!
   
PLAYFUL LIGHT / By Heinrich Spoerl
    It was a long time ago. One can hardly recall it now. Yet it was a happy time: back when a film didn't require a writer, but rather a recipe. Those in the know were well aware of this--the men who understood the audience's taste. They concocted the fairy tale about the paying public--who expected not stance from a film, but entertainment--and they possessed the cookbook used to brew up a surefire box-office hit.
    That recipe is in danger of being lost. I intend to shout it from the rooftops so that it might be preserved for a more enlightened posterity--as both a curiosity and a cautionary tale.
    The recipe concerned cinematic morality. Not in the sense of how low a neckline could plunge or how high a skirt could ride up--those matters were regulated internationally. Rather:
    First principle: Money brings happiness. Admittedly, this is neither new nor true. Yet it requires little proof; we all believe it--especially those of us who have none. We slave away and torment ourselves all week long for money; we want to know what it's for. With money, one can buy anything. Art and cinema alike.
    Second principle: Love brings happiness. Of course it does. Where else would it come from? Unrequited love is romantic, yet it misses the point. It is bad enough that such things exist; people want nothing to do with them. There may well be people who are only happy when they love unhappily, but in the movies, they would be laughed at.
    Third principle: If money brings happiness and love brings happiness--how much greater, then, is the happiness found in the union of money and love: the wealthy match. Money times love--that is happiness squared. It is easy to see why cinema would not pass up such squared happiness. For happiness on the screen means happiness in the stalls, and happiness in the stalls means happiness at the box office. Accordingly, films produced according to this recipe book fall into two categories.
    Type A: The goose girl marries the king's son. The goose girl is the private secretary, the flower girl, the chorus girl, or the maid--all of them, naturally, in a deluxe edition. The king's son is the bank director, the lord, or--above all--the wealthy American who, having been displaced from real life, has retreated entirely to the silver screen.
    Type B is the reverse: the swineherd marries the princess. In the film, the swineherd is the dashing young fellow who is nothing, can do nothing, has nothing, and does nothing but look good. The princess is the wealthy heiress with plenty of clout--an automobile factory, a nameless duchy, and nothing less than twelve cylinders.
   
[illustration of princess kneeling before swineherd]
   
    The fourth and supreme guiding principle: the happy ending. It is taken so much for granted that there isn't even a name for the opposite. No matter how hopeless things may look on screen, one leans back in one's seat, reassured, knowing the writer will find a way out just in time. One allows oneself the pleasant thrill of goosebumps, but the racing heart never reaches a level that might endanger one's health. The tragedy of the stage play--where the last survivor stabs himself or has to be bumped off from the prompter's box--is foreign to film. People want to see on screen what they wish for their own lives: a guaranteed happy ending in every situation.
    In film, a happy ending means marriage. There is no serious dying or meeting with disaster; instead, there is a wedding. Skeptics view this as irony, while idealists believe that true cinema only begins with the marriage. Film itself takes no interest in this debate. There is a certain type of novel where the couple either gets together or doesn't; film has decided once and for all: they get together.
    Today, that phase is over. Our films are different--all of them, or at least most--well, many--some, anyway. We all share an unhappy love affair with film. We cannot live without it--or at least, we cannot sleep. Perhaps we are simply bored. Film helps us while away the time. Or perhaps one is lonely and feels cooped up at home. In the cinema, one escapes the confines of one's room. Or one has worries: the images know how to lie so kindly. Or we are tired and can't bring ourselves to go to bed: the wall of light thinks and dreams for us, so we don't have to make the effort. Or one wants to treat a girlfriend to something: the cinema is cheap and dark. Perhaps we are musical: we hear the latest hit song and see a saxophone, and during the intermission, the organ plays. Or perhaps one wishes to see the Heavenly One: the film shows her high and low, alone and with others, in armor and in nightclothes. Then again, one might not even know what one wants, yet suddenly find oneself right in the thick of it. One has read the posters and reviews full of anticipation; often one returns home disappointed, grumbling and conspiring--but then, one feels just like that lover in the Brahms song:
   
   

DOG ENCOUNTER / A Short Story from Camp
    I've never owned a dog myself, but I've always felt a great deal of empathy for our silent friends. Even here at camp, friendly relationships were maintained between me and them. I didn't know each one by name, but we got along well nonetheless. They were hungry--I needed something to eat, and everything else was taken for granted. We didn't pass each other by coldly. I would scratch their heads, stroke them a little, and they would thank me for it.
   
   
    Well, that's all over now--or is it? Recently, on my way to work, I ran into one of those gray-spotted dogs. My thought: I know him--and strangely enough, the dog must have thought the same thing. He picked up my scent, and when I finally disappeared behind a door, he sat down outside and seemed to have plenty of time on his hands. I brought out a piece of meat, and that's how we got talking. He said that one just muddles through, more or less, and that it was a dog's life. He's become even grayer and more neglected, of course; he can't wash himself very often anymore. I should greet everyone--in the camp--he said. His attitude toward us hadn't changed; in any case, it was friendlier than that of his contemporaries, who strolled between the fences from evening till morning. His friend, a good dog of the St. Bernard type, who arrived a little later and looked up at me with loyal eyes, shared this opinion. They both hoped that the old days would return. It would have been too good to be true back home, they said, but that pious wish, I thought, will probably remain just that--a pious wish.--W.T.

SINCE WHEN HAVE WE HAD IT?
    The handkerchief is from Italy. It was first mentioned there in the Middle Ages under the name "fazoletto" and spread to other European countries in the 16th century. That it soon became a luxury item is evident from a Lügdeburg dress code of 1583: "The handkerchiefs of the groom and other men of noble birth shall not be worth more than one and a half talers, those of the common citizen half a taler, and those of servants one gulden, under penalty of one mark."

LET'S TALK ABOUT TROUSERS
    So, what do we call them: "a pair of trousers" or just "trousers"? Opinions are divided. In any case, today they are simply "trousers." But that wasn't always the case. In the early days of men's legwear, trousers actually consisted of two separate leg coverings--literally a "pair." The fact that this term is still used in various regions of Germany suggests that the old expression has tenaciously persisted over the centuries.
    While we're on the subject, it is worth noting that trousers were not--as is often assumed--invented during the eras of Henry IV and Louis XIII of France. The Babylonians were already aware of the advantages of a garment that covered the hips, thighs, and feet all at once. And once Catherine de Medici introduced trousers as women's undergarments at the court of Charles IX in France, their global triumph as standard attire for both sexes became unstoppable.--h.a.

ATHLETES, here's what you need to know…
    Linesmen and goal judges in football and handball matches.
    They perform their duties to assist the referee; primarily, they determine when a throw-in occurs (and who takes it) and whether the ball has gone out for a corner kick or a standard throw-in/goal kick.
    They can also alert the referee to a potential offside position by waving their flags--especially if, at that moment, they are in a better position to view the action than the referee themselves.
    However, the final decision on all these matters rests solely with the referee, since linesmen and goal judges--as previously mentioned--are there only to provide support. In the event of a disputed goal, the referee may also consult the goal judge and subsequently alter his decision based on the information received--though this applies only to a goal that has actually been scored or signaled.
    Line judges and goal judges are, of course, fully protected by the referee--particularly against verbal abuse or inappropriate criticism--and the referee may caution a player or even send them off for such conduct.--e.b.

ENTERTAINMENT
presented in an instructive manner
   
A TIMELINE OF GREAT DISCOVERIES / An Interesting Overview
    Which event is arguably the oldest on the list of great inventions and discoveries? First on the timeline of discovery, we find the Pythagorean theorem--that bane of every schoolchild's existence--which saw the light of day as early as 540 BC and was named after its creator, the Greek scholar Pythagoras. Yet other major discoveries were made before the Common Era. Around 350 BC, Aristotle discovered the spherical shape of the Earth--a fact that was, admittedly, later doubted for a long time; in 260 BC, Archimedes created the pulley system, thereby laying the foundations of statics; in 140 BC, Ctesibius invented the air pump and the fire syringe; and during that same era, Eratosthenes discovered prime numbers, thereby unraveling a mathematical mystery. The fact that humanity subsequently experienced a certain intellectual regression is evidenced by the absence of a single significant invention or discovery in the fields of natural science or technology throughout the first millennium AD. It was not until 1181 that an invention appeared which transformed the era: the compass. The year 1253 saw the first construction of a canal lock by William of Holland, and the year 1300 is also a significant date in the history of invention, as it marked the first appearance of gunpowder in Europe. The name Gutenberg is associated with the year 1440; it was the year movable-type printing was born. Twenty years later, Regiomontanus discovered decimal arithmetic. The year 1552 was also significant for mathematics; the mathematician Rudolph introduced the plus (+) and multiplication (×) signs, which had been unknown until that time. 1580 marks the birth of the lathe; the first excavator went into operation in 1591; Galileo constructed his air thermometer in 1597; and the first decade of the 17th century was dominated by Kepler. His theory of the tides (1602) was followed by the laws of planetary motion (1609) and the astronomical telescope (1610). It was not until 1630 that technology once again achieved major triumphs. Following the invention of the steam engine, the barometer, pendulum clock, manometer, reflecting telescope, and finally the elevator appeared in quick succession.
   
[illustration of inventions: compass, printing press, microscope, steam engine]
   
    In the 18th century, industry was enriched by numerous discoveries. These included the coking of hard coal, the coal-fired blast furnace, cast steel, rubber, the sugar content of the sugar beet, the production of spirits from potatoes, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, the power loom, the threshing machine, and the steam excavator. Furthermore, the lightning rod, the first iron bridge, and gas lighting also made their debut during this century.
    Although the subsequent 19th century was naturally the most prolific in terms of inventions and discoveries, the foundations for all the major scientific and technological achievements that followed had already been laid by the year 1800, as the list of inventions demonstrates.

A camp barber speaks:
ON THE ANATOMY OF HUMAN HAIR
    Hair is a keratinous structure that grows out of the skin. Its components are proteins--containing nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus--and keratin, which is composed of the elements of horny tissue (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur).
    Hair consists of three main parts: the outer layer (fish-scale-like keratin particles), the middle layer (pigment), and the inner layer, which is filled with medullary substance at the root end and with air at the tip. Hair receives nourishment from the blood, which is processed for this purpose within the hair root.
    Differences in hair texture (hair types: brittle, elastic, straight, and curly) are attributable to varying physical constitutions. A hair can be pulled out several times before the root becomes completely exhausted and regrowth is no longer possible.
    Hair growth can be stimulated by massage. Massage accelerates local blood circulation, thereby encouraging hair growth. Exposure to ultraviolet rays (such as the "Original Hanau" sun lamp)--when carried out under normal conditions--greatly promotes hair growth, as the resulting reddening of the scalp triggers an increased supply of arterial blood.
    Dandruff formation, lack of proper care, and improper treatment can hinder hair growth--potentially to such an extent that baldness becomes inevitable.

JAPANESE AUCTIONS
    Japanese auctions differ significantly from European and American auctions in that they are conducted with far greater calm. The common sound of a gavel, as well as any other noise, is absent. Each bidder writes their name and bid on a piece of paper and places it in a box. Once all bids have been placed, the auctioneer opens the box, and the item is awarded to the person whose slip of paper contains the highest bid.

A PRAYER EVERY FIVE STEPS
    An Indian pilgrim on the way to Mecca says a prayer every five steps. If he remains true to his purpose, he will have to continue his pilgrimage until the end of his life to reach his destination.

HOW MUCH DO MOSQUITOES COST?
    American statistics allow us to calculate the sums spent annually on mosquito control in the United States. The damage to public health caused by malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases amounts to approximately $600 million. The funds spent annually on direct insect control (draining swamps, pouring kerosene, electric exterminators) total around $160 million. Added to this are the unquantifiable costs of mosquito control (mosquito nets, insecticides, etc.) and the lost income due to work absences caused by the physical discomfort of insect bites.

[illustration of student with patched pants reporting to teacher]
TRADITION
    At school, the children had been taught that tradition is something passed down from fathers to sons. When little Hans arrived late to school the next day, he apologized to the teacher, saying: "Mother had to mend my tradition first."

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
[illustration of sun and hills]
A SUMMERY PREVIEW
    The "core" group of this camp--who recently marked a full year of life at Camp White--must have marveled at how different the weather has been these past few weeks compared to the same time last year. Back then, the rain dragged on well into the summer, and the most pleasant place to be was inside a heated barracks. This year, however, the weather gods took a leap: They skipped spring and sent us straight into early summer, treating us to cloudless skies and strong sunshine--along with our first sunburned backs and legs. And yet, this was merely a small taste of what awaits us in June, July, and August. Most of us, however, quickly adapted to nature's whims: sales of skin cream and Coca-Cola soared to unprecedented levels. Wardrobe concerns were limited to gym shorts and similar items of men's fashion. During free hours, the lawns came alive with quilts and bodies that were still pale. Admittedly, the scene lacked the squeaky portable gramophones and laughing children in colorful sunsuits, but that is simply a sign of the times--a phase that will surely pass one day.

[illustration of hand mirror reflecting six faces]
A LIGHTHEARTED MIRROR OF HUMANITY
Laughter and Good Cheer Courtesy of the Mildahn Group
    The evening lived up to its promise. Small, all-too-human foibles were put under the microscope and caricatured so aptly that the amused audience found themselves laughing and chuckling almost constantly. No one could fail to appreciate the challenge of performing scenes on a bare stage--without scenery--where the impact on the audience relies not just on the spoken word, but on the acting itself. Fritz Mildahn and his group handled this challenge surprisingly well. Gerhard Schulz was brilliantly in his element, both linguistically and dramatically. No less impressive was Gerhard Becker, who displayed remarkable versatility in his various roles. Hans Rudolf Buettner possesses all the talent to successfully portray elderly gentlemen in artful performances. His gestures during his entrances certainly contributed to this impression. Richard Schumann, with his earthy yet warm tone, garnered particular applause for his portrayal of the director. It was also gratifying that Hermann Doeker didn't hide his light under a bushel this time. He stepped into the spotlight himself and astonished the audience with quick, spontaneous sketches that announced each of the program's next numbers. Fritz Mildahn provided the connecting words and verses he had written, which simultaneously served as the cue for the dance orchestra, conducted by Karl Stueker, to begin the next melody. The audience laughed loudly and applauded frequently and enthusiastically. --w.b.

[illustration of performer and announcer with hand mike]
ATHLETES AMONG THEMSELVES
    "What some can do, we can do too"--that's probably what the athletes of the individual companies were thinking as they gradually held their own evenings together. Everywhere, there were hours of camaraderie filled with humor and good cheer, practically marking the end of the successful winter sports program.
    In the 1st Company, there was particular enjoyment thanks to Gerhard Schulz, who was both radio announcer and photographer, with Gerd Becker providing energetic and cheerful support. At all the athletes' gatherings, members of the camp orchestra made themselves welcome guests with their tireless playing of cheerful tunes.--e.d.

[illustration of construction scene: ladder, planks, map on wall]
NEW SCHOOL ROOMS
    Once the construction workers had left and the head teacher and school administrators had taken a look at the newly created rooms on the upper floor of the infirmary, they unanimously agreed that this represented a welcome step forward in the field of education. While a few things are still needed to complete the project, everything that could be done has already been accomplished. We are particularly pleased to announce the arrival of a shipment of wall maps, which are so important for geography lessons and whose absence has been so disruptive in recent months.

NEW PAINTINGS FOR WHITSUN
Georg Fr. Sorg Plans New Exhibition
    We have learned that Georg Fr. Sorg intends to present new paintings to the public. The works will primarily feature scenes from our homeland. Other artists from the camp will likely participate in the event as well.

FILM ACTRESS DOROTHEA WIECK
    According to a published German radio report, film actress Dorothea Wieck has lost her life in an air raid on Dresden. The artist became known in Germany through her role in the film "Mädchen in Uniform" (Girls in Uniform). A distant relative of Robert Schumann's wife, Clara Wieck, she was born in Davos on January 3, 1908. In her youth, she became a member of the Munich Kammerspiele theater but soon switched entirely to film. After a brief stint in Hollywood, she returned to Germany in 1934, where she played significant roles in numerous films. Younger moviegoers will remember her as Carl Ludwig Diehl's co-star in "Der stählerne Strahl" (The Steel Beam).

[illustrations of tools and keys, man in jail, "The End" behind bars]
THAT'S HOW IT USUALLY GOES
A fellow, spotting tools left lying,
And grasping this chance--fortune trying--
Most kindly takes the items in hand,
Since he can put them to use as planned.
But the sentry at the gate, it appears,
Finds those pockets suspicious--and fears the worst;
He promptly exposes the finder's deed--
For fate has its whims, yes, indeed.
On dry bread and water--"goose-wine," they say--
The man moves into the guardhouse to stay.
There he sits now, with a sullen glare,
Pondering his luckless, grim affair.

CULTURE
   
TIMELESS WISDOM
A Reading from Goethe's "Faust," Part I
    It was a happy idea to invite the audience to a reading of Goethe's "Faust" on the very eve of Easter--a work so closely linked to the magic of this ancient festival.
    Following the opening strains of Handel's "Largo," Ulrich Kaiser briefly outlined the significance of this greatest work by our greatest German poet--a work that has since transformed the image of the "Faustian man" into an enduring intellectual concept.
    Johannes Tiedemann portrayed the role of Faust with deep feeling, delivering his lines with remarkable poignancy and warmth. Ulrich Kaiser took on the role of his antagonist, Mephisto, once again shining through his refined command of language. It was a delight to listen to both lead actors. Heinz Sieketter delivered the lines of the Student and Raphael with agility and confidence. The other participants--Erhard Kautzky as a convincingly portrayed Wagner, along with Hans Risse and Wolfgang Struwe--also approached the task with enthusiasm and rose fully to the occasion.
    The organizers selected musical recordings with great sensitivity and taste. Played as interludes between the readings, they provided an atmospheric backdrop and allowed the audience a brief moment of quiet reflection. Georg Fr. Sorg also contributed significantly by creating a highly effective and tasteful stage setting.
    The evening's resounding success demonstrated that the works of our literary giants can become a truly moving experience even without the aid of staged action to facilitate understanding. We may perhaps express the hope here that further evenings of this kind will follow.--Bruno Heimberg

PORTRAITS BY GEORG FR. SORG
A Small Easter Exhibition
    Portrait painting holds a special place among the diverse genres of the art of painting. Its aim is to capture the outward appearance of the individual--that which is distinctive and essential about them. Although portraits were painted as early as antiquity, it was not until the development of the humanist movement in the 15th century that this branch of painting reached a higher level of artistic maturity. Both the Netherlandish school (Van Eyck) and the Italians (Titian, Bellini) cultivated the art of portraiture. Almost all the great Renaissance painters (Dürer, Holbein, Cranach) devoted a significant portion of their creative output to the portrait.
    Since that time, countless painters have sought to master this challenging discipline. Today, a portrait is judged by more than mere physical resemblance; the painter's own vision defines the character of the work. A well-executed portrait seeks to interpret the sitter's character, their outlook on life, their hidden talents, and their passions. After all, if portraiture were merely a mechanical transfer from one surface (the subject) to another (the canvas), it would hardly differ from photography. Thus, imbuing the portrait with individual traits is the ultimate goal for any painter who chooses this genre. The portrait paintings displayed in the recreation room during Easter week demonstrated that Georg Fr. Sorg is successfully pursuing this very goal. The works reveal the distinctive qualities and characteristic features of the sitters, while also showcasing Sorg's determination to forge his own path, inspired by the great masters of the past. Particularly noteworthy are his use of color composition and his technique in rendering fabrics (handling light, shadow, and folds). The small exhibition was an interesting event for all those with an open-minded interest in the work and progress of our painters.--Werner Baecker

[illustration of table setting]
TRIFLES
A "modest meal."
    In 1751, King Frederick William I was branded a miser because his cooks were permitted to use no more than 12 pounds of beef, 16 pounds of beef sausage, 20 pounds of roast mutton and 8 pounds of other mutton, 6 pounds of veal, 7 chickens, 2 large carp, one pike, one zander, 8 herrings, 60 crayfish, 8 pounds of sugar, 7 pounds of butter, 34 eggs, and 15 cucumbers for a banquet attended by twenty people.

FILMS - REVIEWED
[illustration of man and woman climbing through window]
SAN ANTONIO ROSE.--There was music and plenty to see. But the entire plot was so hackneyed and unimaginative that even the far-fetched rowdy scenes were laughable. Robert Paige and Jane Freeze struggled in the leading roles.

[illustrations of inscrutable objects]
APPOINTMENT FOR LOVE.--When the wife leads a very busy life as a doctor, while the writer Catte prefers to sleep until broad daylight and under no circumstances intends to have breakfast at 7 a.m., there is actually little prospect of a thriving marriage. Of course, it wouldn't have been a film if things hadn't somehow taken the right turn. The amusing play revolved entirely around the capricious Margaret Sullavan as the wife-doctor, who only at the very end of the film quite forcefully changed her mind about whether she could ever succumb to jealousy. The slap landed, and the man was hers. The man: Charles Boyer.

[illustration of tropical scene]
LOVE AFFAIR.--Polished dialogue, good actors, and a pleasant backdrop (an ocean liner traveling from Naples to New York) were the pleasing hallmarks of this feature film, which, although almost entirely spoken, was easily understood by most viewers. Main roles: Irene Dunne, grande dame and undoubtedly the most remarkable film actress after Garbo, and Charles Boyer as a mature lover who not only looks good but can also act.

[illustration of grand piano and dancers]
CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK.--A film starring Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan that delighted audiences with its youthful freshness. Settings: a military academy, a theater, a railway, a nightclub, and back to the theater. If that doesn't draw a crowd, nothing will. Plenty of variety and rousing music.

[illustration of corpse and cowboy with smoking gun]
RIDER OF THE PLAINS.--Perhaps it is a sign of advancing age for many of us that Wild West movies no longer hold the same appeal they did during the blissful years of fourteen to seventeen. The romanticized vision of the Karl May era has given way to a more realistic reality. The very places where, as boys, we once followed Winnetou or Hadji Halef Omar Ben Hadji along secret trails are places we have now visited in person; we have seen the landscape while traveling from camp to camp, marveled at the endless expanses, occasionally reflected on the vanished thrills experienced by the pioneers of the West in the late 19th century, and--above all--realized that those days are gone for good. Of course, boys of that rambunctious age who play "Indians" will continue to find inspiration in the rider of the plains. And every now and then, we might join in and smile, but that is all.--Werner Baecker

A WORD FROM SCHOPENHAUER
    Women care little for a handsome face. What captivates them is, generally speaking, strength and--its natural companion--courage. Intellectual qualities exert no direct influence on them. Stupidity is by no means an obstacle to winning a woman's favor, whereas high intelligence--or even genius--often is.

OUR SPORTS
   
SPORTS REVIEW
    On April 1st, the handball match between the Luftwaffe and the Heer treated us to a contest of truly outstanding caliber--the likes of which we had likely never seen before in this camp. Speed, powerful attackers, and steadfast defenses characterized this fascinating game, which thrilled every spectator. The 6–6 draw was perhaps a somewhat flattering result for the army team.
    Apart from that, football and handball matches alternated regularly, evening after evening and Sunday after Sunday.
    Our fistball players, too, were kept busy thanks to the fine weather. They competed for barracks championships and formed new teams. Soon, the individual companies will be facing off against one another, fielding their best players.

THOUGHTS ON THE "GERMAN ALPINE CLUB" / By Erich Becker.
    Hiking and mountaineering also fall within the realm of our sporting activities, even though they must be measured by different standards than usual. We are well aware that not every competition can be judged by tape measure and stopwatch, and that there are other achievements we deem just as important as those that can be quantified. This brings us to the mission of the "German Alpine Club" (Deutscher Alpenverein), which was founded in Munich 76 years ago and has performed exemplary work ever since. Its history is linked to so many names renowned worldwide--names that extend far beyond the geographical confines implied by the term "Alps."
    Kangchenjunga and Nanga Parbat stand as testaments to mountaineering dedication; the sacrifices demanded by both peaks did nothing to diminish the courage and enthusiasm that are intrinsic to the mountaineer and hiker. Yet our own Alps, too, have frequently served as the backdrop for monumental achievements. The Matterhorn's West Face--first conquered by Franz and Toni Schmidt--the East Face of the Natzen, the entire "Wilder Kaiser" region, and countless other locales bear witness to the great feats accomplished by members of the Alpine Club.
    We also recall the quiet heroism demonstrated by the men of the mountain rescue services. Time and again, amidst blizzards or the threat of rockfall, they ventured into the icy wilderness, battling for days to reach those in distress and ultimately bring them to safety.
    Glaciological research, ski huts, mountaineering schools, and specialized mountaineering corps are just a few terms that characterize an organization which has grown from humble, self-sacrificing beginnings into a renowned institution. Moreover, the Alpine Club is today one of the world's largest providers of mountain accommodation; its more than 700 huts were built solely through the dedication and sacrifice of its members. It also established a network of trails spanning thousands of kilometers--traversing mountains, valleys, peaks, and hills--and erected over 50,000 signposts.
    With over 200,000 members, 450 sections, and 200 youth groups, it represents a significant branch of the German sports organization. The Alpine Museum in Munich, established by the association, is a wonderful embodiment of a deep love for the mountains; and although its collection of over 60,000 books fell victim to bombs in Munich, the Alpine Club's idealism keeps alive the hope that this library will one day rise again.
    Perhaps, as we look at the hills and mountains sweeping in a wide arc around our camp here, our thoughts often wander back home--to the fields and forests, the gorges and valleys. And perhaps, in those moments, we gain the certainty that while the destruction and devastation of war may ruin our houses and cities, it can never destroy our homeland itself--the rivers and streams, the lakes, and the majestic beauty of our peaks and mountains.

GYMNASTICS AND BOXING
    A small group of enthusiastic athletes has gathered under the leadership of Hans Kemper (5th Company) to hold gymnastics and boxing practice sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays. Initially, there were only three men; the group grew to six and then eight, and now numbers twelve comrades. Undoubtedly, others will join in the coming days. We are pleased by the serious athletic attitude and the enthusiasm with which the work is being undertaken. Plans are also in place--provided there is sufficient participation--to separate general gymnastics from boxing entirely, as experience shows there is greater interest in the former.
    In any case, the idealism and effort of this small group deserve the full attention of all athletes.

A SMILE:
    A young doctor with a rather small practice said to his wife:
    "Take as much chocolate as possible with you when you visit the bank manager's family this afternoon and feed it to the children. Maybe they'll get a stomach upset, and I'll get some patients."

Lighthearted Moments…
   
CONVERSATION ON THE TRAIN
    An older gentleman and a younger one were sitting opposite each other in the train compartment. The younger man wanted to know the time. The older gentleman looked up from his newspaper, annoyed:
    "You only want me to tell you the time so you can strike up a conversation with me. And once we're chatting and perhaps taking a liking to each other, you'll invite me for a beer when we get off the train, and then I'll buy you a drink, and then we'll have a meal together. Then you'll visit my home and meet my daughter--a pretty girl--and you'll keep coming back until, one day, you're at my house asking for my daughter's hand in marriage. And why on earth should I marry off my only daughter to a man who can't even afford a watch?"

FAMILIAR FACES
    "That lady over there looks very familiar to me."
    "I feel the same way. Let's think… She's wearing my wife's dress, my daughter's hat, and carrying my mother-in-law's umbrella--right--it's our cook."

[illustration of a hearse embraced by a horseshoe]
A STROKE OF LUCK
    "Petersen always has such luck."
    "What do you mean?"
    "The other day he was eating oysters; he swallowed a pearl and had to undergo surgery."
    "You call that luck?"
    "No, but the pearl was so valuable that it covered the cost of the surgery and his funeral."

COMPLAINT AT THE TABLE
    "Waiter, tell the proprietor that the roast is very tough. The beef seems to be quite old."
    "It's not that bad, sir; he turns sixty next month."

CAUTIOUS ROBBER
    "Have you paid your phone bill?"
    "I don't have a phone."
    "Have you paid your dog tax?"
    "I don't have a dog."
    "Is your gun permit in order?"
    "I don't own a gun at all."
    "Good--then would you please open your safe and not scream…"

SOLUTIONS TO THE PUZZLES FROM THE EASTER ISSUE
    VISITING CARD PUZZLE--Gentleman's profession: Composer
    CAPSULE PUZZLE--Form, Arm, Chester, Kost, Elbe, Legat, Zitat, Ulk, Genf, Fackelzug
    TWO OF A KIND--Alster – Auster
    NOT A GOOD MIX--Egoists
   
Request for Volunteers
    A shortage of support staff makes it necessary to seek a few more volunteers who can spare a few hours in the evening during the week the newspaper is published. We are in particularly urgent need of two capable typists who also have some experience working with mimeograph stencils.



Heimat May 1, 1945  The cover shows Durer's portrait of his mother.
   
To Our Mothers
   
A LETTER MEANT FOR YOU / Thoughts on Mother's Day
    Dearest Mother, in these times when all the concepts that once defined and shaped our lives are being turned upside down, our deepest feelings transcend the invisible boundaries of our outer selves and reach into the still-vital, personal realm of our inner lives. And there you stand--however unpretentious it may sound--as that beloved, undisputed figure beside whom all others recede in shy reverence. This image, Mother, is so powerful that the clamorous worries of the present might well fade away in its light. For in your eyes, nothing changes. I remain your son; you, my mother. The unique quality of our bond is that, alongside your love, there is nothing greater in the world; thus, I possess everything a truly fortunate person could ever have, simply by having you.
    There were times when your nose, your care, and even your self-sacrifice seemed unremarkable to me--times when I was in danger of becoming ungrateful. Yet you never reproached me for it; you simply remained silent and smiled. With a mother's wisdom, you sensed that the day would come when your children would finally grasp the true meaning of a mother.
    As I take stock of your life at this moment, the impression grows ever stronger that your existence thus far has been nothing but love, care, and hard work. Yet, at the same time, the thought occurs to me that you never complained, that you took it all in stride, and--that you were happy nonetheless. Therein must lie the strength inherent in all good mothers: to live in order to give; to give everything away and take nothing for oneself.
    It is a pity that we humans have the flaw of realizing the true value of things only when it is too late. Today, I simply want to give to you, to help, and to comfort you. For you mothers need us and our help--especially now. I do not even know where you are or how you are living. I only know that, despite your own worries, thoughts of me are what mostly occupy and trouble your mind. And it troubles me, too. That is why I wish I could lift it all from you--the heavy burden of time, the anguish of the heart, and the fear of the future.
    This hoping and wishing on both sides has gone on for years now. Yet, time and again, we find the courage to believe that our dreams will come true. Not because we feel entitled to it, but out of that heavy sense of indebtedness that perhaps everyone feels toward their mother. So I wait patiently for the day when I can stand before you with words of reassurance and the promise: "Calm yourself, Mother; everything will be all right."--Werner Baecker.

MOTHER'S HANDS / By Fritz Lueller-Partenkirchen
    We had to write an essay about mother's hands. The teacher gave no instructions other than a brief explanatory remark about the work our mothers do. The teacher read us the essay written by the Tobler girl. She had written: "Mother's hands. With one hand, Mother makes butter. With the other, she mends Father's barn jacket. With the other, she cooks. With the other, she braids my hair before I go to school."
    "With the other, with the other?" the teacher says, smiling. We grin. "Tobler girl, my goodness, your mother surely isn't a centipede. So many hands. How many, actually?"
    "Two," says the Tobler girl undeterred, "for Father; seven children--two for each of them, too--makes fourteen hands. Kitchen, barn, and field--again, two for each task makes six. Two for the poor folk--that makes another two--and two for the Good Lord when she prays--making twenty-six mother's hands in all."
    We are no longer grinning. The smile has faded from the teacher's face.
    "Tobler girl," he says in dead earnest, "if that is the case, then the Good Lord will surely have two hands for your mother one day, too. And you have turned in the best essay…"

MOTHER
BY KURT BALM
   
Often at night, as if in a dream,
I hear soft, soft footsteps coming from afar--
And a movement as if on tiptoe,
And a wondrously gentle gliding,
Soft, the way mothers walk,
Mothers who tend to the sick.
Often, since my childhood days,
That sound has won my heart--
That wondrous, tender tone
That dwells in distant footsteps:
Scarcely has the ear perceived it
When the heart finds peace once more,
Knowing: now those hands must come;
And the hands sink down to rest,
To soothe, to calm…
   
It was a wondrous thing to be ill,
And I almost loved the pain
For the sake of hands like those--
Later, often, in anxious hours,
When--shy and gripped by fear--
I bore my pain and wounds of the soul,
I heard that distant approach,
That tread as if on tiptoe,
That wondrous, gentle gliding--
Soft as the nurses walk,
Nurses who tend the sick,
To soothe, to calm…
And those moments turned to sacred peace,
And I blessed my wounds
For the sake of hands like those--

THE MEANING OF MOTHER / By F. [illegible]
    In a small Westphalian churchyard stands a simply hewn gravestone, bearing as its only ornament the image of a sickle. The name of the woman resting there--who found her peace a century ago--is scarcely legible anymore. Yet her deed remains unforgotten among the villagers; and if one were to ask one of the old men--sitting peacefully on the bench outside a house, savoring a mild, sunny day--who it is that sleeps eternally beneath that stone, the answer would be:
    "A mother." And one would hear this story: In a time when people--brutalized in body and soul by the hardships of a long war--roamed the woods like wild beasts, and a man's life was often extinguished merely for the sake of the clothes on his back, the son of a good mother fell into bad company. He was soon persuaded by his cronies to act as a lookout during their raids. Their vile activities struck fear and terror into the entire region, and no one dared to till their fields unarmed. Eventually, however, a few courageous men succeeded in locating the gang's forest hideout and, in a single night, rooting out the entire nest of bandits.
    Judgment was swiftly passed, for a multitude of heinous crimes testified clearly against the prisoners. Yet, just as they were to be handed over to the executioner at sunrise, a pale, gaunt woman--the wretched mother of that led-astray boy--pushed through the waiting crowd and knelt before the judge, begging for mercy for her son. The judge replied: "O mother, just as you are unable to mow the great village common before the sun goes down, so too are you unable to save your son's life from a shameful end." A flush of red swept across the woman's pale brow; she raised her humbly downcast gaze and looked the judge straight in the face. Trembling with anticipation, she asked: "And--what if I could do it after all?"
    The judge replied: "Then I shall keep my word, and your son shall be free."
    The mother hurried away at once, and soon the first swaths of grass fell beneath her feverishly working hands.
    Noon arrived; the sun stood high and burned fiercely. Yet the mother did not pause to rest for a single moment, for half the meadow still remained to be mown. Her hands were long since raw and her throat parched, while the heat pricked her bent back like a thousand glowing needles. Yet, time and again, her tormented body obeyed the relentless will that drove it forward, step by step.
    As the shadows lengthened and the sun began to sink behind distant hills, only a narrow strip remained before the boundary. The woman sank to her knees, yet she did not pause for a moment. Half-blinded by sweat and tears, she labored along the field's edge, while the sickle in her hand never ceased its work of cutting through the grass. And at the very moment the last ray of light vanished behind the hills--as twilight began to spread its gray bat-wings across the land--the final step was taken; not a single blade of grass remained standing.
    Then the judge hurried forward--deeply moved and shaken by a mother's sacrificial spirit, having watched with growing anxiety for hours as she accomplished the seemingly impossible--intending to announce her son's freedom. But it was a dying woman he caught in his arms; with that final stroke of the sickle, her brave heart had ceased to beat.

Mother, by Marie Sieverling
   
I loved you as a mother and followed you faithfully on every path
When I was a child.
I loved you and met you halfway in many things
For many years thereafter,
When I began to sense my own self and follow my own way.
I loved you and recognized you as a human being--
Late, when I had matured enough in life to do so.
Now the crimson-woven bond entwines us--
The bond that passed your blood into mine, and mine into my child--
Rising from a dark beginning toward the clarity of the eternal mother.


Entertainment
Brought to Life
   
ON COSMIC RAYS / By Erwin Maisch
    Since their discovery around the turn of the century, cosmic rays have remained one of the most interesting phenomena in modern physics. The last doubts regarding their existence were not dispelled until 1925. Research into these rays has presented--and continues to present--a host of experimental difficulties and many mysteries. Only today have we reached the point where we can say, in general terms, what cosmic rays actually are. This marks a notable difference compared to X-rays or gamma rays. Regarding the nature of gamma rays, it is well established that they have even shorter wavelengths than X-rays; they possess higher energy, greater hardness, and superior penetrating power. They originate from the decay of radioactive substances. The origin of cosmic rays, however, remains an unsolved problem to this day. Nevertheless, there are a number of interesting hypotheses addressing their source. Here, we discuss the nature and origin of cosmic rays and some of their effects, and we mention a very bold evolutionary hypothesis based on cosmic radiation.
    The atmospheric layer closest to the ground--the so-called troposphere, a blanket of air approximately 11 kilometers thick that nonetheless contains 95% of the total atmospheric mass--plays a decisive role in the attenuation and transformation of cosmic rays as they pass through the atmosphere. What is measured as cosmic radiation at ground level is a complex mixture of rays. This necessitates either shielding against external and interfering influences or accounting for them. Consequently, measurements are often conducted on mountains or by means of sounding balloons. Certain ascents by Regener (reaching altitudes of up to 31 km) revealed a strong influence from geomagnetic disturbances. A number of measurements have also been taken by submerging instruments to depths of up to 240 meters--for instance, in Lake Constance, the North Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. These measurements made it possible, among other things, to draw conclusions regarding the penetrating power of cosmic rays and their immense energy.
    But what exactly is cosmic radiation?
    Charged particles--electrons and the nuclei of hydrogen and helium atoms--originally possessing immense energy and momentum impossible to replicate artificially, are slowed down by atoms present in the Earth's atmosphere. This process frequently strips shell electrons from those atoms. Collisions between "Radiation A" and atomic nuclei generate extremely short-wavelength--though invisible--"quantities of light," collectively termed "Radiation B." We know from the photoelectric effect--observed when a thin metal foil is irradiated with X-rays--that electrons are ejected from the foil. "Radiation B" produces a similar effect. It undergoes a transformation, resulting in particle formation driven by the "quantities of light" constituting "Radiation B." The result is the creation of "C-particles." In cloud chamber images, these can be observed as electron pairs (electrons and positrons) and as entire showers--bunches of electrons. A process then unfolds involving the "C-particles" that resembles one with which we are already familiar: high-speed electrons generate X-rays through the so-called braking effect. In this instance, "Radiation D"--a short-wavelength and still invisible form of "light radiation"--emerges from the "C-particles" as "Bremsstrahlung" (braking radiation). In terms of magnitude, the hardness and wavelength of "Radiation D" are comparable to those of gamma rays. While "Radiation D" is strongly absorbed by the atmosphere, it simultaneously causes the ejection of electrons from atmospheric atoms, thereby generating a large number of electrons. The final product of cosmic radiation consists of charged particles known as "Radiation E." This explanation also leads to the conclusion that there is a significant accumulation of free electrons in the very high layers of our atmosphere.
   
[illustration of atom split into charged particles with caption "Here, a transition takes place--alternating back and forth--between particle radiation and quantities of light, similar to the processes of the photoelectric effect."]
   
    The overall picture that has emerged--though not yet rigorously proven scientifically--thanks to the work of Geiger, Fuenfer, and Clay, is characterized by an interplay between ultra-high-energy particles and "quanta of light." This is a phenomenon we already recognize from much lower-energy radiation (such as X-rays and gamma rays) in the form of the photoelectric effect or "braking radiation" (Bremsstrahlung). However, in considering this simplified model, one must not overlook the fact that the immense energies involved in these transformations have no parallel elsewhere in physics, and that cosmic rays possess a truly extraordinary penetrating power. Consequently, their origin or source is a matter of particular interest.

WHAT DO THE CHINESE EAT?
    Pork in every conceivable form, but never beef; the Chinese harbor the same prejudice against this type of meat that we do against horsemeat. Potatoes are absent from the diet, replaced by an abundance of rice. Chickens, geese, and ducks are just as popular there as they are here, and there is no shortage of crayfish, terrapins, oysters, shellfish, and a wide variety of fish. Sweets are particularly popular, though certainly not to our taste.

[illustration of Table Rock and hills and P.W. looking at them through barbed wire]
OREGON: A Land in the American West
    We have been living in the state of Oregon for nearly a year--some of us even longer. Naturally, we did not come here of our own volition. Yet, since this is now a fact, nothing should prevent us from taking an interest in how this land is cultivated, what it looks like, which rivers flow through it, and what produce its soil yields. After all, one day we will return to Germany. It is quite possible that someone might happen to ask us what kind of area we lived in, what kind of pressure it exerted upon us, and what we can tell them about it. A blank shake of the head might well be interpreted negatively--negatively for us, for if one finds oneself out in the world, one ought to take a look around. And so, we gave it a try. Not in the literal sense of the word--which would have required personally roaming the mountains and valleys and would have been brought to an abrupt end by the MPs. and the police--but rather by working through an official report, attempting to strip away the musty style of statistical presentation and replace it with a more engaging, narrative tone.
    Oregon is situated in the northwestern United States. It is bordered to the north by the state of Washington, to the east by Idaho, and to the south by California and Nevada. Its western boundary is the Pacific Ocean, which lends the entire coastal region the characteristic features of a blessed land within the temperate zone. However, the advantages of the temperate zone are not evident everywhere in Oregon to the same degree as they are along the ocean estuaries. Divided by the Cascade Range, the landscape shifts between fertile areas--where conditions are ideal for fruit growing and favorable for grain cultivation--and the vast tracts of the southeastern region, whose near-desert-like character presents a striking contrast. But let us not forget that it is a vast country--96,987 square miles--and that, across such an expanse, nature inevitably manifests itself in diverse forms.
   
[illustration of log truck on highway with Mount McLoughlin in background]
   
    The climate in the coastal region is exceptionally healthy. Neither bitterly cold nor excessively hot, it makes for a pleasant and refreshing stay almost year-round. The situation is different, however, in the interior. We need look no further than our own surroundings--the edge of the desert, hot summers, and wet, rainy winters--to characterize the climate in and around Camp White.
    The river, which is scenically stunning and frequently reminded us of the Rhine during our journey here, is the Columbia River. It is the largest and most significant river in the state of Oregon, boasting an impressive width of 14 miles at its mouth. A notable feature along its course is a massive power plant located near Bonneville--42 miles east of the port city of Portland--known as the Bonneville Dam. The river is also a vital transport artery for all produce from the "Inland Empire," a region encompassing parts of Eastern Oregon, Western Washington, and Northern Idaho. The state's most important and highest peaks are part of the aforementioned Cascade Range, which features elevations reaching up to 12,000 feet. The highest peak is Mount Hood, at 11,253 feet. "Our" mountain, Mount Pitt, was not mentioned in the report we used as a reference. That is a pity, really, as we would have liked to know its exact height. So, we are left to keep guessing--or arguing--about it. It certainly isn't higher than 12,000 feet. Oregon's population of 1,100,000 is primarily engaged in the timber industry and agriculture. The state is abundantly rich in timber (especially walnut [sic]). It is said that the forests contain trees exceeding 300 feet in height. Fruit plays a significant role in the agricultural sector; Medford is famous for its pears, and Ashland for its premium peaches--a harvest in which, as is well known, many members of this camp helped out last autumn. Agricultural production also includes hops, oats, and potatoes. Another important fruit-processing hub is Salem, the capital of Oregon; it is home to numerous canneries that--for the sake of convenience--established themselves in the immediate vicinity of the fruit-growing regions.
    Excellent salmon comes from Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River--a region that lays claim to being one of the world's major salmon-fishing grounds. Oregon is also rich in mineral resources, most of which remain untapped. Among the most valuable are gold and silver. Annual gold production averaged two million dollars. To the best of our knowledge, however, the small mines were forced to close for the duration of the war. Anyone who has had the opportunity to meet locals from the Medford area has surely encountered an old prospector waxing lyrical about his claim in the surrounding mountains and swearing that there is nothing better than being a gold prospector--a sentiment we could neither dispute nor confirm.--Werner Baecker.
[illustration of a man on his hands and knees looking for gold]

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
WHITSUN 1945
    We have learned to attach little importance to the holidays that once meant so much to us. In times when decisions are being made that will stamp the coming years with a face of either good or evil, it matters little how one spends a holiday like Whitsun. There may be a brief moment of reflection and a hope--flaring up again and again--that fate cannot be quite so relentless in the harshness of its blows. Yet, one should not expect miracles; human understanding and the capacity for forgiveness wither away during bitter years of war. We stand at the end of a hard and arduous road, unable as yet to even survey the new path that lies ahead, drenched in tears. Hopeless? No; for it lies in our hands and our will to find a way that leads us to a happier future. It cannot be denied that this will not be easy.--w.b.

New Paintings in the Recreation Room
    We wish to inform our readers that, as of yesterday, new paintings by artists working here are on display in the recreation room. The artists participating in the exhibition are Georg Fr. Sorg, Hans Adamo, Peter Hofmann, and Heinz Weimar.

Blooming Flowers
    The effort has paid off. The first signs of the anticipated floral splendor are visible. The rose bushes at the camp entrance are heavy with buds; they may well be in full bloom by the time this newspaper goes to press. But flowers have been planted not only at the camp entrance; thanks to the voluntary efforts of night-shift workers and similar idealists, almost all companies have small gardens in their areas--some laid out with great love and tended with the utmost care. Autumn at Camp White promises to be colorful--provided we are still here to experience late summer and autumn…

EVERYTHING IN DISARRAY--ON THE DOUBLE!
The Big Move
    Rumors had been circulating through the camp for days; something was clearly afoot. The main topic? Gas masks. At first, no one believed it; then a few did, and finally everyone--for everyone was affected to some degree. The 2nd Company was turned upside down. There was hours of back-and-forth involving duffel bags, kit bags, and bedding. Only slowly did the "moving frenzy" subside. People grew accustomed to new neighbors and unfamiliar faces at the mess hall tables. Clerks churned out new lists, busy trying to accommodate the many requests for specific bunkmates. But just as everything eventually comes to an end, the talk about the move died down. The whole affair was merely one of life's minor inconveniences--of which one had learned to shoulder quite a few.
[illustration of ghost with gas mask and whip supervising people moving boxes]

HOW OUR SPECIAL EDITION CAME TO BE
    Some readers of our special edition of May 8, 1945, may have wondered at the speed with which we were able to report the latest news. We were six hours ahead of the local newspapers, and fourteen hours ahead of the paper printed in Portland, which always arrives here later. This lead would not have been possible without the kind support of radio station KMED-Medford, which made the original United Press teletype dispatches from London and Paris available to us practically straight off the wire. This made it easy to quickly translate, compile, and review the most important and decisive reports, transfer them to the stencil, and run them through the machine. After four hours, 300 finished copies were ready. [The May 8 edition is transcribed below.] And were it not for the reports regarding the disastrous outcome of the war in Europe, we would have been delighted by the effectiveness of our collaboration with such a small team of helpers.
[illustration of KMED handing news to editor, people mimeographing, collating and distributing newsletter]

ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC ONE MORE TIME TODAY
    The final performance of our camp orchestra's 13th entertainment concert will take place this evening at 8:00, in the mess hall of the 2nd Company for members of the 1st and 2nd companies. A review of the performance can be found in the cultural section of this issue.

(The following post could not be retracted due to technical reasons. We are, of course, aware that the Coca-Cola line is no longer in operation.)

Thoughts on the Coca-Cola Line:
    When the days were recently very hot and the canteen patrons were thirsty, it took quite a bit of patience to get hold of a bottle of Coca-Cola. Not because the sales staff were too slow. They were bustling about, opening bottles, taking the money, and still expected to smile. The reason for the long queue was that far too many people wanted to buy the dark beverage by the bucketful. We are now taking the liberty of making the well-intentioned suggestion that on exceptionally hot days, we will only sell one bottle of Coca-Cola at a time during the first hour after the cafeteria opens. Anyone who is thirstier won't think anything of rejoining the queue immediately or coming back after an hour, because then we'll even forgive them if they buy 20 bottles. This way, their thirst won't get on the nerves of those at the very back of the line, who are happy to be able to pour at least one bottle for 5 cents.

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES
   
    Fritz has a little sister. Beaming, he runs around the apartment and calls out, "I have to tell Mommy right away!"
   
    When Paulchen watches his little sister being powdered by the nurse, he says, "Oh, how nicely the baby is being drilled."

A WORD FROM THEODOR FONTANE:
    God, what is happiness? A bowl of semolina soup, a place to sleep, and no physical pain. That's already a lot.

A PEARL OF GERMAN ARCHITECTURE
IN OPPENHEIM ON THE RHINE
   
The Rose of St. Catherine's
   
Pentecost Memory by Georg fr. Sorg
    Of all the impressions I have retained throughout my life, the experience of a Pentecost Saturday remains most vividly in my memory. I was on my way home for the Pentecost weekend and had to wait involuntarily for about 15 minutes just before Oppenheim station to let an oncoming express train pass. I used the break to admire the landscape before me. The sight was so unforgettable that I can still describe it perfectly today:
    From the center of town rises St. Catherine's Church in unparalleled beauty. Behind the church, partially hidden, the ruins of Landskrone Castle rise to about half the height of the tower. The church itself stands proud and dignified like a queen. It deserves the name, for it is the queen of the Rhenish churches. In its style, it is reminiscent of Strasbourg, where the magnificent cathedral was being built at the same time. Back then, Master Erwin von Steinbach realized his ingenious dream. Many years have passed. Yet the proud creations of that era still stand as witnesses to the architectural artistry of the time on the Rhine. The architect of St. Catherine's Church is unknown. But many stories surround the building's creation, one of which just came to mind:
    A young artist had been commissioned by his master builder to install a rose window at the top of the church's high nave. (In Gothic windows, the term "rose" refers to a piece of tracery--specifically, a circle situated within the pointed arch that is subdivided into numerous sections by ribs radiating diagonally from the center. It is this circle that is known in architecture as a "rose.") Yet the master builder could not have foreseen that this rose window would become the church's most consummate work of art. The young artist created a masterpiece; carved as if from a single stone, a rose emerged that would one day delight future generations. As the youth turned around on the final day of work--so the legend goes--he felt the hot breath of his master, who had come to inspect his apprentice's handiwork. He instantly realized that what the young man had created far surpassed his own skill. A deep, irrational jealousy--intensified by too many cups of fine wine--suddenly seized him. The thought that future centuries would regard only the young man, and not him, as the work's master drove him into a frenzy. He grappled with the youth--a desperate struggle and scuffle ensued--and then the creator of the Oppenheim Rose fell from the scaffolding to the depths below. The old man gazed after the falling artist, horrified and shaken. Yet above and behind him stood the young man's creation--art destined to outlast the centuries, regardless of the heinous deed the old master had committed:
   
[elaborate illustration of rose window with corpse on floor]
   
    And so the Rose of Oppenheim stands before us--magnificent, admirable, and unique--seeming to say: "I was created by a hand that would fashion no other rose. I am the one and only; I am the creation known as the Rose of St. Catherine's in Oppenheim on the Rhine."
    A glance sweeps through the train; my train of thought is broken, and the present moment reclaims me. The train rolls into the station. Festive crowds in summer attire fill the platforms and the squares outside. It is Whitsun, and the world rejoices in secret. Today, I find myself thinking of this again, hoping and wishing that the day is not too far off when I--and all of us--can once more venture out into our Whitsunday; a day we can imagine spending nowhere better than amidst the nature of our homeland and in the quiet corners of our towns and villages.

Happy Hours with Heinrich Spoerl
    In these tense times, escaping into a more cheerful world is not merely advisable--it is essential. Among the lighthearted books in our camp library, the works of author Heinrich Spoerl are particularly delightful. They have the power to bring a burst of joyful laughter to even the bleakest moments. His humor is wonderfully simple. He lets ordinary people speak and allows natural, everyday events to unfold, all while keeping both feet firmly on the ground. His storytelling captivates us so immediately because we rarely encounter the harmless incidents he describes; we often lack the imagination to picture ourselves in such authentic, relatable situations. Yet, when you open the book, switch on the lamp, and drift toward sleep, the images come alive again--scenes and encounters that are always worth hoping and waiting for. Simply inspiring such wishes is a great merit of Spoerl's writings; our readers will not regret getting to know them.
    Available titles include: "Man kann ruhig darüber sprechen," "Der Gasmann," "Die Feuerzangenbowle," and "Das andere Ich" (screenplay for the Tobis film of the same name).--w.b.

EVENING MUSIC
13th Light Music Concert by the Camp Orchestra
    The camp orchestra, under the direction of Karl Stueker, deserves special praise for its 13th light music concert, which was both excellently curated and performed. We were treated to a selection of music far beyond what one typically expects from a prisoner-of-war orchestra. Because the conductor understands the limits of his musicians' capabilities, he avoids the pitfall of trying to impress the audience merely through the daring choice of repertoire while failing to satisfy their appreciation for good music. The progress made was clearly audible even in the "Caliph of Baghdad" overture. The disciplined strings and the now better-balanced wind instruments no longer clashed. The ensemble playing was excellent, and the acoustic effect--helped by the fact that the hall was not overcrowded during the first performance on May 16--could not have been better. There was not a single performance that called for anything but praise, barring the minor rough edges inherent in the Viennese operetta revue format.
The audience was impressed and generous with its genuine applause.--Werner Baecker.

A REASON TO SMILE
   
A Valid Reason
    "Has your sister gotten married yet?" – "No, she wants to wait a while longer."
    "But she's old enough--what is she waiting for?"
    "A man."
   
Mitigating Circumstances
    "I wasn't drunk," the defendant protested, "just heavily tipsy."
    "Fine," said the judge, "in light of that, I am not sentencing you to two weeks in prison, but to fourteen days."
   
Divided Opinion
    They were sitting on a bench. He tried to put his arm around her, but she shifted away.
    Then he said, "How wonderful it is to sit out in the countryside with someone you love."
    Marianne agreed: "Yes, that could be delightful."

Films We Saw…
   
WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME.--A cheerful parade of popular performers (Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and Gloria Jean) gathered around a soldier (Allen Jones) hungry for leave. He sought to escape into private life and enjoy his time off, only to face the usual complications caused by the police and women--complications that, naturally, resolved themselves happily at just the right moment. Spitalny and his all-girl orchestra provided the musical backdrop, while the "Four Step Brothers" dance quartet contributed dance numbers. Together, these elements made for a lighthearted, harmless, and thoroughly enjoyable film.

BACHELOR MOTHER.--A heartwarming story about a foundling baby. Although the infant's true parents remain unknown, the child ends up with not only a suitable couple (Ginger Rogers and David Niven) but also a delightful grandfather--a man so overjoyed by the baby that he overlooks even the most glaring flaws in this whimsical tale. The film was a great pleasure to watch.

VIVACIOUS LADY.--Love at first sight may be wonderful for those involved. But woe betide the couple if "his" father happens to be a university president and "she" is a nightclub performer. Such a union can only be achieved through the intervention of understanding mothers. In this case, the good lady worked her magic through the use of liquor and fainting spells. Highlights included a flight back home and a reunion on the express train. A happy ending was never in doubt. It starred Ginger Rogers, James Stewart, and James Ellison.

THE SPOILERS.--It was an exciting affair involving gold prospectors and people with shady pasts. Gunshots and falling bodies followed in rapid succession. Amidst all the tumult were Marlene Dietrich and her million-dollar legs, tasked with occasionally easing the tension and diverting attention elsewhere--a mission they successfully accomplished.

THE AMAZING MRS. HOLLIDAY.--This time, it was not the usual Deanna Durbin in beautiful gowns, surrounded by sweeping music; instead, she appeared as a young girl in the Chinese war zone, tasked with bringing a group of small children to the USA. Events during the journey and after their arrival force her into a deception that casts her as a wife--and even saddles her with "grandmotherly" duties toward the man she loves and--naturally--eventually marries.

ELEPHANT BOY.--A film based on Rudyard Kipling's book "Toomai of the Elephants." The production featured unique footage from the Indian jungle while telling the story of the boy Sabu and his elephant. The film was a major success in Germany as well.--Werner Baecker.
   
(Completed on May 13, 1945.)

OUR SPORTS
   
SPORTS REVIEW
    Transfers between companies have given our sporting contests a new look. The relative strength of the teams has shifted; many sporting matchups have taken on a new character, thereby generating greater interest. The upcoming match days will surely bring exciting contests, to the delight of the consistently large crowds of spectators.
    In the meantime, there have been some changes in the camp sports leadership. Eugen Beier (7th Company) has become the Camp Sports Officer, and new men have also taken up roles in the 1st, 2nd, and 5th companies.
    The names of the current Company Sports Officers are:
    The outgoing Camp Sports Officer, Erich Becker, and the former Sports Officer for the 5th Company, Hellmuth Dasbach, both served in their posts for eight months.

OUR SPORTS IN APRIL: BY THE NUMBERS.
    In April, the companies fielded the following numbers of teams and players:

	Football Teams	Handball Teams	Total Teams	Total
7th Company	24	5	29	319 games
2nd Company	22	7	29	319 games
1st Company	17	7	24	264 games
3rd Company	22	3	23	253 games
5th Company	15	6	21	231 games
Total	98	28	126	1386 games

    Compared to our sports activities in March, this represents an increase of just under 19%. Sixty-three referees were required to officiate all these matches.

SPORTING CONTESTS OF YEARS PAST. / By Erich Becker.
    1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.
    Spectators have been crowding the stone structure of the Olympic Stadium for hours. The final day of the Games is slowly drawing to a close. Just moments ago, the thousands in attendance witnessed the thrilling final of the 300-meter race, in which the German Hans Braun--amidst the cheers of his compatriots--secured second place against four Americans and a Swede.
    The high jumpers' sinewy bodies are still soaring over the bar, but a decision will soon be reached there as well; then, all eyes will turn to the final event of the Olympic Games: the marathon.
    They started over two hours ago, far outside the gates of the Swedish capital. Now, they are racing through sun-drenched streets toward the finish line--the stadium.Flags representing South Africa, Canada, and Ireland signal that three runners--the elite of their respective nations--make up the leading pack. They are driven by a fierce will to win, tough and tenacious, much like that young Greek of antiquity who ran the 42,134 meters from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of the victory over the Persians, only to collapse and die upon arrival with the cry: "We have won!"
    The vast oval of the Olympic arena now lies in hushed anticipation. Expectant gazes turn toward the great Marathon Gate through which the runners must pass. Suddenly, a fanfare heralds the approach of the leaders, and a slender, sinewy runner turns into the arena. The immense strain is evident; his steps are weary, yet he still has 250 meters to cover before Olympic victory is within his grasp. There is no sign of the following runners yet; they appear to have fallen somewhat behind during the final stretch of the course. But suddenly, a murmur of alarm ripples through the crowd; all eyes are fixed on the South African, who takes a few more feeble steps before silently collapsing. Spectators leap from their seats, shouting his name; his few compatriots on the track rush toward him--and then, at last, after long, agonizing seconds, he struggles to his feet and staggers onward. Thirty, forty, sixty, eighty meters--then he falters again and falls face-first to the ground.
    At that very moment, however, the next runner appeared in the great marathon archway. Tension mounted, and the South African's teammates could no longer contain themselves. They rushed toward him and lifted him up; as he then staggered toward the finish line, summoning his last reserves of strength, they ran alongside him--cheering him on and calling his name over and over. When he finally broke the finish tape with his chest and collapsed completely, a roar of jubilation erupted that seemed to know no end. Everyone rejoiced in the victory of this likable South African, who had demonstrated such extraordinary energy and effort. And while the second, third, and fourth runners crossed the finish line--and the remaining participants of this colossal race, who had fallen further behind, gradually entered the stadium--the winner was carried to his dressing room to be attended to by a doctor.
    Meanwhile, however, the race officials had to rule that the South African was disqualified for "unauthorized assistance from third parties" and consequently had to be struck from the list of winners. The Olympic laurel--the highest trophy--thus went to the Canadian who had crossed the finish line in second place. He also received the gold cup that the King of Sweden had donated for the winner. Yet, upon hearing of the officials' necessary ruling, an anonymous donor commissioned a second gold cup of identical design to be presented to the brave South African.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…
    Dangerous play in football: When a player is dribbling or receiving the ball, an opponent is permitted to pressure them using their body. However, this is only allowed if the player keeps their arms close to their body and does not use a straightened leg.
Pushing or striking from behind is always unfair and prohibited. Likewise, the so-called "scissor kick" is not permitted when near an opponent. Lunging for the ball with a leg raised too high (above the opponent's hip level) is also dangerous and therefore forbidden.
    Shielding the ball from an opponent is only permitted if the ball is being played back toward one's own goal or if the ball is moving toward the goal line or touchline while in the immediate vicinity of that line.
    The referee must penalize any violation of these rules with a penalty kick.
    Who were the national football champions in European countries in 1944?

OUTLOOK
   
SITUATION REPORT / By Werner Baecker
    Following the formal armistice in Germany, the Allies are beginning to organize the forces that will administer the Reich in the future. It is unlikely that Grand Admiral Dönitz will retain his position as head of a German government. Moscow has emphatically demanded his removal and prosecution, and the British Foreign Office stated on May 14 that Britain has no intention of recognizing the Grand Admiral as the representative of a legitimate German government. Washington had not yet commented on this matter as of May 15. However, since crucial issues can only be resolved through the full agreement of all the major powers (the USA, Britain, and Russia), it is to be expected that the USA will align itself with the views of its allies; consequently, a post-war German government will not exist for the time being.
    The division of the Reich into various occupation zones has not yet been finalized. As far as is known, Russia is demanding all territories east of the Elbe, though excluding Hamburg and any access to the North Sea. America will take over southern Germany and likely a portion of Austria. We say "likely" because, in the meantime, the Russian-backed Viennese government under Chancellor Dr. Karl Renner has declared Austria's independence and asked London and Washington to accept the established facts and give their approval. The Western powers did not respond immediately. Britain will occupy central and northern Germany, and French participation in the administration of the Rhineland is to be expected. Berlin is slated to be governed under four-power control. Once all details have been settled with Russian military authorities, an American troop contingent will participate in the occupation of Berlin.
    Unrest and uncertainty are reflected in all current events. The Allies' primary objective at this stage is the capture of the responsible National Socialist leaders. Reich Marshal Hermann Göring was captured by troops of the U.S. 7th Army near Kitzbühel on May 9. At a press conference with Allied correspondents in Augsburg, he stated that he had last seen the Führer in Berlin on April 22. In his opinion, Adolf Hitler had fallen on April 27 or 28. As of May 15, "Reichsführer-SS" Heinrich Himmler was still being sought by the occupation authorities. The commander of the "Leibstandarte," SS General Sepp Dietrich, surrendered to American units in the Alpine region; Russia demanded his immediate extradition in strong terms.
    The Flensburg radio station--which served as the official mouthpiece for Grand Admiral Dönitz until May 15--repeatedly appealed to the German people to walk the arduous path lying ahead of us with unity and discipline.
    Regarding the current state of the press and radio in Germany, Elmer Davis, Director of the U.S. Office of War Information, stated that there would be no American newspapers or magazines in Germany for an indefinite period. The plan was merely to publish a few German-language newspapers, controlled and censored by the occupation authorities. German radio broadcasting would also be subject to strict supervision; no independent German broadcasts were planned for the time being. Our commentary refrains from adding any personal views to the summary presented here; doing so would be premature and therefore incorrect. We need time to grasp the full extent of the transformation our lives are undergoing. The powers that brought about the end of the war in this manner have a plan of their own. It remains to be seen whether, within this context and its associated circumstances, we can still find a path of our own--one that offers the hope of rebuilding our homeland with the aim of creating something akin to a happy future, even for the German people of the twentieth century. (Completed on May 15, 1945.)

GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN THE SOVIET UNION
    Since virtually nothing was known about the fate of German prisoners of war in the Soviet Union due to strict censorship by official Moscow authorities, we are presenting today an excerpt from an article by Edgar Snow that appeared a few weeks ago in the Saturday Evening Post.--The Editors.
    Edgar Snow has had the opportunity to personally visit a number of prisoner-of-war camps. He reports that, in addition to their work rebuilding devastated areas, German soldiers are also the subjects of an attempt at "psychological rehabilitation." This means that specially trained personnel--including many German Communists--provide them with instruction on matters related to Bolshevik doctrine. Snow reports that, at the beginning of this year, approximately 1,500,000 German prisoners of war in the Soviet Union were involved in this "reconstruction process." In Siberia, entire industries are operated by German soldiers. German factory workers receive the same bread ration as Russian workers. Prisoners of war generally receive 400 grams of bread a day, but a man who proves his worth may, under certain circumstances, receive three times that amount.

HERBERT HOOVER ON FEEDING EUROPE
    Former U.S. President Herbert Hoover called for the immediate delivery of large quantities of food for Europe's starving population during a meeting in New York. Hoover based his demand on firsthand information obtained by New York Archbishop Spellman during a recent tour of war-torn European countries.

IN BRIEF--
    General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lt. General Lucius D. Clay have been tasked with
taking over the American military government in the parts of Germany occupied by the U.S. General Eisenhower is also a member of the Allied Control Council for the entire territory of the Reich, on which--in addition to America--Britain, Russia, and France are represented.
    Washington has officially rejected the claims made by Yugoslav Marshal Tito regarding the Italian port of Trieste and the surrounding area. British naval units, under the protection of American bomber formations, have anchored in the waters of Trieste harbor to oversee the unloading of supplies destined for American troops in Austria. As of May 16, Tito's troops remained in the city despite repeated protests from Rome, London, and Washington.
    Before returning to London from the security conference in San Francisco, British Foreign Secretary Eden stated that a solution to the Polish question satisfactory to all parties could not be expected until after a further conference involving President Truman, Prime Minister Churchill, and Marshal Stalin. As is known, the democratization of the current communist Polish government in Lublin--agreed upon at the Yalta Conference--has not yet taken place.
    According to the latest reports received, British troops have occupied Flensburg, thereby assuming control over the government of Grand Admiral Dönitz. On May 16, Churchill stated in the House of Commons that it was not the Allies' intention "to shoulder the burdens of German administration." The Germans should administer themselves, although this did not rule out the need for an extensive Allied control organization to serve as the supreme authority within the Reich.

FULL-SCALE EFFORT AGAINST JAPAN
President Truman on the Question of Repatriating Prisoners of War to Europe
    The transfer of the bulk of American forces from Europe to the Pacific theater of operations has already begun. According to the U.S. War Department, the plan is to transport 300,000 men across the Atlantic each month. Many troops are being sent directly to the new theater of operations via the Panama Canal. Other units will only be available for deployment again after a 30-day leave. In this context, a plan emerged to send prisoners of war currently in the United States back overseas on the ships returning to Europe. Since President Truman himself voiced this view at a press conference, it cannot be dismissed as a premature or unfounded rumor.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE EDITORS:
    Mother's Day Submissions.--Our request in the last issue for poems and short stories for Mother's Day did not go unanswered. We received more material than we could use; we thank the readers concerned for their support. All submissions have since been returned.
    Outlook.--With today's issue, we have expanded our newspaper by adding a new section for the first time. Under the heading "Outlook," we will henceforth present significant political events that directly concern us and the future of our homeland. We believe we owe it to our readers to help clarify the nature of these events.
    Typographical Errors.--We regret that even we are not immune to the "typo gremlin." He wreaked particular havoc in the issue of April 2nd. The poem by Lenau suffered badly. In the second stanza, the word should have been "Elend" (misery). Furthermore, any doubts regarding Mr. Lenau's grasp of grammar are unfounded, for he wrote in his poem: "Ist mir noch werter aus des Unglücks Hand" (Is dearer to me still, from the hand of misfortune). We, however, wrote "den Unglücks Hand" and thus take full blame upon ourselves. The joke titled "Complaint at the Table" ceased to be a joke at all. It was supposed to read: "The beef seems to be quite old," thereby linking the head waiter to his proprietor. Upon reading this nonsense, we called ourselves "cattle" (blockheads)--hoping thereby to take the wind out of the sails of those readers who might otherwise have been all too eager to condemn us for our blunders.
    June Issues.--Our issues for the month of June will likely be distributed on June 4th and 18th. We are looking for: A typewriter specialist willing to stop by after 6 p.m. to check our machine, which has picked up so many bad habits over time that typing on it is no longer a pleasure.

Publisher: German Camp Spokesman. Responsible for content: Werner Baecker. Staff: Erich Bocker/Hans Büttner. Layout: Erwin Lange. Heimat is published twice a month. Circulation: 150 copies. Submission point for contributions and correspondence: Camp library and editorial office. Illustrations provided by: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, Heinz Polter. Passed by U.S. Army Examiner #23533.



Heimat May 8, 1945 Special Edition

GERMANY'S GRAVE HOUR
   
FOREIGN MINISTER ANNOUNCES UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER / ADOLF HITLER FELL ON MAY 1ST / PRESIDENT TRUMAN CONFIRMS CEASEFIRE / FIGHTING ENDS AT MIDNIGHT
    The world-historical significance of current events compels us to provide our readers with an overview of the situation through a brief summary of the most important reports:

REICH FOREIGN MINISTER COUNT SCHWERIN VON KROSIGK
TO THE GERMAN PEOPLE:
    Reich Foreign Minister Count Schwerin von Krosigk announced the unconditional surrender of the German Armed Forces on May 7, 1945, in the following statement broadcast via German radio:
    "German men and women. Today, on the orders of Grand Admiral Dönitz, the High Command of the Armed Forces has declared the unconditional surrender of all fighting German troops. As the leading minister of the Reich government, I address the German nation at this tragic moment in our history. After a heroic struggle of nearly six years of unparalleled severity, Germany has succumbed to the overwhelming might of its enemies. Continuing this war would mean senseless bloodshed and total disintegration. The government is mindful of its responsibility for the nation's future. It was compelled to act in light of the collapse of all armed and material forces and to call upon the adversary to cease hostilities."
    So stated the radio address by Reich Foreign Minister Count Schwerin von Krosigk, who had been appointed to his office by Grand Admiral Dönitz just a few days earlier as the successor to Ribbentrop.

ADOLF HITLER FALLEN / GRAND ADMIRAL DÖNITZ TAKES OVER THE GOVERNMENT
    Reichssender Hamburg broadcast the following announcement on May 1, 1945:
    "It is reported from the Führer's Headquarters that our Führer, Adolf Hitler, fell today at his command post in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. He fought against Bolshevism until his last breath."
    Following the statement regarding the Führer's death, the station announced that Grand Admiral Dönitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, had been designated by Adolf Hitler as his successor on April 30, 1945.

THE FINAL DAYS OF THE WAR IN EUROPE
    The final days of the war in Europe left little doubt that it was Grand Admiral Dönitz's task to initiate negotiations with our adversaries. Surrender was not pursued through diplomatic channels, as the Reich government sought to withdraw as many of our troops as possible from the reach of the Red Army. Thus, the capitulation of German forces in Northern Italy and the "Ostmark" (Austria) was followed by the laying down of arms by the Wehrmacht in Western Holland, Northern Germany, and Denmark. In every instance, negotiations were conducted with representatives of General Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of all Allied forces in Western Europe. As these lines are being written, the results of today's declaration of total capitulation are not yet available. However, it is to be assumed that our troops still stationed in Bohemia and Moravia will be handed over to the advancing American units. Information regarding internal political developments within the Reich remains unclear. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the Reich Marshal, the former Reich Foreign Minister, the Propaganda Minister, or other leading figures of the Party and State.

PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN CONFIRMS:
    The President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, confirmed the report of the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht early this morning at 09:00 Eastern War Time (06:00 Medford time). In Allied countries, May 8, 1945, is Victory Day. We report elsewhere on the message from British Prime Minister Churchill. A statement from Moscow is still awaited. Further details on the "end of the war in Europe" appear on page 3.

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT BY GENERAL EISENHOWER
    Hostilities ended today at 15:01 (Allied time)
    Allied Headquarters announces: All German land, naval, and air forces in Europe surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces on May 7, 1945. The German offer of surrender was also addressed to the Soviet Union. According to official statements from London and Washington, hostilities end on May 8, 1945, at 15:01 (Allied time).
    The declaration regarding the end of the war from Moscow is not expected until after the ratification of the documents by Marshal Zhukov in Berlin (see report elsewhere).

RATIFICATION OF THE ARMISTICE IN BERLIN
    Prime Minister Churchill announced that Germany's unconditional surrender is being ratified and confirmed today in Berlin by the Western Powers and Russia. The following officials are reported to be present: Germany: Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Chief of the Armed Forces High Command (OKW), and the Commanders-in-Chief of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Western Powers: Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur William Tedder, representing General Eisenhower. Russia: Marshal Georgy K. Zhukov, Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Belorussian Army. France: General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, Commander-in-Chief of the 1st French Army.

NEGOTIATIONS ON FRENCH SOIL
    Representatives of four Allied powers and Germany signed the armistice on May 7, 1945, at 02:41 (European time) in Reims, France. On the German side, the delegation was led by General Jodl, Chief of the Operations Staff at the Armed Forces High Command.

GRAND ADMIRAL DÖNITZ PREPARED TO CONTINUE LEADING
    Grand Admiral Dönitz stated in a radio broadcast today that, once Germany is fully occupied, executive authority will be handed over to the occupying powers. He continued: "It lies in their hands (referring to the Allies--Ed.) whether I and the members of the Reich government appointed by me can remain in office. Should it be possible for me to serve my fatherland in any way, I shall remain at my post. The unity between Party and State no longer exists. The Party has ceased its activities."

CHURCHILL'S STATEMENT REGARDING GERMAN TROOP UNITS STILL FIGHTING was as follows:
    "Should German troops who have not yet complied with the German High Command's orders to cease resistance fail to do so, they will--after midnight on May 8, 1945--forfeit the rights to which they are entitled under international laws of war." These German units are forces currently engaged in defensive combat against the Russians in Bohemia and Moravia.

NEW LIFE FROM RUINS / By Werner Baecker
    Yesterday, in the most dramatic proclamation of the war, Reich Foreign Minister Count Schwerin von Krosigk announced via German radio the unconditional surrender of all remaining combat units of the German Wehrmacht. We thus face a reality whose full implications none of us can yet gauge. The war that began on September 1, 1939, at the German-Polish border has come to an unimaginable end. The situation today cannot even be compared to the disastrous outcome of 1918. Back then, the German army returned to an intact homeland; today, we stand amidst the ruins of our cities and villages, over which Americans, the British, and Russians exercise executive authority. Our autonomy in decision-making ceased to exist the moment the words "unconditional surrender" were spoken.
    We have been spared no sacrifice or hardship. The home front, through exemplary [illegible], responded to the needs of all those who had fled. We would be doing a disservice to the memory of the men, women, and children who perished in this war were we to level even the slightest reproach against the home front. The reasons for this collapse must be examined and assessed later--much later. Today, we can only say that the overwhelming might of our enemies in the West and the East was the primary factor that brought about this decisive outcome.
    In this hour, we bow our heads in silent grief. We need time. For in time, all wounds heal--even those that this day has inflicted upon us so mercilessly and without sparing us. From this moment on, it is our duty to focus our thoughts even more intently on our homeland. There--where as yet no one knows what tomorrow will bring--a task awaits us, [illegible].
    [illegible] your fatherland.

Publisher: German Camp Spokesman. Responsible for content: Werner Baecker. Entire content approved by the censors.



Heimat June 15, 1945

[calligraphy: illegible quote from George Christoph Lichtenberg's "Tag und Dämmerung"]

WE MUST…
By Werner Baecker
    As was to be expected, our modest contribution to the attempt to provide an intellectual foundation for the exigencies of the present has raised a number of questions that we must discuss with complete candor. Our readers have a right to know the perspective from which we view our work, the ideas that guide us, and how we intend to strive--to the best of our ability and free from misconceptions--to face facts squarely, without either sugarcoating or exaggerating them. To look toward the future, we had to draw a line under what is already the past. Drawing this line does not necessarily imply a final reckoning. In these times, we all lack the necessary objectivity without which such a weighing of opposing views is simply inconceivable. Yet this does not preclude us from deriving, from the manner in which the war ended, an inescapable duty: At the very least, we must be willing to attempt to find an acceptable path that leaves the German people with hope for a future. For Germany has surrendered unconditionally--not through the representatives of a dubious revolutionary government, but through the recognized envoys of the German leadership. Marshal Keitel knew what he was doing when he sat across from the Soviet marshal and affixed his name to a document that sealed the fate of the German people for an indefinite period. That image leaves us with no illusions. In the sheer magnitude of its implications, it is gradually becoming a source of strength that drives us forward--sustained by the hope, however unformed as yet, of finding a place for the sorely tried German nation. If this type of reporting is labeled irresponsible, worthy of opposition, un-German, or whatever else one might be inclined to impute to us, then we must deeply lament such appalling narrow-mindedness and the complete lack of any sense of reality. We must remind everyone that there exists a responsibility and a sense of duty toward Germany that far transcends the boundaries of political opinion. In the desperate clinging to ingrained notions, we see the danger of enduring chaos--a state of affairs that no German with a sense of responsibility could possibly wish upon his suffering nation. When Grand Admiral Dönitz announced--weeks ago, via the Flensburg special broadcast--his willingness to continue placing his energies at the disposal of the Reich's administration should it be desired, he gave no cause to assume he had overnight become some dubious adventurer. He merely demonstrated that his sense of responsibility for Germany outweighs any concern for his own reputation or fear of criticism from restless fanatics who seek to turn this terrible end into a horror without end. We reject that path--deliberately and unyieldingly. We have fulfilled our duty to our people to the very last moment. We would have cause for shame were we to refuse to do so now, at the start of a still-uncertain chapter of German history. We must be prepared to respect the views of those closest to us, provided they share the same resolve to serve the German people. We must understand that written proposals, suggestions, or opinions should never serve to foist the thoughts expressed therein upon a listening or reading audience without allowing them to decide for themselves whether or not they feel addressed by them. Perhaps this also makes it clear that even the camp newspaper is not driven by the intention of tyrannizing the readers' opinions. Those who do not wish to read us should simply refrain from doing so. The certainty that the vast majority desires information and appreciates suggestions confirms that, from now on, our duties will extend beyond merely writing about the weather.
    We do not believe that the unity of our camp is jeopardized by the discussions that are arising. Today, true unity must be seen simply as the determination to serve the process of German reconstruction with all available strength. Such unity of purpose cannot be achieved if we remain afraid to face the unvarnished truth. Abandoning cherished hopes is not easy, yet it becomes bearable once we realize that there is simply no other way forward.
    Our continued efforts aim solely to rouse and encourage as many people as possible to make a fresh start. We cannot be on the wrong path in this endeavor, for we are not advocating any premature political agenda, but rather a moral obligation--one we define as "German reconstruction." Should we stumble or err in this pursuit, it would be a human failing and thus excusable. What cannot be excused, however, is rejecting these ideas for the sake of rejection alone, or deliberately shutting one's mind to the dictates of reason--dictates that will, sooner or later, tell each of us that the year 1945 demanded something more of us than indifferent resignation. We remain committed to this realization. We may face hostility or even denunciation. We would rather risk being proven wrong--whether for better or worse--someday. After all, as the saying goes, the only people who make no mistakes are those who do nothing at all. And we do not count ourselves among them. When we keep our suffering homeland in mind in all our thoughts, the risk of acting wrongly is minimized. We stand ready because we have recognized the imperative of the hour. We are ready because we must be ready.

OUTLOOK
Situation Report
   
By Werner Baecker
    A) Middle East: Political and military observers across the globe have been unable to fully conceal a sense of oppressive tension in recent weeks. Less than a full month had passed since the end of the war in Europe when fresh bloodshed broke out--this time in Syria. Citizens of the United States heard from their President that he had been monitoring the Franco-Arab crisis with close attention. He protested against France's actions in the Middle East, maintained constant cable communication with Churchill, and ultimately gave his unqualified support to the British policy on Syria. In an ultimatum--drafted, according to reports, in the masterly diplomatic language of the 19th century--the British government compelled a cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of French troops from the fiercely contested flashpoints.
    Reportedly, the French had only five or six battalions at their disposal when hostilities began. Later, employing modern weaponry--including bombers and artillery--the French crushed the uprising. The subsequent looting by French colonial troops and the exercise of French dominance were thwarted by the intervention of British units; these forces politely but firmly advised the French to evacuate the cities and retreat to their barracks if they wished to avoid clashes with British troops. British tanks, rolling demonstratively through the streets of Damascus and being joyfully welcomed by the local population, made the implication clear. The French actions are generally regarded as hasty and ill-advised. France's prestige has suffered a severe blow. De Gaulle's attacks on Britain's policy of interference went unheeded in Allied circles. The Arabs feel their position has been strengthened and are emphatically demanding complete independence from France--a nation that, through its unfortunate role in the Middle East, has now demonstrated to the entire world that it can no longer be counted among the great powers. While it is not yet clear at the current stage of negotiations with the Arab world whether Britain will take over France's legacy in Syria and Lebanon, such an outcome is by no means unlikely.
    B) Allied Control of the Reich: Four weeks after V-E Day, General Eisenhower and Marshal Montgomery traveled to Berlin to meet for the first time--as key members of the Allied Control Council for Germany--with Marshal Zhukov, the Russian representative. The intention was to discuss all outstanding issues regarding joint administration and the final delineation of demarcation lines. To this end, the military leaders from Western Europe arrived equipped with instructions and advisors to facilitate a working conference. Upon their arrival at Tempelhof Airport, Eisenhower, Montgomery, and their entourages--which included many correspondents--were escorted to Berlin-Karlshorst, the location of Zhukov's headquarters. It may have come as a surprise to the Western powers when, in a formal address, the Russian marshal merely announced the Soviet Union's willingness to administer the Reich jointly with the USA, Britain, and France. No further instructions had been received from Moscow. Zhukov stated that specific details could only be determined after American troops had evacuated those areas of Germany that the Soviet Union believed should be occupied by Red Army forces. At the same time, maps of Germany were published in the Russian press showing the Russian occupation zone extending as far as the western border of Thuringia. Last week, various parts of Saxony--including the city of Chemnitz--were handed over to Soviet troops. However, in the Czechoslovak border region, the Americans refused to comply with the Russian demand to evacuate the area. A final resolution regarding the size of the occupation zones is expected at the upcoming conference between Truman, Churchill, and Stalin; according to the latest reports, this meeting will take place in the Berlin area--possibly in Potsdam--before July 15.
    C) The War in the Far East: Japan views the progress of the war in the Far East with concern. The Battle of Okinawa is drawing to a close. Rarely in the current war has a battle for an island been fought with such ferocity. The reason lies in the island's importance as an airbase--a fact well known to the Japanese High Command. The use of suicide pilots inflicted ship losses on the Americans but failed to halt the progressive attrition of Japanese ground forces on the island. The Japanese mounted their final stand in a small area near the coast. Meanwhile, air raids on Japanese cities from distant bases have intensified. Tokyo, Osaka, Amagasaki, Yokohama, and Kobe have been subjected to a barrage of new types of high-explosive and incendiary bombs. According to American reports, 4.5 million people were left homeless in Tokyo alone during a three-month period of attacks. Forty-six percent of the city's built-up area has been completely destroyed--meaning, in other words, the obliteration of all targets designated by the American High Command as vital to the war effort. The Japanese government is striving to implement an effective total mobilization of all resources. The Suzuki government has requested near-dictatorial powers from parliament in order to overcome what it terms a "grave crisis."
    D) Relations between the Western Powers and the Soviet Union: A report on the situation today would be incomplete without touching upon the relationship between the Western powers and the Soviet Union. Much--indeed, far too much--speculation has surrounded this issue, even though a sober assessment of the Russian position on the one hand, and the realism of the Americans and British on the other, clearly dictates that all points of friction must be resolved through negotiation. There are voices in this country that can undoubtedly be described as hostile to Russia. However, none of them are strong or convincing enough to influence the government's current policy, which, as previously stated, seeks friendly relations with Russia. Last week, President Truman stated at a press conference that the mission of his special envoy, Harry Hopkins, to Moscow had proceeded in a thoroughly satisfactory and gratifying manner. He expressed every hope that the issue of Poland's democratization would now be put into practice during the conference currently taking place in Moscow among Polish leaders from across the political spectrum. It remains to be seen to what extent the trial in Moscow of 16 Polish national leaders--accused of alleged subversive activities against the Red Army--will influence the negotiations between the Polish political groups. It is to be expected that serious attempts will be made at the upcoming "Big Three" conference to eliminate the remaining differences between the Western powers and the Soviet Union.
    E) Foundation for World Peace: The World Security Conference in San Francisco is drawing to a close. After overcoming almost all obstacles, the foundation has been laid for a global institution tasked with settling disputes between nations peacefully--or, alternatively, deciding to use force against any nation that rejects the institution's intervention and seeks to achieve its aims through war. The primary difficulty lay in the voting formula; the final arrangement places control chiefly in the hands of five powers: the USA, Britain, Russia, China, and France. These nations thus hold the right to give or withhold unanimous consent regarding any issue arising between two or more smaller nations. Although the smaller nations were initially reluctant to accept this dependency on the major powers, the conference as a whole has ultimately approved the decision, thereby confirming the leading global position of the great powers in 1945.

AMERICAN REPORT FROM BERLIN
    Here is a summary of the key points from an account by American correspondent Eddy Gilmore regarding his impressions of Berlin in mid-June:
    Three million people currently live in the Greater Berlin area. The food supply situation has stabilized, though Russian authorities warn of the coming winter, which could bring major supply problems due to a lack of stockpiles and insufficient transport capacity. Food prices set by the occupation authorities are considered low. The rationing system is divided into categories; heavy laborers and children receive larger allocations than housewives or those performing lighter work. The average worker in Berlin today earns around 150 marks a month. It is intended that they be able to purchase their allotted quantity of food for five marks a week. The bread ration fluctuates between 500 and 300 grams daily, while the meat allocation ranges from 100 to 20 grams. The food distribution plan also includes rations for potatoes, fat, sugar, coffee substitute, coffee, tea, and salt. Farmers from the area surrounding Berlin are permitted to bring surplus produce to the capital's markets, where they sell their goods at free-market prices--rates that exceed the fixed maximum prices for rationed foods. The current rhubarb season has prompted many Berliners to bring this vegetable--which is also suitable for preserving--home in baskets and baby carriages, perhaps as a way to prepare for the coming winter. Some restaurants have resumed operations, and others are following suit as buildings that sustained only moderate damage are repaired. The reporter had the opportunity to speak with Berliners without Russian personnel present. They told him that they were "managing," even though there was naturally room for improvement, particularly regarding meat and fat rations. According to Gilmore, 27,000 houses had been connected to the electricity grid by mid-June, and the capital's water supply was expected to return to normal by the end of the month. Of the two daily newspapers currently available, one is published under the auspices of the Red Army, while the other is issued by the German side under the supervision of the occupying power. According to the American journalist's report, provisions have also been made for the population's leisure time; 200 cinemas are in operation, and the Berlin Opera is scheduled to reopen soon. Churches, which had remained closed until mid-June, have been encouraged to resume services. School operations remain difficult, however, due to a shortage of both teachers and textbooks suitable for the future curriculum.

IN BRIEF
   
    Lord Haw-Haw, a German radio propagandist targeting English listeners, was captured in northern Germany and brought to England, where he is to stand trial for treason.
   
    The Allies have reached an agreement regarding control of the port of Trieste. Under the terms of the agreement, Marshal Tito must withdraw his troops. Consequently, the supply line connecting Trieste and Austria will be under the control of the Western powers.
   
    British troops have begun taking over the area in western Germany (the Ruhr region and the Bergisches Land) previously occupied by the American 15th Army. British forces marched into Düsseldorf on June 11.
   
    Dr. Karl Renner, Chancellor and Foreign Minister of the Austrian government recognized by Russia, stated in a broadcast on Radio Vienna that his government represents all political factions with a single exception: the fascist movement. Dr. Renner appealed to the United States and Britain to recognize his government and establish diplomatic relations with it.
   
    Schools for children aged 6 to 10 have reopened in Aachen.
   
    According to a report from Paris, the United States currently holds 2,852,000 German prisoners of war on the European mainland. Within nine months, this figure--including those held in the United States--is to be reduced to 500,000. A French request for 200,000 German prisoners of war for reconstruction purposes has been granted.

SUNDAY…!
   
UNCANNY TALES / By G. Bertram
    When strolling along a street still hushed by the morning calm--bathed in the first glow of the rising sun and contentedly exhaling the smoke of a breakfast cigarette--one usually has no inkling of the mischief the day might hold in store. That morning, however, the surprises came early. I was just pursing my lips to whistle a march that had haunted even my dreams--when it happened. A heavy object crashed onto my head, knocked off my hat, and caused my jaw--relaxed for musical activity--to snap shut abruptly. I felt a painful lump rising on the back of my head, on the left side.
    After the initial shock, I picked up the projectile. It was a half-leather-bound book; the title page bore the gold-lettered inscription: "Edgar A. Poe, Uncanny Tales." Its corners were bent--my head having put up some resistance--and the ribbon on my hat was torn. Having noted these details, I looked up to find the culprit. A young woman was leaning out of a third-floor window; from below, I could see she had a tousled mop of blonde hair and beautiful eyes. She appeared quite startled.
   
[illustration of book hurtling toward smoking man]
   
    Two minutes later, I rang the doorbell at the Neumanns'. She opened the door and looked at me with a hint of apprehension. "A thousand apologies, sir," she said. "The book was on the windowsill, and when I opened the window, it fell. It didn't hurt you, did it…?"
    "Oh, it was a pleasure," I lied. "Here is the book." Her gaze fell upon my damaged hatband. "Why, your hatband is torn," she exclaimed. "Please, wait a moment; I'll mend it for you. You really can't go on like that."
    So I stepped into the hallway, hung my coat on the hook, and handed her my hat. She led me into a room where the coffee table had not yet been cleared and pointed out the window that had caused the trouble.
    "You shouldn't read such eerie stories," I joked. "I always get nightmares when I read E. A. Poe." "Oh, I don't usually read much," she laughed.
    "But my husband is away, and I was bored. But now I want to fasten the ribbon on your hat." She stepped to the window to close it and let out a cry of alarm. "My husband!" she cried in horror. "I thought he wasn't coming back until noon. If he finds you here… He is terribly jealous. And at this early hour!" I quickly grabbed my hat, intending to rush out. But she held me back. "Stay," she said, "it's already too late. You'd run into him at the door otherwise. Wait here; I'll speak to him." It was an unsettling situation. But before I could say a word, she was already outside, and at that very moment, the front door was unlocked. "Hello," called a deep male voice, "whose coat is that, Irene?" The voice swelled powerfully; one could recognize the hot-tempered man: "What is the meaning of this coat? Do you have a visitor?" The young woman spoke to him in a low voice, but I couldn't make out a thing. Suddenly the door opened, a muscular giant stepped into the room, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. "Well?" he cried, slapping me on the shoulder so hard I felt like collapsing. "What's the trouble? Nothing serious, I hope, eh?"--"Oh, quite the contrary," I stammered, "a perfectly harmless matter. I'll explain it to you in detail…"--"Oh, nonsense," he laughed, "I don't understand much about that sort of thing anyway. My wife is already feeling better, after all."
   
[illustration of men shaking hands]
   
    An imploring look from Frau Irene made me fall silent. Her husband accompanied me into the hallway and helped me into my coat.
    "Do you wish to come back again?" he asked. "No, no!" I exclaimed, waving the idea away. "Well, then I shall hand you your fee right now." I stood there, silently at a loss, and stared at him in astonishment. At that moment, Frau Irene appeared, gave me another imploring look, and said: "Here is your hat, Doctor. The ribbon is torn. You likely didn't even notice it amidst your many patient visits."
    Then I understood. "Indeed," I marveled, "that lovely ribbon. Yes, I have so much to do that I hardly notice such trifles anymore."
    Herr Neumann discreetly slipped the gold into my hand and thanked me warmly once more for treating his wife. She, too, sent a grateful smile my way--and then I was standing outside.
    Thus it came about that, for the first time in my life, I received a fee for medical consultations, bringing this uncanny story to a conclusion satisfactory to all involved.

CORRECTION OF A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR
    As many readers have noticed, an entire line was omitted from Schiller's "Hope," published in the last issue. We deeply regret this error, and by way of apology, we can say nothing more than "to err is human"--however one chooses to apply the phrase.

The Cheerful Side of Life
    During the time Hans Pfitzner was director of the conservatory and conductor of the opera and major concerts in Strasbourg, some ladies of society once asked him to play something at a charity tea. Pfitzner arranged to perform with a professor friend who was a skilled pianist; they decided to play Schubert's famous military marches as a piano duet, reasoning that more demanding musical works would hardly be appropriate for the occasion. These pieces--usually performed by students--were now rendered with exceptional artistry by the two brilliant musicians. Nevertheless, some members of the audience, who were drinking tea at small tables, felt free to chat without restraint. The conversation eventually became so loud and distracting that Pfitzner indignantly jumped up in the middle of the piece. This caused great alarm among the ladies of the committee. They finally managed to soothe the artist and persuade him to resume playing, at which point the audience listened attentively. Afterwards, the committee chairwoman approached Pfitzner to apologize for the listeners' inappropriate behavior. "We made a mistake, esteemed Professor; the grand piano should have been placed on a higher platform." "Oh no, my dear lady, that wasn't the problem," Pfitzner retorted wittily; "the audience should have been placed higher up."

[illustration of three men bowling and drinking beer]
    A dangerous criminal was brought to a Tyrolean district court. The district judge had a gendarme escort him to the circuit judge, sent a sergeant along as well, and--as a precaution--joined the group himself. On the way, they passed a skittle alley. Since all three were avid skittle players, they decided to take a break and play a round. They made the criminal act as the pin-setter so they could keep an eye on him. Hour after hour passed, and it grew so dark that the pins were no longer clearly visible; the pin-setter had to call out how the pins had fallen. When the gendarme bowled, he called out "four"; when the sergeant bowled, "seven"; but when the district judge himself rolled a ball, the sound of many pins falling was heard, yet no announcement followed. They waited a while, then went to check, only to discover that the rascal had vanished. After searching for hours, they encountered an old woman and asked if she had seen a fugitive. The old woman replied: "If you are the district judge, then I am to tell you that you knocked down all nine."

EMPEROR TITUS IN OPERA
    The fortunes of the Roman Emperor Titus have inspired no fewer than 31 composers to create dramatic musical settings. Besides Mozart, ten other German musicians adapted the Titus story for the operatic stage, including Gluck, Hasse, Holzbauer, and Wagenseil. Among the Italian composers who also wrote a Titus opera, Caldara, Jomelli, Sarti, and Scarlatti deserve primary mention, joined by the Spaniard Ferez. Scarcely less interest was shown in the figure of the cunning barber Figaro--elevated to the realm of immortality by Mozart's masterpiece--who once appeared on stage in 23 different versions. Thus, the German composer Konradin Kreutzer (creator of the once-popular "Nachtlager in Granada") and the Italian Mercadante adapted the Figaro material for the musical stage; yet, as operatic history demonstrates, they were no more successful than the other creators of Figaro operas--a group that included a Frenchman who placed Figaro at the center of his operetta.


ENTERTAINMENT
presented in an instructive manner
   
A LITTLE FISH JOURNEYS INTO THE WORLD By Karl Heinz Klein
    Something must have gone wrong with the British Army's supply chain in Libya whenever we stumbled upon one of their food depots--a discovery always deemed a pleasant stroke of luck--without finding a particular type of small tin can among the stores. Painted on these tins was a delicious-looking fish that, fully aware of its positively alluring, sinuous curves, playfully puffed glittering air bubbles from its wide mouth. Clearly, its job was to advertise the fishy contents within and whet the human appetite. Some among us gave the fish's coquettish efforts nothing more than a look of disgust:
    "Fish." Others--whose school-taught English was sufficient to translate the label "Salmon" correctly, or who were familiar with the concept of salmon rolls--would fish a piece of army-issue bread from their haversacks and devour the pinkish-red flesh with varying degrees of lip-smacking gusto. Since these same small tins now regularly appear on the mess hall tables here--and given that we are not far from the Columbia River, a waterway virtually unrivaled in its abundance of salmon--it seems fitting to take a closer look at the peculiar habits of this fish.
    The salmon is found in almost all the rivers that flow into the sea along this continent's Pacific Coast. It is born in the headwaters of these rivers--in the crystal-clear lakes and rushing mountain streams. Up there, where snow and ice melt under the sun for only a brief period during the summer months, it spends the carefree days of its youth. He frolics with his fellow fish among boulders and clumps of grass overhanging the water, soon growing into a fine, sturdy youngster. Eventually, a strange longing for something--something he himself cannot explain--takes hold of him. Without knowing why, he lets the current carry him along and soon finds himself swimming downstream faster than the water itself.
   
[illustration of two Afrika Korps soldiers eating salmon sandwiches]
   
    As he rushes along the Columbia River, his journey is suddenly brought to an abrupt halt by the massive Grand Coulee Dam. He swims eagerly about this vast reservoir, searching for an outlet, and nearly gets sucked into one of the wide-open intake pipes--at the base of which humming turbines busily generate electricity for the people. Yet, these people have no interest in the fish's demise; they have installed a series of electrically charged rods across the pipe openings that ceaselessly emit electric pulses, effectively signaling a wireless warning to the inexperienced fish: "Caution--Danger to Life." Consequently, he seeks passage via a fish ladder specially designed for him and slides down it unhindered. After overcoming a few other obstacles--most notably the Bonneville Dam--and swiftly swimming past Portland, he is suddenly surprised by the fulfillment of his strange longing. Saltwater envelops him, and he realizes where he had unconsciously yearned to go since birth. His fins beat powerfully a few more times, and then the boundless ocean embraces him.
    After two or three years of extensive wandering through the seas, an irresistible longing seizes him once more. It is a longing for home--for the small stream high up amidst the snow-capped peaks that witnessed his birth. By now, he has grown into a magnificent fish weighing 40 to 50 pounds and measuring nearly a meter in length. It remains a mystery to us humans how the salmon manages to find its home river again after such a long time and over such vast distances. Yet find it, it does. At the river mouth, it encounters great shoals of its own kind, and together they begin to swim upstream. If it succeeds in evading the treacherous nets and hooks of humans, and safely navigates past dam fish ladders, weirs, and waterfalls, it eventually returns to the place of its birth. There, the cycle of its life closes, and new generations take up its legacy and its migratory instinct. By then, it has grown old; it lets itself drift with the current and dies somewhere along the way or out in the open sea. Its brothers and sisters, however--less fortunate and caught in human nets--have long since been processed into canned fish in the large canneries of Seattle, Washington. Perhaps they have already graced our tables, or perhaps they are on their way here. Who knows?
    A technical flaw in our typewriter frequently causes unintended spacing within words. Due to a lack of time, we are unable to correct all these "skipping" errors and therefore ask our kind readers for their indulgence.

ON THE ORIGIN OF COSMIC RAYS / By Erwin Maisch (Part 2)
    We ask ourselves what physical processes give rise to the high energies carried by cosmic rays, and where these processes might occur. The most obvious explanation for the origin of cosmic rays is to conceive of them as being emitted by immensely hot bodies--viewing cosmic radiation, in other words, as thermal radiation. After all, there is no upper limit to the energy of thermal radiation. Nevertheless, we cannot adopt this explanation because we lack any account of the source of such immensely high--and hitherto unobserved--temperatures. In 1921, Nernst offered an answer. He proposed that young stars and nebulae contain radioactive substances with nuclei far heavier than that of our heaviest element, uranium. These "super-uranium" elements, he suggested, were packed with vast amounts of energy but had already died out on our old (!) Earth, and were therefore unknown to us. They would provide us with information about events on young stars and nebulae. Perhaps they no longer exist there following explosions that occurred millions of years ago, yet the "emissaries" they ejected might find their way to Earth after a long, wandering journey. They bear witness to prehistoric atomic catastrophes in space. However, the calculated energy released by the decay of these super-uranium elements falls far short of explaining the high energy levels found in cosmic rays.
    The "atomic synthesis hypothesis" posits that the formation of certain key elements--such as oxygen, silicon, iron, and helium--from hydrogen nuclei releases vast amounts of energy through mass loss. The cosmic rays emitted as a result bear direct witness to the "birth" of new atoms. While the formation of helium from hydrogen atoms--or the "burning" of hydrogen into helium, a process facilitated by carbon--can explain the origin of solar energy, it cannot account for the immense energy of cosmic rays.
    Consequently, the highest energy output could only be provided by complete "annihilation into radiation"--that is, the instantaneous conversion of matter into radiation. However, no process involving the complete conversion of helium into radiation has yet been discovered. Moreover, even the energy released by such a process--or even by the annihilation of lead--would still be insufficient to produce the shortest-wavelength cosmic rays. Finally, one might consider the possibility that vast electric fields in interstellar space accelerate cosmic ray particles, imparting tremendous velocity to them. Gravitational forces within the universe could also influence these particles; however, the gravitational effects on the radiation particles are too weak. The presence of electron pairs--particles with opposite charges--within cosmic radiation argues against the theory that these particles are accelerated by extensive electric fields.
    Identifying the processes that give rise to cosmic rays constitutes one of the most fascinating problems in modern physics. We leave the definitive solution to future research.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
FILMS FROM RECENT HISTORY!
    By order of the U.S. War Department, German prisoners of war will henceforth have the opportunity to watch U.S. Army films (on 16mm stock) in camp cinemas. These films were recorded by U.S. Army Signal Corps or Air Force units and were originally intended solely for the instruction of American troops. Given that large parts of Germany are occupied by American forces, prisoners of war in the United States are also to view this footage so they can form a rough idea of ​​the conditions awaiting them upon their return home. The War Department has also authorized the screening of the "WHY WE FIGHT" series in POW cinemas. The series outlines the reasons why the U.S.A. waged war against Germany and Italy and why the fight against Japan must be pursued to a successful conclusion using every available means. In addition to these films produced by the U.S. Army, the arrival of several privately produced film documents is expected; these will show viewers the final days of the fighting in Europe and the subsequent surrender negotiations. An admission fee of 15 cents is charged for these latter films. As is known, the first screenings of these topical films have already taken place.

[illustration of two men washing floor and walls]
CAMP SCHOOL II: A NEW LOOK
    A few weeks ago, on a hot Saturday evening, a group of intrepid and eager learners met on the upper floors of the camp headquarters to prepare for the new branch of our camp school, using plenty of water and a considerable amount of brooms, rags, and mops. The then-caretaker of the headquarters, "Big K and Little Nobel"--now retired--expressed his satisfaction with the energetic approach and bold work ethic of our boys and was able to report at the end of the event: "…the headmaster and I had decided to clean the upper floor--cleaning complete." Indeed, he could be pleased with the work, as everyone had made an effort, from the dusters to the boys who spent two hours in the shower room cleaning the windows (and themselves). And wasn't that nice? After the furniture arrived, the two "Schoersche" from Narramore's carpentry shop were seen working away, meaning nothing was safe from them until everything fit, was checked, and ready. Splendid! The soundproofing of the walls and the application of some "Weimar" greetings in the form of sayings were carried out during recreational sports activities--the "instructor" and "assistant instructor" were the new caretaker, our school's "Seppi the First," and some teachers. "Karl the Eagle" quickly repaired a blackboard, and Georg Efr. "took care of its design." And so it has come to pass that the camp school is now located in the upper rooms of the precinct, and that there are essentially no more obstacles standing in the way of implementing the summer curriculum. But before it got to this point--in any case, we thank all the helpers.--E.M.

NEW FACES AT CAMP
    The fate of the 2nd Company has now also befallen the 1st Company. The gas mask ghost is still alive; it once again sent cursing PWs scurrying through the streets with all their belongings for hours, and after 24 hours brought us new faces from California. Now we have two gas mask companies and a little hope that this means the constant moving has come to an end for a while.

[illustration of hive with PW dreaming of honey]
VILLA MAJA AND THE BEES
    Naturally, everyone was curious about what was going on. Some optimists were already mentally adding honey to the breakfast menu. What? Honey? Yes, of course--bees produce honey. So, bees? Then the truth became clear: the 2nd Company has bees--real bees, not to be confused with the "bees" that pestered us in Africa. A small enclosure was set up, housing the green-painted and prettily decorated "Villa." Now the bees fly in and out. They are industrious, too--because bees simply have to be industrious. Just not quite industrious enough, it seems, to expand the menu to include honey--or were they? (We would certainly report the opposite, too!)

[illustration of PW posing for portrait]
THE PHOTOGRAPHER WAS HERE--
    He shows up from time to time. And time and again, one goes to see him. You sit on the chair, wait for the signal, and smile. That smile, it seems to us, is a special one. For with the picture--which arrives weeks later--one associates the hope that it will fall into loving hands: that it will be seen by eyes one loves, eyes that smile back and find comfort in the knowledge that the one far away can still smile. Perhaps that is why one goes when he comes--the photographer…

GREETINGS TO TULE LAKE
    Our sub-camp in Tule Lake has also welcomed new comrades--men who were taken prisoner on German soil just a few weeks ago and came to America as part of the program to recruit agricultural laborers. We listened with interest as the newcomers described the final weeks of the war back home. We would be delighted if one of them were to write a brief, first-hand account suitable for publication in this newspaper. Style and sentence structure don't matter all that much; we'd be happy to help polish it up. Who's up for it?

"Scharfmachen" (Inciting/Stirring Up)--A 50-Year-Old Catchphrase
    Speaking to Pastor Lentze--a representative of the Lutheran workers' associations--at a Protestant congress in Berlin in September 1895, Ferdinand Freiherr von Sturm declared: "Just a little patience. I'll certainly stir the Kaiser (Wilhelm II) up against the Social Democrats." Since then, the term "scharfmachen" has become a frequently used catchphrase in the German language.

Benjamino Gigli
    A young lady visited Gigli, the great tenor, at his home. "Maestro," she said, "may I sing something for you as an audition? I want to join the opera." The singer happened to be in a good mood; he let her sing, but when she had finished, he asked who her father was. "Wholesale groceries," the beauty replied, taken aback. "I thought as much," Gigli retorted. "After all, you've got raisins in your head and your hands down your throat."

CULTURE
   
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE / By Franz Emil Eckert
(A brief overview of its development)
    If, like us, one has had the opportunity in recent years to become acquainted with various languages--that is, to hear them spoken and pick up a few expressions here and there--then encountering the English language brings a surprise: the multitude of words that suggest a kinship with German or French. A brief look at the history of the English language serves to explain this observation.
    Long before the start of the Common Era, the Celts inhabited what is now Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Ireland). Having arrived from the European mainland, they subjugated the indigenous population--a people whose language has left no trace. However, the name of one of these Celtic tribes gave rise to the modern name of the country, Britain, as well as that of its inhabitants, the Britons. Around the middle of the first century BC, the Romans, led by the general Julius Caesar (100–44 BC), conquered present-day England. Under their rule, the Celtic language vanished, leaving behind only a few isolated river names such as the Thames, Avon, and Cam. The local population eventually abandoned the Celtic language. When Rome recalled its troops to the homeland around AD 400 to defend against persistent Germanic incursions, the Britons--seeking military protection against invading Picts and Scots--turned to those Germanic peoples living across the sea along the shores of the present-day German Bight. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes came to the Britons' aid but soon transformed from allies-in-arms into conquerors themselves. During the 5th and 6th centuries, they occupied the entire former province of Britannia--extending as far north as the frontier wall built by the Romans--and established seven kingdoms: Kent (Jutes), West Saxony, Middle Saxony, East Saxony, Northumbria (Saxons), Mercia, and Anglia (Angles). The names of these kingdoms survive today as the names of English counties, such as Kent, Essex, and Wessex. Modern "England" also derives from "Land of the Angles." Just as during the Roman conquest, those unwilling to submit to foreign rule retreated to Scotland and Wales; some even emigrated to what is now Brittany. Descendants of the blue-eyed, red-haired Celts can still be found there today. The Germanic peoples suppressed the Roman language in favor of their own. Only in the names of numerous cities founded by the Romans--such as Winchester, Lancaster, and Manchester--did the old Latin place names survive. It is to this period that the kinship between modern English and German traces back. From the late 5th century onwards, Christianity made its way into England--both directly from Rome and via Ireland--bringing with it Latin as the language of the Church; Latin thus achieved a status at least equal to that of the Germanic tongue. During the period of Danish rule in Northumbria in the 8th and 9th centuries, Danish linguistic elements also entered the English language. In 1066 AD, Duke William of Normandy became King of England following his victory at the Battle of Hastings. Like the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Danes before them, the Normans (Northmen) attempted to eliminate the existing language and replace it with their own--French. However, the Anglo-Saxon population tenaciously clung to their traditional language, resulting in a situation where the common people spoke Anglo-Saxon, the Church used Latin, and the royal court spoke French. Over time, these three languages ​​blended into a new one in which the Anglo-Saxon element played a significant role; from approximately 1350 AD onwards, one can definitively speak of an "English" language.
    Despite the disappearance of many words in later times, and despite many unusual spellings and forms, the English of the 13th and 14th centuries is nevertheless easily recognizable as the same language spoken today--the language in which William Shakespeare (1564–1616) created his outstanding works.

A MESSAGE FROM THE CAMP CHOIR
    We have received the following note from the camp choir director, Guenther Klaus:
In two concerts, the camp choir has demonstrated its ability to put together and perform a suitable program with a group of 50 men. The collaboration with our orchestra--a challenging task for any amateur choir--was particularly successful and fully met expectations. However, it appears that enthusiasm for singing within Camp White is not particularly high.Listening--well, that is a different matter; most men have no objection to that from time to time. Yet it should be obvious that performing folk songs requires a vocal ensemble strong enough to handle the task at hand. Since the last concert, the choir's membership has dwindled significantly--so much so that it now represents only 1% of the camp's total population. At least 50 singers are needed, and they are certainly here; they simply need to be called upon--which is why we are writing this. Rehearsal time: Every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., Company C. Ability to read music is not required.

[illustration of teacher at blackboard lecturing on love]
A MINIATURE SCHOOL OF LOVE
    Numerous eager learners accepted the novel invitation to attend this "dry run" in the art of love. That is not to say that only green novices found their way to the tastefully arranged venue; the constant chuckling of the more elderly gentlemen present suggested otherwise. Be that as it may, Ulrich Kaiser--acting as "Professor of Love" for the evening--methodically guided his students from one stage to the next. He drew his theoretical precepts from the timeless treasures of the great masters--Goethe, Schiller, Dehmel, Busch, Rückert, and others--though these lessons frequently ventured boldly beyond mere theory, hinting at the seasoned practical experience of the men who had penned them. Thanks to the instructor's excellent delivery, the students were consistently able to grasp the point in a flash and share a hearty laugh. The teacher's composure never wavered, even when an older student--clearly a cut above the rest (Johannes Tiedemann)--unexpectedly interjected to join a discussion on the "trading of brides," a dialogue penned by none other than Grabbe. (The teacher was tactful enough to reveal the text's source with a clear, pointed hint once the exchange had concluded.) The rapport between teacher and students remained warm and unclouded throughout the evening--so warm, in fact, that the indulgent instructor deliberately turned a deaf ear to the rustling of candy wrappers, a sound that did not exactly delight the other students. A new addition to the "Music and Poetry" series was the participation of a string quartet (Josef Hilbert, Peter Zeizer, Helmut Kleinfeld, Josef Nefer), which delivered a thoroughly impressive performance of works by Haydn, Mozart, and Brahms. We are not entirely certain whether this type of interlude might not, under certain circumstances, somewhat impair the all-important bond between the speaker and the audience. During the "Little School of Love," it almost seemed that way for a few minutes.--Werner Baecker.

WE SANG AND PLAYED
14th Entertainment Concert by Choir and Orchestra
    One could look forward with interest to the second performance of our camp choir. The choir did not disappoint expectations. Its standard of performance has shown gratifying improvement--a fact that surely brings satisfaction to choir director Guenther Klaus and his dedicated team. The noticeable strengthening of the first tenor section significantly benefited the choir's overall sound. Diligent rehearsal--without which achievement and success are simply impossible--has borne fruit. The choir's program consisted primarily of folk songs and songs in the folk style. Our people possess a rich treasure trove of magnificent songs, and the camp choir has devoted special attention to cultivating this wonderful cultural heritage. Renowned composers have created a wealth of fine arrangements, though unfortunately, these are not available to us here. Guenther Klaus must therefore arrange the songs for his programs himself--a task he handles skillfully and in close adherence to great models. Werner's setting of Goethe's "Heideröschen" has become a true folk song. It was performed with genuine feeling and beautiful nuance, as were the two Silcher folk songs "Am Holderstrauch" and "Ich ging durch einen grasgrünen Wald." Hans Heinrichs' patriotic choral piece "Wo gen Himmel Eichen ragen" made a lasting impression on the audience, particularly through its powerful finale. The composer, who directs the well-known "Augustus" choral society in Hanover, wrote this piece while serving at the front during the First World War. The highlight of the evening was Johann Strauss's waltz "The Blue Danube," performed by choir and orchestra. It is interesting to note that the Viennese audience initially reacted negatively to the work's premiere, as they were accustomed to hearing their idol's waltzes played only by jubilant orchestras. Nevertheless, Strauss presented the piece at the World's Fair in Paris shortly thereafter; Paris--a city that has caused bitter disappointment for many a composer--paved the way for the work's triumphant global success. Our choir and orchestra, under the direction of Guenther Klaus, achieved a resounding success with their spirited rendition of the waltz. The camp orchestra provided musical interludes for the choir's program with works of a lighter nature, opening the evening with a lively march. The performance of two Hungarian Dances by Brahms was delivered with the requisite dash of "paprika" and garnered enthusiastic applause. Two overtures by Suppé concluded the orchestral segment of the program. Under the direction of Karl Stuecker, all works were performed with great taste. The audience was in high spirits and generous with their applause.--Johannes Tiedemann.

RELIGION IN THE LIVES OF NATIONS
Lecture Series at the Protestant Camp Community
    On June 7, Pastor Friedrich Griesheimer inaugurated his lecture series, "Religion in the Lives of Nations," with a presentation titled "Modern Man Without God." The present moment is particularly opportune for the Church to demonstrate to people--who are searching for symbols--that the ethics of Christian teaching serve as a fundamental pillar of life. The quest for God has always intensified during times of hardship. While individuals who doubt the existence of any higher power remain largely unmoved by such questions, the vast majority simply require encouragement and instruction to cast aside prejudices and overcome any reluctance to embrace these values. This majority includes the so-called "casual churchgoer," among whom one often hears the view that one's own conscience constitutes one's religion--a personal faith that cannot be reconciled with any established church denomination. Be that as it may, such opinions cannot refute the overwhelming fact that Christian ideals have shaped human values ​​and culture for centuries. The undisputed value of Christianity lies in the individual's striving to at least approximate the models of Christian teaching through their lifestyle and actions--foundational aspects that Pastor Griesheimer discussed in his second lecture on June 14. The series will continue every Thursday from 8:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. until further notice. Readers interested in religious matters are highly encouraged to attend these sessions.--w.b.

    Note to our readers: Due to space constraints, we were forced to omit paragraph breaks in the articles within the cultural section.

NO SPECIAL DISTRIBUTION OF "HEIMAT" BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF
Library Distributing Surplus Copies
    Effective immediately, our camp newspaper will be distributed evenly--in accordance with the established distribution schedule--only to the companies of this camp, those of the Tule Lake/California sub-camp, and the patients at the Camp White hospital. Direct distribution by the editorial staff to individual persons outside the circle of staff members will cease. Interested readers wishing to obtain the newspaper for any reason should inquire about surplus copies during library hours. Such requests will be honored as long as supplies last.

LIGHTER SIDE:
   
    Housewife: "Good heavens, Guste, what does the kitchen look like? Everything is filthy; not a single plate or pot is clean!"
    Cook: "It's not my fault, Madam. Your daughter wanted to show me how she learned to do things at the Rushroi cooking school."

[illustration of drunk slouching toward motorcycle]
Well then, have a safe trip…
    Innkeeper: "Excuse me, but you can barely stay on your feet. You certainly can't go home in this condition."
    Guest: "I don't need to--I've got my motorcycle outside."

Films We Saw…
   
THE HUMAN COMEDY--This film presented a cross-section of American life, true to the principles upon which the country is founded. It did not show only the pleasant side of existence; the war cast a cloud over all human actions. The hidden forces of life--running like an invisible thread through every event--wove the mosaic of scenes into a cohesive whole. Ultimately, they revealed a comforting certainty that transcends all things: that an end is always a beginning. A remarkable line from the closing dialogue spoken in English ("The end is always the beginning") made a strong impression on attentive viewers, even if the film itself--with its philosophical aspirations--demanded a certain level of engagement. The performances by Mickey Rooney, Frank Morgan, and Van Johnson were outstanding.
   
SCHUBERT'S SERENADE--A French production from 1939/40 added to the long list of films depicting the life of Franz Schubert. The great musician's life was portrayed without excessive improbability, though the film followed the standard cinematic practice of glossing over harsh realities with a rosy hue. Musically, however, the film was a disappointment; the raucous music of Parisian music halls made for a jarring contrast to the "Ave Maria" and the "Serenade." Seeing Lilian Harvey again--for years Germany's most popular star--was also a somewhat sobering experience; the years had passed, and her youth had faded.
   
RADIO CITY REVELS--This time, the story centered on two songwriters who were so plagued by financial worries they could barely make ends meet. A small-town man from Arkansas saved the day thanks to his astonishing knack for humming "finished" hit songs while he slept. The film was so bland and unimaginative that even the spectacular revue scenes could not disguise the fact that the whole thing was a bit below average.
   
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO--Alexandre Dumas' famous novel served as the basis for this film. A skilled director combined the most adventurous episodes of the Count's life into a compelling narrative. Excellent performances (by Robert Donat and Elisa Landi) made the film a memorable experience.
   
WINTER CARNIVAL--Perhaps the screenwriters failed to approach their task with the necessary seriousness. The flight of a spoiled diva into private life--and her transformation, not merely superficial, into a devoted and loving person--was so illogical and convoluted that the audience lost interest in the apparent romance between the leads. All that remained were the shots of winter sports activities and a few pleasant subplots, which at least made the film passable.--Werner Baecker
   
(Completed on June 15)

OUR SPORTS
   
SPORT OR INSTRUCTION / By Erich Becker
    When our path leads us back home--to the meadows and fields, the towns and villages, to our loved ones and friends--we must realize that a great task awaits us there. Behind us lies a long war that destroyed so much--far too much. Our dwellings, our homes, many factories, transport routes, and products have been destroyed or damaged; meanwhile, those currently at home are either too young or too old to tackle major, decisive tasks. Nor can we expect much help from surrounding countries and states--perhaps, at best, a shipment of food from overseas. Everything else must come from us. Our homeland awaits us, hoping and believing that we will return healthy and strong. Our wives and mothers will want to tackle this new beginning side by side with us, true to the principle that fate helps only those who know how to help themselves. We prisoners of war therefore have one great duty now: to keep our bodies and minds fit for all these tasks and necessities. Today, more than ever, sport and instruction are absolutely essential. Whoever makes good use of their time during these months of quiet waiting will be better equipped to face the storms and demands that await back home. Education, knowledge, and physical agility have never been a disadvantage. Here, we have the opportunity to broaden our knowledge in various directions. Anyone who does not wish to lag behind their comrades in professional performance later on should make preparations now by regularly attending classes and engaging in some form of sport. None of us can afford the luxury of spending our free evenings idly in the barracks. There is no point in lulling oneself with rosy hopes for the future, just as it is senseless to give in to total despondency. With clear heads and clear eyes, we must face the facts of a lost war; then--and only then--shall we master our destiny.
    As soldiers, we have often faced situations that seemed to offer almost no way out, yet we did our duty. And so, let us now approach this new task with the same courage and dedication. Then our parents and siblings, our wives and children, will not be disappointed in their eager anticipation; for we must always bear this in mind:
    THEY ARE WAITING FOR US WITH BURNING HEARTS!

SPORTS REVIEW:
    Over the past few weeks, our sports grounds have once again been the scene of non-stop sporting contests, evening after evening and Sunday after Sunday. Among many other interesting matches, we witnessed the handball game between the 1st and 7th companies, in which the 1st Company team emerged as the deserved winner thanks to their superior attacking coordination.
    In football, however, the 7th Company team managed to maintain its leading position despite the onslaught from other companies--though we must note that the 5th Company has become particularly strong following recent transfers and is likely to prove a very serious rival to the 7th Company in the future.
    Fortunately, the recent "sports Sundays" passed without any major accidents. It seems the appeal made by our camp sports officer was heeded. He had asked that players' zeal in the fight for the ball should not go so far as to endanger an opponent's health. Last Sunday, our Faustball players organized an extensive tournament. Although the intense heat fatigued the players somewhat, they remained undeterred and played match after match. Unfortunately, the tournament could not be completed due to a dispute.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW--
   
Kick-off and goal kick in football:
    The kick-off taken by the center-forward must be played into the opponent's half.
    The goal kick is taken from the 5-meter line in front of the goal without a whistle signal. Immediately after the kick, the ball must not be touched by a player from the same team while still inside the 16-meter area. Infringements are penalized with a penalty kick from the 16-meter line.
   
German best performances of the year (1944) in swimming:

Men:	Freestyle	100 m.	Laugwitz, Reutlingen	1.00.6 minutes
		200 m.	U. Schroeder, Kiel-Bonn	2.22.5 minutes
		400 m.	Fanghaenel, Chemnitz	5.23.9 minutes
	Breaststroke	200 m.	A. Heina, Berlin	2.45.5 minutes
	Backstroke	100 m.	U. Schroeder, Kiel-Bonn	1.10.4 minutes
Women:	Freestyle	100 m.	Ursula Pollack, Berlin	1.13.2 minutes
		400 m.	Gisela Grass, Leipzig	6.05.4 minutes
	Breaststroke	200 m.	Gisela Grass, Leipzig	3.00.4 minutes

Chess:
    The matches for the camp championship are continuing. We witnessed a number of fine games and were pleased to note that the standard of play in our camp is remarkably high.
    The results so far are:

5 June	1st. Co. vs. 7th Co.	1st Team	4	:2
		2nd Team	3	:3
	2nd Co. vs. 3rd Co.	1st Team	0	:6
		2nd Team	2½	:3½
10 June	3rd Co. vs. 5th Co.	1st Team	3	:3
	2nd Co. vs. 7th Co.	1st Team	4	:2
		2nd Team	3	:3
17 June	3rd Co. vs. 7th Co.	1st Team	3½	:1½ u. 1 H.
		2nd Team	3	:3
	2nd Co. vs. 5th Co.	1st Team	1	:5
		2nd Team	2	:2 u. 2 H.

Points table for matches played so far:
    First teams group:

	Matches Played	Poi	nts
1st Company	1	4	:  2
2nd Company	5	5	:13
3rd Company	5	12½	:  4½ u. 1 H.
5th Company	2	8	:  4
7th Company	3	5½	:11½ u. 1 H.
Second teams group:
1st Company	1	3	:  3
2nd Company	3	7½	:  8½ u. 2 H.
3rd Company	2	6½	:  5½
5th Company	1	2	:  2 u. 2 H.
7th Company	3	9	:  9

Chess Problem:
    In a master game played shortly before the war, the following interesting endgame occurred: White: K‒g2, T‒a3, B‒h2 (three pieces); Black: K‒h4, B‒h5, B‒g5, B‒g4 (four pieces). White to move and mate in four moves. The solution will appear in the next issue.

For Film Fans:
    Deanna Durbin, America's popular film singer, married her film producer Felix Jackson in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 15.

VOICES of our readers
    At the request of certain contributors, full names have been withheld in some instances.
The Editors.
   
    ….. Now that the war in Europe has come to an end, it is time for us,too, to follow the example of the homeland and to rebuild. For the moment, we can only do this through mental preparation. And to have embarked on this path and taken the first steps forward is a highly commendable achievement on the part of the camp newspaper. With a dignified and upright attitude, Heimat has tackled this immense and rewarding task. Even if some individuals have not yet realized that the wheel of history cannot be halted or turned back, this must not hinder the progress of the work. The great majority are grateful that the camp newspaper seeks to serve as a guide along the roads leading into a future that will certainly not be easy. The Protestant Church stands ready to cooperate and offer support, as it too has made it a priority to help Germans build their future lives on a Christian religious foundation. Therefore--with God--let us move into the future for the good of our German people…..
   
    ….. If I may venture an opinion on the camp newspaper, I can summarize it in these words: Heimat embodies German life, feeling, and thought; it builds bridges from the prisoner-of-war camp to the German homeland. May all the comrades in the camp not merely glance at the newspaper, but truly reflect upon its contents. In this way, it will become a source of genuine joy in living for them--a piece of home in a foreign land.
   
….. We always look forward to the new issue of the camp newspaper. First of all, and with great interest, we read the "Outlook" section. It also brings us the latest news from home. We need this "Outlook" to gain insight into conditions within the Reich, and thus we do not have to rely on slogans and rumors….
   
….. I feel compelled to thank the camp newspaper for all the entertaining hours it has given me behind barbed wire in a foreign land…..
   
….. Our Heimat has now been appearing for over half a year; for us Germans in the prisoner-of-war camp, it has truly become a piece of home. I eagerly await each new issue and particularly welcome the fact that the "Outlook" now also reports on current events. Only those who view the facts with a clear head and a clear mind will be able to master these difficult times…..
    ….I would like to take this opportunity to thank our camp newspaper for the ideas and insights I have gained from it. The "Outlook" section reveals a welcome trend: openness in addressing problems. I believe it is essential to approach the tasks awaiting us with a clear head…..
   
    ….Many comrades have welcomed the addition of the "Outlook" section to your newspaper, for in our current situation, we need clear and truthful reports…..

NOTE FROM THE EDITORS:
    We have been able to publish only letters of approval today because we have received only favorable correspondence. Naturally, we are also willing to give space to opposing views. In the future, therefore, further letters will be shared with all readers of Heimat in the order in which they are received. When evaluating our work, we naturally assume that the writers are not guided by personal prejudices but are making a factual effort to clarify their standpoint during this current phase of reorientation.

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
    With the end of the war in Europe, the functions of the Swiss Legation regarding the representation of the interests of German prisoners of war have largely been transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The office is located in Washington, D.C., at 1645 Connecticut Avenue.
    According to a directive from the War Department, canteen checks may no longer be redeemed personally by the holders of the checkbooks. Exceptions: American officers making purchases on behalf of a prisoner of war, and prisoners of war tasked with collecting cinema admission fees.

Publisher: German Camp Spokesman. Responsible for content: Werner Baecker. Staff: Erich Becker/Hans Buettner. Design: Erwin Lange. Heimat is published twice a month. Circulation: 180 copies. Submission point: Library and editorial office. Illustrations: Herman Doeker, Peter Hofmann. Lettering: Heinz Polter, Eberhard Koogel. Passed by U.S. Army Examiner #23533.



Heimat July 15, 1945  The cover shows a couple walking into the dawn.

THE OTHER POTSDAM / By Werner Baecker
    In the fragrant gardens of Sanssouci [This article is too faint on the microfilm to be reliably transcribed.]

OUTLOOK
Situation Report
   
By Werner Baecker
    The man who had steered the British Empire [The first page of this article, about Chuchill's defeat as prime minister, is too faint on the microfilm to be reliably transcribed.
… of a new "industrial revolution" with far-reaching benefits for the lower strata of the English people. Their primary goal was to oust the Conservatives, who were generally held responsible--for better or worse--for English policy over the preceding decades. In this endeavor, they secured the support of the Communists, who withdrew 30 of their 57 candidates to avoid being perceived as opponents of the Labour Party. Amidst the heated election battle, Churchill responded vehemently; he described a potential "Labour regime" as "Gestapo-like" and promised--should the Conservatives triumph--full employment in the years ahead, 420,000 new homes for England's bombed-out population, price stability, educational reforms, and special aid measures for small business owners. The English people have made their choice. They respect Churchill as their wartime leader and will never forget his achievements during the darkest months of that era. Yet, they cast their votes for a socialist program of reconstruction--one that bears little resemblance to Russian methods and signifies anything but the "Russification" of the British Empire. Since this shift to the left is evident not only in England, it is safe to assume that Europe's political future will be shaped by socialist ideas; these are by no means the inevitable consequence of Russian influence, but rather the natural response of the people to politicians who failed to recognize that all conservative traditions eventually outlive their time.
    Little has emerged so far regarding the substance of the discussions in Potsdam. The numerous press representatives had scarcely any opportunity to put questions to the conference participants or their press secretaries. There was every reason to believe that the "German problem" took center stage during the initial days of the gathering. Many details required clarification: joint administration, interchange between East and West, reparations, political activity for Germans, the final demarcation of borders, and the determination of the likely duration of the occupation.
    The first significant news from Potsdam arrived on Thursday with the announcement that an ultimatum had been issued to Japan demanding an immediate end to the war through unconditional surrender. President Truman, former Prime Minister Churchill, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek had signed a joint declaration spelling out--in unequivocal terms--what unconditional surrender meant for the Japanese: the surrender of all Japanese armed forces; the occupation of specific Japanese territories for an indefinite period; the punishment of all war criminals; the relinquishment of all territories annexed to their empire since 1895; and the dismantling of heavy industry insofar as it was capable of producing war materiel. On the positive side for the Japanese: a promise of independence under the "God-Emperor" Hirohito on the islands retained under Allied terms, a pledge against the "enslavement" of the Japanese people, and the guarantee of democratic freedoms, including freedom of religion.
    This declaration by the three statesmen--in which Stalin did not participate--was issued as an open response to the Japanese government's repeated efforts to gain further clarification regarding the interpretation of the term "unconditional surrender." By Friday morning, Tokyo had still not managed to formulate a reply. For days, the island nation had been subjected to intense air and naval bombardments--attacks that would have made it clear even to the least perceptive Japanese citizen that all was not well in the Land of the Rising Sun.
    Naturally, no one overlooks the fact that the Japanese remain strong enough to prolong a war that has become hopeless for them--continuing the fight for some time yet through the use of suicide aircraft and "hara-kiri." The futility of such a course of action prompted the Allies to make a final appeal to reason. However, given that the current members of the Japanese government are all but certain to secure prominent spots on war-crimes lists, their willingness to heed the Potsdam call for surrender must be viewed as limited. The will and the power to end the war could only come from the Japanese people, who must long since have realized which way the wind is blowing and what course the shrinking fortress of Japan is destined to take. Yet military dictatorship, fanaticism, and the use of state-sanctioned force are factors that--much like the situation in Germany in the past--leave little hope for a unified demonstration of the Japanese people's will to halt the senseless bloodshed this year.

SENTENCED TO DEATH
    Eight additional German prisoners of war, accused of killing fellow prisoners regarded as "anti-Nazis," have been sentenced to death by courts-martial, the War Department in Washington has announced. Seven of the eight men were convicted on August 16, 1944, for the murder of Werner Drechsler at the Papago Park camp in Arizona on March 1, 1944. The seven--all members of the German Navy--are Helmut Fischer, Fritz Franke, Guenther Kuelsen, Heinrich Ludvig, Ferner Pavek, Otto Stengel, and Rolf Wizuy. The eighth prisoner of war, Edgar Meschner, was sentenced to death for the murder of Hans Geller at the Camp Chaffee prisoner-of-war camp in Arkansas in March 1944.

NO MASS RAPE IN STUTTGART
    A report circulated in part of the American press regarding an alleged mass rape of German girls and women by French Black troops in the Stuttgart subway is, according to a statement made in the U.S. Senate, entirely without foundation. We are publishing this note out of consideration for our readers based in Stuttgart, who might otherwise worry unnecessarily. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, a subway has never existed in Stuttgart.

DUISBURG'S WORLD-HISTORICAL MOMENTS
    Duisburg newspaper readers had little opportunity to dwell on anxious thoughts during the final days of the struggle before American troops captured the city. To be sure, they heard artillery fire from the far bank of the Rhine and the crashing of bombs in the surrounding area; yet, if they believed the "Westfälischer Beobachter," all these unpleasant events were merely temporary and of no decisive importance. The editorial staff of the official NSDAP organ remained undeterred in the reporting methods that had become second nature to them after twelve years of uncritical work. "All attempts to cross the Rhine near Duisburg thwarted," the paper proclaimed in a headline. In its detached, unrealistic assessment of military events, the bridgehead at Remagen held no strategic significance for the paper. Nevertheless, the issue dated March 19 reported on its final page that a drumhead court-martial had sentenced the officers responsible for the defense of the Rhine bridge to death. An editorial reiterated that the word "capitulation" had been struck from the German vocabulary. In the view of the "Westfälischer Beobachter," by the end of March it had become abundantly clear just how mistaken the Allied powers had been when they declared war on Germany on September 5, 1939, with the intention of winning it. In an article titled "At the Crossroads of World History," a staff writer observed: "The destinies of nations can often unfold with breathtaking cruelty, yet history has never been--nor could it ever be--meaningless." Yet there must have been readers in Duisburg who were no longer swayed by the drivel of irresponsible party propagandists. Their worried expressions caused the newspaper's publishers considerable concern. Labeled "driftwood," they were dismissed as deliberate defeatists who deserved nothing less than a resounding slap in the face. Indeed, on March 19 in Duisburg, harboring one's own thoughts about the military situation--or even expressing concern--was forbidden; the "Westfälischer Beobachter" would have none of it. A few days later, the paper and its armchair strategists had vanished. American troops had captured the city, and from then on, Duisburg's newspaper readers were left to ponder the course of world history--and many other matters that had been drilled into them as self-evident truths--without the guidance of the "Westfälischer Beobachter"; all that remained were ruins, hopelessness, and tears.--w.b..
   
Postscript: The newspapers cited here were originally submitted for review to both the camp spokesman and the company commanders.

New Men: Dr. Friedrich Schäffer
    Bavaria's newly appointed Minister-President, Dr. Friedrich Schäffer, served as a representative in the Bavarian Landtag (state parliament) until the National Socialists seized power. He had previously held the office of Minister of Education and Culture in 1930, having earlier served as a government official ("Regierungsrat" and "Oberregierungsrat") in various administrative posts. According to his own account, he was an inmate at the Dachau concentration camp for several months in 1934, despite never having been tried or convicted. In the letter notifying Dr. Schäffer of his appointment as Minister-President, the American occupation authorities stated that any failure to carry out directives would result in his trial by a military court. It reads verbatim: "You are to act in all administrative matters without regard to creed or political influences. In particular, you must ensure that the influence of the National Socialist German Workers' Party is eliminated from the Bavarian government and administration." Dr. Schäffer is currently 57 years old.

Without Dignity…
    It fell to SS General Sepp Dietrich to demonstrate an extraordinary degree of personal fearlessness to the world. As the former commander of the "Leibstandarte"--the personal bodyguard unit of the man for whom he had supposedly been ready to shed his very last drop of blood--and as a commander of SS armored troops in Russia, his name had become synonymous in Germany with soldierly daring. While a prisoner of war in American hands, Herr Dietrich hastened to try and dispel the unfavorable impressions the outside world had formed of him over the preceding years. He did this by disparaging almost all of the Reich's former leaders, whom he deemed universally incompetent and self-serving. Most distasteful of all, however, were his attempts to curry favor with the Russians through cheap flattery--despite the fact that Dietrich was known to be high on their blacklist following the campaigns at Kharkov and Kerch. To him, they were now an intelligent and good-natured people who felt far more at ease under Stalin than they had under the last Tsar. Dietrich now praised their technical capabilities as excellent--and, naturally, their tanks and other weaponry as well, which in some respects, he claimed, were superior to the German models.
    For the German people, statements coming from such a man--one who had belonged to the circle intent on building a "Thousand-Year Reich"--must surely shatter any lingering illusions they might still harbor, in the quietest corners of their hearts, about these individuals. These were false prophets who vanished from the stage without dignity and who, consequently, deserve no tears of mourning.--w.b.

SUNDAY…!
    Munich was radiant. A sky of blue silk arched brilliantly over festive squares and temples, over monuments in the classical style and Baroque churches, over leaping fountains, palaces, and the gardens of the Residenz; its broad, light-filled vistas--rich in greenery and carefully planned--lay bathed in the sun-haze of a beautiful early July day. The chatter of birds and a quiet sense of jubilation filled the air… And across the squares and streets rolled and hummed the unhurried, entertaining bustle of this beautiful, leisurely city. Travelers of all nations rode about in small, slow-moving cabs, gazing up at the facades on either side, or climbed the grand staircases of the museums…

[illustration of strollers, man sketching under tree]

    Many windows stood open, and music drifted out into the street from within--piano, violin, or cello practice; earnest, well-intentioned amateur efforts. Yet at the "Odeon," one heard, serious study was underway at several grand pianos. Young people--practicing the "Nothung" motif by day and filling the backstage areas of the modern theater by night, literary journals tucked into their jacket pockets--came and went at the university and the State Library. A cab pulled up in front of the Academy of Fine Arts, which extends its white arms between Türkenstrasse and the Siegestor. And atop the ramp, models stood, sat, and lounged in colorful groups--picturesque old men, children, and women in the traditional dress of the Albanian mountains. An air of ease and aimless strolling pervaded the long streets of the northern quarter… One is not exactly driven or consumed by ambition there, but lives in a state of pleasant ease. Young artists--wearing small hats perched on the backs of their heads, loose ties, and no walking sticks; carefree fellows who pay their rent with painted sketches--stroll about, letting the light-blue morning work its magic on their mood, while casting glances at the young girls: those pert, stocky types with dark hairbands, slightly oversized feet, and uninhibited ways… Every fifth house flashes studio windowpanes in the sunlight. Occasionally, an artistic building stands out from the row of bourgeois ones--the work of an imaginative young architect--broad and featuring low arches, bizarre ornamentation, and a wealth of flair and style. And suddenly, the doorway of an otherwise tedious façade is framed by a bold improvisation of flowing lines and sunny colors--bacchanals, water nymphs, rosy, playful motifs… It is always a delight to linger before the shop windows of the art-cabinetmakers and purveyors of modern luxury goods. Such imaginative comfort, such linear humor in the very shape of things. Small shops selling sculptures, frames, and antiques are scattered everywhere; from their windows, the finest beauties of the Florentine Quattrocento gaze out at you with a touch of noble piquancy. And the proprietor of the smallest, cheapest shop speaks to you of Donatello and Mino da Fiesole as if he had received the reproduction rights from them personally… But up there at Odeonsplatz--facing the spacious loggia, before which a vast expanse of mosaic spreads out, and diagonally opposite the Regent's palace--people crowd around the wide windows and display cases of the great art emporium, the exquisite shop of M. Blutenzreig. What a joyful splendor of curated selection. Reproductions of masterpieces from galleries across the globe, encased in exquisite frames--refined in finish and ornamentation, yet simple in taste and of rare delicacy; images of modern paintings and sensuous fantasies in which antiquity seems reborn with humor and realism; Renaissance sculpture captured in flawless casts; nude bronze figures and fragile, delicate forms; earthenware figures of austere style, emerging from the kiln in shimmering, iridescent glazes; magnificent volumes--triumphs of the new art of book design--and works by fashionable poets, wrapped in decorative, aristocratic splendor; and portraits of artists, musicians, philosophers, actors, and poets--figures of public interest--displayed for all to see… In the first window of the adjacent bookstore stands a large picture on an easel, drawing a crowd: a fine photograph in reddish-brown tones set in a broad, antique-gold frame--a sensational piece, a reproduction of the star attraction from the year's great international exhibition, an event advertised on street pillars by striking, archaizing posters nestled between concert notices and artistic advertisements for toiletries. Look around you; gaze into the bookstore windows. Your eyes encounter titles such as "The Art of Drawing Since the Renaissance," "Educating the Color Sense," "The Renaissance in Modern Applied Arts," "The Book as an Art Object," and "Decorative Art"--and you must realize that these seminal works are bought and read by the thousands, and that these very subjects are discussed at length, evening after evening, before packed audiences.
   
[illustration of horse-drawn carriage driving under tree]
   
    If you are lucky, you might encounter one of those famous women in the flesh--women celebrated for their appearances in works of art; one of those wealthy, beautiful ladies with their artfully crafted Titian-blonde hair and diamond jewelry--women whose captivating features have been granted immortality by the hand of a brilliant portraitist, and whose love lives are the talk of the town--queens of the artists' carnival balls, heavily made-up, worthy of adoration. And look--there goes a great painter with his mistress, driving up the Ludwigstraße in an open carriage. People notice the vehicle; they stop and gaze after the pair.
   
[illustration of cherub eating grapes]
   
    Art is flourishing; art holds sway; art extends its rose-entwined scepter over the city and shines. A universal, respectful interest in its prosperity prevails; a universal, diligent, and devoted practice and promotion of its cause; a fervent cult of line, ornament, form, the senses, and beauty…Munich was radiant.
   

Raft
   
And, drifting with the leaves,
Earthly cares were soon forgot;
The sky--a blue solace--
Endlessly deep and vast.
   
While my soul lay still in the grass,
A late blossom swayed,
And the mild afternoon
Shone with clear benevolence.
   
A single cloud hung
Lonely above me.
To be so close to the heavens
Was my only desire.
   

THE WORLD AT LARGE
   
RAILWAYS IN THE UNITED STATES / By Hubert Dierauf
    While we have often had the opportunity to travel on American trains--which bear the "Pullman" label but, contrary to the views of certain alarmist newspaper voices, do not provide special sleeper cars for prisoners of war--few travelers have likely noticed how railway operations actually function here. We frequently see various names on locomotives and carriages, such as "Western Pacific" or "Pacific Railroad" (a list that could be extended indefinitely), for the United States boasts no fewer than 782 railways, all owned by individual companies--meaning they are in private hands. Nevertheless, the railways are more or less dependent on the government and require its support in many matters. In the "pioneer days," they often faced difficulties acquiring the necessary land; consequently, the government granted generous land concessions to certain companies and accorded the railways the "right to required territory," allowing private property to be expropriated for public purposes. In many instances, this proved to be an invaluable advantage for the railways, as it secured them the most desirable routes.
    Railways differ from typical private companies in the way they fulfill their duties, as the economy and the general public rely heavily on their services. Prompted by this situation, an "Interstate Commerce Commission"--a government agency tasked with overseeing and regulating domestic and foreign passenger and freight transport by rail and water--was established as early as 1887. Despite this government oversight body, the railway companies remained entirely independent until December 1917, when the U.S. government assumed control of all public rail, express, and telephone services. About seven years later, the railways returned to private ownership; at the same time, a legislative amendment to the commerce regulations was enacted requiring companies earning more than 6% of their property value annually to turn over half of that income to the government, which would then use the funds for railway-related government projects. Railway companies are classified according to their income levels; Class I railways are those with annual operating revenues exceeding $1 million. The 189 "Class I" railway companies operate 95% of the total U.S. railway network. In 1936, all U.S. railway companies held a combined capital of over $21 billion, with nearly $10 billion of that amount held by more than 800,000 shareholders in the form of stocks and other securities.
   
[illustration of streamline train on mountain trestle]
   
    One cannot conclude a discussion of the American railway system without noting the effective organization behind the small number of railway companies--companies that, despite many difficulties, fully meet the demands placed upon them as a means of transport for this continent-wide nation.

[illustration of barking dog]
DOG DENTISTS
    Who can blame dogs for no longer trusting the regular veterinarian and preferring a specialist instead? Dog dentists have set up practice in New York, and it seems they are doing a roaring trade. At a clinic that harnesses the latest scientific advances, pampered dogs from Fifth Avenue are welcomed. If they are nervous, care is taken to anesthetize them before an extraction--provided their heart condition allows it. Older dogs with unsightly gaps in their teeth leave the clinic looking rejuvenated, sporting a dazzling set of gold and porcelain teeth. "Less affluent" dogs, of course, have to settle for less expensive treatment.

YANKEE DOODLE
About a Folk Song
[illustration of piper on horseback]
    "Yankee Doodle" is one of the most distinctive national songs. It was originally a mocking song coined by the British in the latter third of the 18th century to ridicule the somewhat rustic simplicity of the American colonists. When the insurgents were repelled during one of the early battles of the War of Independence, the British military band played this tune amidst the loud laughter of the British troops. This so inflamed the Americans' anger that they charged their oppressors once more and inflicted a crushing defeat upon them. From then on, the insurgents sang "Yankee Doodle" in every battle, and the mocking verse thus became a national song. Incidentally, "Yankee Doodle" is not immediately self-explanatory. In German translation, the verse goes roughly like this:
    One wonders why on earth an American sticking a feather in his hat should call to mind Italian pasta. The meaning of the verse only becomes clear when one learns that, around 1775, any sort of affected posturing or foppish behavior in London was referred to as "Macaroni."

[illustration of Greek philosopher being serenaded on lyre]
A THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE
    Philostratus recounts that the Emperor Marcus Aurelius--known as "the Philosopher"--attended school alongside children even in his old age. When someone asked him the reason for this, he replied: "It is honorable to learn something new, even as an old man. I go to Sextus the philosopher to learn what I do not yet know." Socrates, considered one of the wisest men among the ancient Greeks, did not shy away--even as a grown man--from learning to play the lyre; when mocked for this, he replied that it could never be wrong to learn something one did not yet know--and in this, old Socrates was undoubtedly right.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)

From our readers:
Towards New Life
Thoughts by Richard Weißgerber
    Youth has always been the bearer of progressive ideas. Will they make an exception this time? After the First World War, it was the twenty-year-olds who--shaped by their prolonged time as soldiers--returned home with a somewhat more mature demeanor; in doing so, they steered not only their families but the state's collective life in a new direction. They became the pillars of radical political movements, and even within moderate parties, young people were the driving force behind new ideas. In any case, they turned away from the established order, rightly recognizing that after a lost war, the form of government responsible for it had to disappear. These young returning soldiers energetically set about shaping the new order. Yet, they did not arrive at this decision only upon setting foot on home soil. While still in prisoner-of-war camps, the realization had taken hold that new life could only sprout if one broke with old prejudices. How different things look today. Have young people truly lost the ability to think for themselves? Do they really know nothing but "being led"? It cannot simply be a matter of fear regarding the future, which lies before us, veiled and uncertain. It ought to be clear to everyone by now that National Socialism has vanished from Germany's political life. Yet it should be equally self-evident that we must devote all our strength to preserving our homeland, Germany. We can only achieve this goal if we completely break free from the era that lies behind us. Our homeland has broken with that idea; there can be no doubt about that. The last vestige of belief in it was lost when, during the final year of the war, the people came to see ever more clearly that the issue was no longer the welfare of the nation, but merely the prolongation of the lives of a select few. Yet those who have tied their livelihoods too closely to a system--and who therefore naturally have the keenest interest in its preservation--do not represent the true Germany. These are the very people who clamor the loudest, branding any pioneer a traitor who deviates from the established course to seek a new path. However, this must not deter us from doing our utmost to resolve the tasks that lie ahead; for time alone will determine who has acted responsibly. Even now, turn your gaze toward the future and compare the actions of the leading figures; the legacy of those who left us in a state of chaos upon their belated departure, and the immensely difficult task facing the people who are guiding the organic reconstruction of a peace-loving Germany from the ruins. Often, the very same individuals who once before inherited a crumbling legacy are stepping forward again today. The collapse following this "war" is incomparably greater. No one could blame them if they were to sit back, apathetic and embittered--having been driven from office twelve years ago amidst insults simply because they did not fit a party agenda and had chosen a peaceful solution to urgent problems.
    Yet now they are available once more, because they love Germany. They are ready to take up the cause of your loved ones and your family members, and to ease their burdens. They are working to rebuild your community, your city, and the nation as a whole. You, too, are not forgotten in their thoughts, for in the wake of this war--and with the massive influx of people--every ounce of effort is urgently needed. We must finally learn to recognize that a peaceful order is the only foundation that truly endures. The sooner we reach this realization, the sooner we will achieve reunification with our loved ones. We need no "re-education" if we ourselves grasp that a "group" responsible for the total destruction of the nation's wealth can no longer count on anyone's allegiance. Only someone who desires that Germany cease to exist after the "Third Reich" could entertain the opposite view. We love our homeland, and this demands that everyone accept that our people and their survival cannot be made dependent on the fate of a single party. May the young reflect on this and find a path to a new life.

Letter from Sweden
    A few days ago, Corporal Walter Knebel (stationed at Camp White) received a letter from his brother, who is interned in Sweden. The letter's revealing content is likely to be of interest to our readers as well:
    "After a long time, I am finally able to send you a few lines today. I am currently interned in Sweden, having arrived here some time ago after being shipwrecked. I am doing very well. I hope you are still doing well too, and that you will soon be able to go home. Thank God that the war--and above all, the terrible air raids--are over. It could have ended much sooner had we had a different government. But Hitler knew no bounds and had every measure carried out with even greater horror and ruthlessness. Good soldiers who had already been fighting for five years met their deaths by hanging in the final weeks--indeed, the final days. Why?" "Often merely because of a few words that displeased the NS leadership officer.† Yes, dear Walter, you will learn of many things yet… But despite everything, things in Germany will slowly improve. Yet for many 'Nazis,' the words of the Bible are now becoming a stark reality: 'Do not be deceived: God is not mocked.'"
   
†Party officers assigned to all units in the final months to monitor combat morale.

[illustration of fan blowing toward theater audience]
A FRESH DISCOVERY IN THE CAMP CINEMA
    We do not know whether it was the suffering audience or his own sweaty undergarments that sparked Karl's inventiveness; in any case, he took action--a move for which many moviegoers will remain grateful to him for weeks to come.
    Right next to his projection machine, a cube-shaped wooden box has been assembled, containing water-soaked rags draped over tiered wooden slats. Hidden from the uninitiated behind the box, a fan hums away, constantly blowing air through the wet cloths to create a cold breeze that refreshes the spectators sitting near Adlung. It is no wonder, then, that they keep their shirts on, and entirely understandable that they smile gratefully at him. The claim that he can pull off absolutely anything has, unfortunately, been proven true once again.

[illustration of broken bleachers]
RED BINS--RUINED BENCHES
    Of course, everyone has seen them, and many have understood their purpose. Admittedly, the camp has become much cleaner, though not yet clean enough to consider the mission of the red bins accomplished. Keep an eye out for those--the thoughtless ones--who fling their cigarette butts onto the ground even when standing just a meter away from a bin. Remind them if they've forgotten; in most cases, it isn't even a matter of malice. And then there are the sports fans--or rather, the spectators. They all crowd in to sit and watch whenever a big game is on the schedule, yet they evidently fail to grasp that the benches need to be treated with some care. The carpenters can't fathom why the seating constantly requires repairs--and, to be honest, neither can we. A little caution ought to help, don't you think?

AMERICAN HISTORY
12-Hour Course at the Camp School.
    American Headquarters is preparing a course designed to illustrate the development of the United States from its discovery to the present day. The course, which begins in the first week of August, covers the following topics in a 12-hour curriculum:
      1. Hour: The Age of Discovery
      2. Hour: Colonization of North America
      3. Hour: Development of the form of government in North America
      4. Hour: The conflict with England
      5. Hour: American Revolution and adoption of the Constitution
      6. Hour: Leaders of the early national movement
      7. Hour: Colonization of the American West
      8. Hour: Slavery and the Civil War
      9. Hour: The industrial boom
    10. Hour: The end of the frontier
    11. Hour: America in the 20th century
    12. Hour: Examination and assessment of students who have completed the course
    Prisoners of war intending to participate in this course should provide the camp school with the following details: name, prisoner number, company, civilian occupation, educational background, and language skills. Headquarters will select the participants from the pool of applicants. Even prisoners of war who do not understand English can easily follow the material, as instruction is conducted in German. Instructional films will help deepen understanding of the subject matter and its historical significance. Students who fail to meet expectations during discussions may be excluded from further participation after just the first few hours. The brevity of the course will not allow for lengthy discussions during class time; however, opportunities exist outside of class to ask questions, which will be answered thoroughly for individual students or groups. Information and guidance are available from the head of the camp school, Arthur B. Schaefer.

DID YOU KNOW…
   
… that a man's brain weighs about 1,350 grams, whereas a woman's weighs only 1,200 grams?
   
… that a cubic meter of gold weighs 19,260 kilograms and mercury 13,600 kilograms, while a cubic meter of air weighs only 1.3 kilograms?
   
… that the city of Geneva, on Lake Geneva, was already heavily fortified around 170 BC?

THE COUNTERBLOW
Further informational films at the camp cinema
    In recent weeks, the "Why We Fight" film series continued with the films "The Nazis Strike," "Divide and Conquer," and "The Battle of Britain."
    For the majority of the camp, it was impossible to leave the screenings with a bored shrug and dismiss what they had seen simply as "propaganda." In the previous issue, we already tried to explain to our readers that "propaganda" need not necessarily be a fancy synonym for lies. The facts shown to us in the films are all too familiar to everyone. Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Belgium were the milestones of a carefully conceived plan of conquest--one that could not deviate from the tenets of the book "Mein Kampf." Consequently, the prisoners placed little stock in the official German glorifications intended to justify these lawless acts of aggression against weaker nations. A look at the wider world--a view long denied to the German people--could have convinced even the last member of the German nation, long before, that such a global policy was bound to lead to war.
    It is not easy to turn away without being impressed. Let us not forget that the entire world rose up to take action against this kind of conquest. Some were able to foresee the events that--after unleashing a devastating chain reaction--inevitably rebounded upon our "Swabian" captors. The response came in the form of bomber squadrons, tank armies, ruined cities, countless graves, and immeasurable personal suffering. As yet, the question "Why?" has not been raised very loudly. But it is coming.It will gather strength and swell into a primal roar of bitterness and indignation against all those who so recklessly toyed with a people's strength and gambled with the future of an entire generation.--Werner Baecker.

LIGHTER SIDE:
    A minor misunderstanding: A gentleman who owned several estates--and was certainly well-fed--had the misfortune of breaking his leg while walking across his property. He immediately sent a telegram to a specialist to ensure a good recovery. The specialist received the message, but since it read only, "Please come at once; I have broken my leg," he telegraphed back: "Please provide exact details: where is the leg broken?" A few hours later, the doctor received the requested reply: "Behind the cowshed; please come--it is very painful."

CULTURE
   
The Political Responsibility
of the Christian Church
By Pastor Friedrich Griesheimer
    God's commandment and will also lay upon the Christian Church the responsibility for shaping the state, insofar as the general historical situation affords it the freedom to act. In obedience to this divine commandment, it must be the Christian Church's will that the state order--in all its functions--bears the character of a state governed by the rule of law ("Rechtsstaat"). It opposes all false authority and the authority of mere power.
    Accordingly, it must also confront any attempt to base the state on the desire of some people to dominate others. God wills that justice prevail in human coexistence. Therefore, the Christian Church among all peoples must strive to ensure that God's authority is honored within a state order founded upon law and justice. And this requires the rule-of-law state. A system based merely on administrative practice cannot be recognized as a state governed by the rule of law in the light of divine commandments. While it may compel outward submission through the brutal application of administrative power, a Christian Church bound to God's authority must always inwardly oppose it.
    The state governed by the rule of law manifests itself wherever there is an endeavor to establish a public order that corresponds to the idea of ​​law. If a regime proclaims as the supreme principle of justice that "law is what benefits the people," it thereby denies the supremacy of law in favor of anything--whether good or bad, moral or immoral--that can be presented as being for the people's benefit. Commitment to the idea of ​​law entails the obligation not to align public life with a principle rooted in human arbitrariness. The objective standard for a state governed by the rule of law is, and remains, God's law. God's commandments must serve as the foundation of the legal order for every civilized state.
    In recent history, the concept of the constitutional state has undergone a formal refinement that must be highly valued. The people's right to participate in shaping their state order represents an immense advance; its superiority over a dictatorship that silences the masses will endure, regardless of the shifting currents of the times. In the engagement of all citizens in responsible work for the state--despite all past failures--there lies a moral value that can never be severed from the concept of the constitutional state. The concept of the constitutional state limits the state's authority to the regulation of life as prescribed by legislation. It stands opposed, however, to a police dictatorship that seeks to bring all spheres of life under its sway through force.
    The state must not expand without limit. Personal life has its own rights, even vis-à-vis the state--a state that is ultimately called upon not to rule, but to serve. The genuine freedom of self-determination found in the constitutional state is grounded in respect for God's binding law. Only the constitutional state--bound by God's law and thus embodying true freedom--can counter political barbarism.
    This places a particular responsibility upon the Christian church. It has been entrusted with Scripture and, with it, knowledge of God's law and will. It is therefore called to the service of upholding His commandments, which alone foster well-being in the life of the state. From among those who recognize this, men of truth and responsibility must now step forward in every nation and embark upon this path. Guided by the spirit of Holy Scripture, the Christian church in every nation must strive for a state order governed by God's law and justice. In doing so, the Christian community across all nations must stand united in the struggle for an enduring community of law and peace among themselves.

We have received the following:
A CONTRIBUTION TO PAINTING / By Georg Fr. Sorg
    Regarding the article on camp painting by Alfred Jackson, published in the last issue of the "Mejerzeitung," I would like to make the following observations: We painters were pleased that Alfred Jackson was the first to take the trouble to offer us some well-intentioned pointers--all of which demonstrated a deep understanding of our work. This response is neither a formal account of our activities nor a defensive rebuttal, for there is not the slightest doubt about the fundamental correctness of the observer's statements. Regarding the question of changing subject matter, I would like to add by way of explanation that I made countless sketches back home and out in the wider world--sketches upon which I still draw today. In this regard, the landscape taught me far more than the best instructors at art academies ever did. I learned the value of keeping one's eyes open. And so, I repeatedly bring out those sketches and try to infuse every painting with a part of my own "self"; otherwise, the works would be lifeless--nothing more than color photographs. Life as a prisoner of war has provided us with fresh inspiration; while photographs used for reference offer a starting point for the intended final composition. The way I render the water, clouds, light, fleeting sunbeams, and swaying flowers reflects my own vision and experience. It is this personal touch that delights those who eventually see the finished works hanging in our exhibition hall.
I deeply regretted having to discontinue a freehand drawing course last year due to changes in the teaching staff. Naturally, such instruction would have included life drawing. Nevertheless, I have taken up the challenge posed by that discerning perspective on painting and have begun to put it into practice. I shall soon demonstrate to the camp that the opportunity for life drawing exists here too--albeit only in a form that is "open to view" (i.e., using male models), for understandable "reasons."

Masterpieces from Records
5th Concert in the Tiedemann Series
    So many kind and appreciative words have already been spoken regarding the record concerts--which appear now and then as bright spots in our twilight existence, and the first of which took place last Sunday (July 15) as part of a newly launched series (joyfully welcomed by those not exclusively devoted to what--God knows--is called "light music"). Johannes Tiedemann, as the organizer of these events, has consistently found words that reveal such expertise, convey such sensitivity, and spark such interest, that nothing remains to be done here but to express renewed thanks for the time and effort invested on behalf of those who are always gifted with these evenings, and to couple this with the hope that many more such concerts will take place during our time here in this distant land!
    The fact that the concert was held in the "Werkkirche"--the only space in the camp offering a reasonably suitable setting for such events--was a welcome change. Incidentally, this was likely the reason why the crowd gravitated toward the back rather than the front. It seems men simply belong at the back of the church--a fact any expert on such matters can confirm.
    Yet even the combination of music and the chapel space could not keep the rustling of cellophane wrappers and other such displays of "politeness" at bay. Fire hoses, too--and let this newly acquired insight be noted in conclusion--can produce surprising acoustic effects; "quod erat demonstratum."--Alfred Jackson

Films We Saw…
   
MADAME CURIE.--Anyone already familiar with the life story of this world-famous researcher would have eagerly anticipated the cinematic portrayal of her life. It was a stirring tribute to a scientist who--rising from humble beginnings and without significant assistance--achieved a discovery in Paris that benefited all of humanity through tireless work, later supported by Pierre Curie. Madame Curie's greatness lay not merely in her scientific triumphs but in her personal modesty; she never quite mastered the art of being famous--a character trait so typical of the truly great. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's producers took a risk by faithfully depicting the monotony of the Curies' lives; it is difficult to show the general cinema audience that the quiet seclusion of relentless work often harbors more heroism than the deceptive, fleeting flare-up of cheap, sensational headlines. The film's stars, Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon, were beyond praise. A delightful surprise was seeing Albert Bassermann again--one of Germany's great actors from the pre-1937 era--who voluntarily emigrated to America with his actress wife and, as the film demonstrated, went on to achieve new successes there.--w.b.
   
YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER.--This is the kind of summer entertainment one happily welcomes. A carefree setting, sunny youth, spirited scenes, and delightful humor--one really couldn't ask for more from a musical film. The story unfolds in South America. Four charming daughters, a nervous mother, and a choleric father give rise to all sorts of complications--which a cheeky dancer from New York naturally only exacerbates. In this instance, it was good Aunt Marie who steered the tangled web of events in the right direction and ultimately got the teenager into a suit of armor--thereby proving to the stunningly beautiful daughter that a real man of flesh and blood is worth far more than some dusty robber baron from a fairy-tale book. Adolphe Menjou was unsurpassed as Mister Acuna; his assured performance and humor took center stage. Also shining in their roles were Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire, who sang--and (above all!) danced--their way into the audience's hearts to the melodies of Jerome Kern.--w.b.
   
DRAGON SEED.--An epic tale of the Chinese people's struggle against a ruthless conqueror--whose actions in the film's opening act ignited the conflict. The story of the people in the Ling-on Valley is free of exaggeration. The miraculous relocation of entire industries over distances of 2,000 miles or more is a matter of historical fact, documenting the Chinese people's determination to resist. The human drama is based on the novel of the same name by Pearl S. Buck. Katharine Hepburn and Walter Huston brought such acting brilliance to their roles that the audience remained captivated throughout the film's entire duration.--w.b.

OUR SPORTS
   
SPORTS REVIEW
    The 1st Company lacks a sufficient number of sports enthusiasts to carry out a standard company sports program, so the few talented athletes in the company were being deprived of the opportunity for regular physical activity. Since this situation ran counter to our views on sports and physical training, the parties involved agreed to form a joint sports association between the 1st and 3rd Companies.
    Given that the merger was driven solely by sporting principles, the camp sports officer and all company sports officers approved the arrangement. The 1st Company's "veterans'" teams, however, continue to play as independent squads.
    On July 15th, we witnessed the first match featuring the 3rd Company--specifically, a game against the 7th Company. It was a thrilling contest from start to finish that ended in a 4–4 draw, offering the spectators excellent entertainment. We are publishing two special reports on the two main matches played last Sunday.

SOCCER MATCH: 2ND COMPANY VS. 3RD COMPANY
    The stands are already packed and the pitch is lined with numerous spectators as the two soccer teams take the field on Sunday morning. A high-quality, exciting match is anticipated, as both opponents have demonstrated excellent form in their recent games. The 2nd Company kicks off and immediately goes on the attack. Their forward line creates several promising chances, though the 3rd Company's defense manages to thwart the finishing attempts at the last moment. The 2nd Company's defense fares less well; bad blunders create precarious situations in front of their own goal. This ultimately leads to the "Blue-and-Whites" taking the lead, even though their attack had shown little up to that point. There are no other major incidents before halftime. Unfortunately, the 2nd Company is forced to substitute one of its halfbacks due to injury during the first half of the match. After the break, the "Black-and-Whites" try in vain to erase the deficit, but their forward line lacks cohesion.
    In contrast, the opposing forward line--having adjusted their formation--finds its rhythm. Strongly supported by their wing-halves, they frequently threaten the opponent's goal. Two well-crafted goals are the reward for this offensive pressure, effectively sealing the victory. Shortly before the final whistle, the losing side scores a well-deserved consolation goal.
    We spectators leave the pitch feeling somewhat disappointed; we had expected a more lively contest. Both teams put in a rather mediocre performance and failed to match the form they had shown recently. The 3rd Company's defense--appearing stronger and more cohesive--decided the match in their favor. The referee kept the game firmly under control and officiated to everyone's satisfaction.--Lothar Freund.

FOOTBALL MATCH: 5TH COMPANY vs. 7TH COMPANY, JULY 22, 1945.
    Sunday evening brought us another interesting matchup. Long before kickoff, the large crowd--gathered in eager anticipation--provided a splendid backdrop for a match destined to serve as the evening finale to our camp's Sunday sports program. From the kick-off, a fast-paced, end-to-end game seems to be unfolding. The "Seventh" makes several promising forays toward the goal. The opposing defense manages to clear the danger for the moment, but then Fasold--having moved to the inside-left position--shows great determination to reach the ball just before it crosses the touchline. He sends a high cross into the center, and the striker instantly drives the ball between the posts. It was a goal that truly delighted the crowd.
    Now the Fifth seems to be finding its footing. With the sun and wind at their backs, they gain a slight upper hand. However, their attack lacks cohesion and poses no serious threat to the "Blue-and-White" team. Consequently, the game soon loses its intensity, drifting toward halftime without any notable highlights.
    The second half begins much the same way. The Seventh's defense clears the opponent's predictable plays and feeds ball after ball to their own forward line, until their renowned combination play gradually shifts the action into the opposition's half. Left-winger Schroers scores the 2–0 with a sharp shot, finally rousing the spectators. The contest becomes livelier, and more goals seem imminent. The Fifth's defense battles tirelessly but cannot prevent the opposition from scoring three more beautifully struck goals. Only then does the Fifth manage a consolation goal, followed shortly by two more from the 7th Company, bringing the final score to 7–1.
    While we certainly saw plenty of goals and good teamwork from the Seventh, we were all the more disappointed by the Fifth's forward line, which had lost the blistering pace for which it was once feared. The referee remained unfazed by heckling from the sidelines and officiated the match impeccably.--Erich Becker

Sports Preview:
    This Sunday evening, we look forward to the eagerly awaited rematch between the 3rd and 7th Companies, followed on Tuesday by a handball match featuring two combined teams.

OUR CHESS TOURNAMENT
    Our camp chess tournament concluded last Sunday. In Group A (team competition), the 2nd Company achieved a clear victory, thereby becoming the camp champions.
    The score table is as follows:

3rd Company	23	:13
5th Company	19½	:16½
2nd Company	15½	:20½
7th Company	14	:22

    In the individual players' group, Alois Klein--also of the 5th Company--won the title of camp champion. Table of top individual players:

	1. Klein	3rd Company	5 points
	2. Henze	5th Company	3 points
	3. Ginter	2nd Company	2½ points
	4. Schneeweiss	7th Company	1½ points

    In Group B (2nd Teams), the three companies remaining in the competition (7th, 2nd, and 3rd) were neck and neck. Due to a few unfinished matches, the final score cannot yet be determined. In conclusion, we can state that the tournament was a success in every respect. Despite the hot summer days, interest remained high right up to the final match, and we also believe that many a talented young player has grown stronger and more confident through these contests.
    Another individual tournament is planned for the coming weeks, for which each company will field its three best players. Ginter (2nd Company) is in charge of organizing it.
    We will provide regular updates on the interim results.

SOLUTION TO THE CHESS PUZZLE FROM THE JUNE 2ND ISSUE

		White				Black
	1. T a 3	‒	h	3"	B g 4	x	h 3"
	2. K g 2	‒	f	3	B g 5	‒	g 4"
	3. K f 3	‒	f	4	B g 4	‒	g 3
	4. B h 2	x	g	3	and Black is checkmated

	Key to symbols:	‒	moves to
		"	check
		x	captures

Our take on this:
A "Notorious" Reputation?
    Who does not remember the pedantic quibbling and nonsense with which certain know-it-alls railed against the first issues of "RUF"? They strove by every means to brand "RUF" as a stain on our honor, calling it reprehensible--even a violation of one's oath--to read this "traitor's paper," and felt compelled to foist their disparaging criticism upon the camp at large. They knew all too well that the spread of "RUF" might persuade many to cast off the blinders of one-sided views, and they feared that unvarnished truth would lure some away from the sway of their warped, know-it-all attitude.
    Today, the favorable reception of every new issue of "RUF" within the camp gives the lie to all efforts to boycott or smear it. We need sing no praises for "RUF." "RUF" is good and needs no publicity. We do, however, wish to shed light on the intellectual regimentation that ultimately lay at the root of the seemingly unanimous protests against "RUF."
    The initial rejection of "RUF"--and, likewise, all hostility toward the "outpourings" of newspapers, radio broadcasts, and films not controlled by the Berlin Ministry of Propaganda--was possible only because a stupefying propaganda had robbed many of all healthy critical judgment, and because a select few repeatedly managed to skillfully gag public opinion through sanctimonious prophecies and brazen intimidation. Let us not fail to learn a lesson from this. For it is, not least, this very arrogance that still prevents many from taking a realistic stance regarding the lost war and the completely altered situation.
    Now that those confused prophecies and scare tactics have dissolved into nothingness, and we have resolved to mobilize our energies for the reconstruction of our homeland, the time has come to cast off the last remnants of lingering complexes and to discard all indecisive inhibitions. Each individual must now--through independent thought and responsible action--free themselves from the immaturity of those who merely adopt dictated worldviews, and learn to respect the opinions of others, even when they differ from their own. No one can be entirely right or wrong in all their views; only the collective body of all free opinions offers a guarantee for the peaceful reconstruction of our homeland, for only it is strong enough to effectively put a stop to the machinations of any warmongering demagogues or those driven by personal gain.
    We owe our recognition, however, to "DER RUF," which has made it its mission to awaken this realization within the camps.--Karl Heinz Klein

VOICES of our readers
   
    Anyone in this camp who considered it their duty to face the facts squarely--without illusions and with an open mind--risked, until just recently (and perhaps still today), being branded a "traitor" to the German cause by thoughtless individuals.
    It was with deep satisfaction that I read your last two Heimat articles ("We Must" and "A Frank Word"), in which certain hotheads are finally told the unvarnished truth and openly described for what they are: narrow-minded fanatics with absolutely no grasp of reality.
    It is clear to any rational person today that, setting aside all differences of opinion, we must find common ground--territory that may be new to the young but familiar to the older generation. That ground is the reality of the situation and a Christian commitment to creating a bearable future for everyone.
    Proponents of strident views must be brought to reason before they set foot on German soil; otherwise, they will disrupt peaceful reconstruction and only add to the people's suffering.
    We are not yet ready to commit to a specific political direction, for we have had our fill of the loud, empty rhetoric typical of carnival barkers. Our thoughts and actions are dedicated solely to helping those who are down and out. Eventually, even the most stubborn will have to admit that it is we--not they--who are on the right path. The gravity of the times dictates our course. Nothing can stop us.
   
Note: All our readers have the opportunity to express their views in open letters to the editors.

FROM THE EDITORS:
    The increased demand for our newspaper from all quarters of the camp has prompted us to double our print run. The next issue of Heimat is scheduled to appear on Sunday, August 12. Submission deadline for contributions: August 2, 1945.

Publisher: German Camp Spokesman. Responsible for content: Werner Baecker. Politics: Erwin Lange; Culture and Entertainment: Karl Feinz Klein; Sports: Erich Becker. Layout: Erwin Lange. Heimat is published twice a month. Artistic contributions: Hermann Becker, Peter Hoffmann, Heinz Polter. Entire content approved by the censors.



Heimat August 12, 1945  The cover shows a man contemplating ruined houses and rows of crosses.

BETWEEN WAR AND PEACE…
BY ERWIN LANGE
    The burden of immense tension has been lifted from us. The uncertainty of the weeks following the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich is over. A plan has been outlined for the world and the German people, setting forth how Germany's future life is to be shaped and how the people within this territory are to live.
    The plan of the "Big Three," as published following the Potsdam Conference, does not constitute a peace treaty or anything of the sort. Rather, it is intended as an instrument to guide the life of the German people and the German nation--during the period between the end of the war in Europe and the advent of peace--along a course that will enable our people to be reinstated as a nation within a peaceful world.
    What, then, do the Potsdam decisions entail? Territorial, economic, and political arrangements have been made. All these measures are provisional rather than final.
    In the east, Germany has been restricted to the Oder-Neisse line. In accordance with the intentions of the architects of the Potsdam plan, Germans who previously lived--or are still living--in the territories of the Reich east of this new provisional border are to be transferred to the areas of Germany remaining west of the line. This resettlement is to be carried out under humane conditions. As for territorial developments in the west, nothing can yet be said; this question was left open at Potsdam.
    Specific figures regarding economic claims have been established only in relation to Russia, specifically concerning the British, American, and French zones of occupation. The four occupying powers satisfy their reparation demands against German industry from within their respective zones. In addition, Russia receives 15 percent of the machinery from the zones of the other three powers in exchange for deliveries of goods. Furthermore, another 10 percent of the machinery goes to Russia without any counter-delivery. The details of other reparations to be paid have not yet been determined. However, certain facts regarding Germany's future economic life are established. There will be no future German maritime or air transport, and all German foreign trade has ceased. Germany has been instructed to devote itself entirely to agriculture and to industries serving domestic needs. Any such industries capable of being used for war production will be subject to constant monitoring. All in all, these measures are accompanied by an assurance that the German people will be left with enough resources to earn their own livelihood within the territory allotted to them. What does Potsdam offer us in the political sphere? Greater Germany has ceased to exist; Austria is to regain its independence. The remaining territory of the former Reich is governed centrally solely by the Allies; there is, for the time being, no German central government. Provincial governments will therefore assume administrative duties, insofar as this has not already occurred. The NSDAP has been completely abolished.
    Thus, the decisions of the "Big Three" provide the framework within which we must--and can--live. Viewed from another perspective, our former rulers and their following could actually be satisfied; for we were given a Reich in which all Germans live (with the sole exceptions of Austria and Switzerland), and we were granted full economic independence within the territory remaining to us--all things that the 48 percent of voters who supported the NSDAP and the 4 percent who supported the German Nationalists had striven for on March 5, 1933.
    Personal consequences now arise for each and every one of us. Regardless of what specific fate may yet befall us prisoners of war, we must turn our attention to our unfortunate people and the land that remains to us--a land we wish to transform once more into a true home. Thus, it is the duty of each of us, within the limits of our abilities, to do everything possible to secure our own livelihood and that of our families. Through the efforts of each individual, the possibility of a decent subsistence emerges for all. Some of us will have to learn new skills, as there is no longer room for our former professions in the Germany that exists between war and peace. Yes, this is hard. Yet it is not as hard as having no prospect of economic survival whatsoever. What we make of our people, of ourselves, and of our land under these conditions--perhaps the harshest ever imposed upon a nation--will hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, result in a Germany that stands as a peaceful nation within a peaceful world.
    As I have said, it depends on us whether and when we achieve this peace. Let us dedicate all our strength to this task. Let us rebuild our economic, political, and social life--respecting the inalienable rights of the individual and acting with iron determination--under conditions even harsher than those following the Thirty Years' War. Let us reclaim our homeland. We may be confident that the hardships and privations each of us must still endure are worthy of this task and will be recognized by a world that currently views the German people with loathing and contempt. Peace is the goal of the years ahead, and in this shared desire and resolve, we find common ground with the rest of humanity.

OUTLOOK
Situation Report
   
By Werner Baecker
    For days, exhausted newspaper and newsreel crews at the White House had been waiting for what would likely be the most significant announcement of the century. Following the second atomic bomb dropped on Japan, the "Sun Emperor" had seen the light. He realized that neither suicide planes nor "hara-kiri" formations could prevent the impending destruction of his islands by a fantastic American weapon. The entire world had learned--not without a certain shudder--that science now held the means to wipe out civilization itself, should this precious secret fail to remain in responsible hands. Rescue teams were still combing through the horrific ruins of Hiroshima and Nagasaki when a political bombshell exploded within Emperor Hirohito's palace. The Soviet Union declared war; just fourteen minutes after the official declaration was handed over. Squadrons of the Red Far East Air Force roared across the Manchurian border, and the first artillery shells slammed into Japanese border fortifications. Moscow justified its move by citing Japan's rejection of the Potsdam Ultimatum--which, as is well known, had offered the Japanese the sound advice to quit sooner rather than later.
    A few hours after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, the overseas service of Radio Tokyo interrupted its broadcast with a flash bulletin. The announcer stated in English that the Imperial Japanese Government was prepared to surrender under the terms of Potsdam, provided the Allies allowed the "God-Emperor" to remain on his throne. Switzerland undertook the task of relaying this request from Tokyo; it arrived at the State Department in Washington on the previous Friday. The Allies were in a position that enabled them to summarily reject the imposition of any conditions. Yet, undoubtedly, Hirohito could render valuable service as a figurehead ruler. The devotion of the entire Japanese people to their God-Emperor is well known. In all likelihood, an order from him would carry more weight than the proclamation of any substitute Japanese authority--an authority that had to be found in any case to carry out the necessary disarmament and demobilization of the Japanese army.
    America's response was diplomatic: without directly addressing the substance of the Japanese inquiry, it stated that, should unconditional surrender be accepted, Emperor Hirohito would be compelled to carry out the orders of the Allied Supreme Commander. In other words, Hirohito could remain for the time being. Elsewhere in the American reply, however, it was noted that the Japanese people would be left to decide later--through a vote--what form of government they desired and upon what foundations they intended to build a new life.
    The entire world waited in suspense after this message was transmitted. Tokyo took its time. Hirohito gathered the country's influential figures around him. The decision was not easy. The Japanese army was stronger than it had been in December 1941; many elite units were still awaiting their first engagement, and there was as yet no talk of a critical shortage of food or raw materials. Admittedly, however, sustained air raids had severely damaged Japanese industry. The Imperial Navy was reduced to a mere remnant, and the Allied ring around the island nation was tightening day by day. Added to this--and this was the decisive factor--was the atomic bomb, which had ushered in a new era in human history. Japan had no defense against it. Only one choice remained: surrender.
    Impatient voices in the United States toyed with the idea of ​​using further atomic bombs to hasten the decision-making of Hirohito and his advisors. But nothing of the sort happened. Fighting continued in Manchuria, and Admiral Halsey's aircraft carried out a few bombing raids on installations near Tokyo, yet otherwise, a sense that the war was drawing to a close was becoming increasingly palpable everywhere. Finally, on Tuesday, word came from Bern. Dr. Max Jordan, the National Broadcasting Company radio commentator, reported from the Swiss capital that Japan's reply had arrived. Naturally, he did not reveal its contents. He merely remarked pointedly that, after finishing his broadcast, he had been invited to a victory celebration at the American Embassy.
    These words electrified all of America. Wild celebrations erupted everywhere, mobilizing massive police contingents in the major cities. For days, thousands of people had surrounded the White House in Washington, waiting to finally hear the President's words. And they came. On Tuesday evening, promptly at 7:00 p.m., Mr. Truman summoned the White House press corps to his office. In a few brief words, he confirmed the Japanese surrender and explained that V-J Day could not be officially celebrated until the Japanese representatives had signed the formal documents. Nevertheless, he granted all government employees a two-day victory holiday--marking the final chapter of World War II.
    So, the world has peace. After an endless chain of death, suffering, ruins, and hopelessness, a glimmer of confidence is once again justified. The nations that started the war without being forced to do so lie shattered and defeated. The world looks upon them with hatred and contempt, and there is no one to offer an excuse that could justify the misery brought upon the world by the lust for power of a few individuals--not the peoples they led. The bitterness filling us at this hour--as the world rejoices while we stand before the wreckage of a destroyed life--runs deep. It is far more than disappointment over a lost war. It is a righteous indignation at the madness that unleashed this bloodshed; we are all paying for a crime committed in our name when the first artillery shells crossed the Polish border. We would still be living today--without hunger, without fear, and without the ghastly anxieties about our future--even without that road to East Prussia. It has happened, and we go on living. We must go on living, after all, if we do not want to fall under suspicion of being complicit in the crime--a crime that leaves the perpetrators not a single happy hour and hones and hunts them into every hiding place on earth.
    The world, then, has peace. Divine power has given humanity a means to end the bloodshed. Though 200,000 people may have been sacrificed through the dropping of the atomic bombs, they are outweighed by the mountains of corpses that a continuation of the war for an indefinite period would have claimed. Humanity has shouldered a responsibility the full extent of which cannot yet be grasped. It was able to end the war in a matter of days. It must now also be able to find a peace that dispels all hatred and prejudice--a peace that embraces even those who are currently lying on the ground, faltering. For it is not the deeds of the past that should pass judgment, but the good will of the future. Peace on earth will only be a true peace if it encompasses all peoples: all those of good will.

Political Currents in the Reich
    To the extent that one can speak of political activity in present-day Germany at all, such currents are confined exclusively to the Russian occupation zone. While all party activity had previously been banned in the American and British zones, the Russians--immediately following the fall of Berlin--encouraged the creation of a "political front," which found its natural foundation in the re-establishment of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). Wilhelm Pieck, a former Communist Reichstag deputy and long-time associate of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, signed the new KPD manifesto, which rejected the idea of ​​replicating the Soviet system in Germany. Upon their first public appearance, the Berlin Communists advocated for a parliamentary coalition government and the expansion of private enterprise and the profit system. They demanded equal rights before the law and free elections. They called for the confiscation of all assets belonging to Nazis, imperialists, and Junkers, and promised small farmers a share of the large landed estates. The manifesto of the German Communists holds the German people themselves responsible for their fate--including, not least, the German Communists, who are reproached for their inability to unite with the other democratic parties against the Nazis. The Communists view the fight against hunger, unemployment, and the housing shortage as the initial steps toward German reconstruction.
    From our distant vantage point, we cannot gauge the impact the re-emergence of the KPD has had on the German population in the eastern territories. According to the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, the formation of anti-Nazi parties is henceforth to be permitted throughout the Reich. Given the broad masses' natural affinity for a concrete program, it is to be expected that the KPD's new slogans--campaigning against "hunger, unemployment, and the housing shortage"--will make their mark in the west and south of the Reich as well. The concept of a democratic united front--in which Christian-Social and bourgeois parties might stand alongside the Communists--could conceivably justify hopes for a democratic political foundation upon which, with the full participation of the people, an arduous yet secure future might be built.--w.b.

RUHR ECONOMIC UPTURN
    The industrial magnates of the Ruhr region have recovered from their shock. True, their factories lie in ruins just as they did in May of this year, and they remain little, if at all, moved by the plight of their workers. Yet they have once again been seized by that familiar, powerful urge not to miss the boat. They dash from one American office to another, presenting plans and bowing low, all the while failing to realize that they are, in fact, objects of derision. Needless to say, the past is an uncomfortable subject; after all, they had nothing to do with it. Those "Pioneer of Labor" titles, the "Model Enterprise" flags, and the golden Party badges--it all just happened naturally, perhaps as a reward for their vigorous support leading up to that fateful night at the Düsseldorf Industry Club in 1932. Who knows? But why speak of it now? After all, there is a war going on somewhere, and gas, water, and power lines can be quickly repaired; and the workers will show up, too--emerging from somewhere in the cellars of the ruined cities. They will certainly want to--because they have to, since life goes on. And then production can resume: cannons, tanks, and ammunition. They are particularly good at this; they will always do it--they would even sell the stuff to the Devil if it meant getting back in the game.
    To this day, it has not occurred to any of these gentlemen in the villas on the Ruhr hills that it would likely be far more beneficial to the Reich's reconstruction program to consider converting production--insofar as it can be resumed at all. Millions of homes have been destroyed, bridges and railway lines await restoration, and the problem of a simple emergency dwelling--lightweight and cheap to produce--demands an immediate solution. They surely know this as well as we do. Yet they would prefer to manufacture weapons, retain their global standing, and support the war against Japan--completely failing to grasp the fact that their help is not even desired, that they are viewed with derision, and--as far as the German people are concerned--have once again been recognized as blatant egoists.--w.b.

POWs as Reflected in the American Press
    When the mountains of corpses at Belsen and Buchenwald were revealed to the American public, a wave of indignation swept through the nation; officials struggled to convince the agitated families of American POWs held in Germany that--according to International Red Cross reports--the treatment of those prisoners had actually been "fairly good."
    However, the shameful conduct of those responsible back home--actions with which suddenly no one, starting with Göring, wished to be associated--had been enough to prompt a large segment of the American press, under pressure from public opinion, to launch a campaign against the alleged "coddling" of German POWs in the United States. Suddenly, we read reports of POWs traveling in sleeping cars while American frontline soldiers returning from Europe were crammed into uncomfortable, cramped passenger coaches; of "tender" relationships with American women at work sites and on farms; of unnecessary transfers prompted by "unpleasant" climatic conditions; and of many other matters that were all too likely to leave the American public utterly astounded.
    We fully understand why such stories--given their specific framing and presentation--must have made a jarring impression on the country's population, especially considering that the war in Europe had only just ended. We also grasp that the intensity of the conflict had bred a hatred that could not simply transform into effusive sympathy overnight upon the signing of an armistice. Yet, we believe that voices of reason must ultimately prevail, grounded in the logical realization that a state of perpetual hatred hardly serves the cause of lasting peace.
    The Christian Science Monitor recently addressed the issue of the treatment of prisoners of war in a lengthy article. In a highly objective and well-reasoned account, the influential publication refuted all the allegations used to attack the War Department for its supposedly overly lenient handling of prisoners. The newspaper's reporters found no evidence of "coddling," saw no lavish menus, and heard of no acts of sabotage--incidents that, according to some other newspapers, were supposedly rampant due to inadequate guarding.
    In conclusion, the influential publication stated that treating even a defeated enemy humanely aligns with the prevailing way of life--the "American way." A shift in this attitude would inevitably lead to the adoption of Nazi methods--the very practices against which the entire world, and the United States not least among them, had gone to war.--w.b.

SUNDAY…!
   
THE FIASCO / By E. Christophe
    Up until now, I had always given the state police a wide berth. I couldn't say exactly why--it wasn't as if I had a particularly guilty conscience. But that's just how it is: one usually prefers the "eye of the law" from a distance.
    The other day, I was at a particularly cheap barbershop. I was leaving the "beauty salon" with a smile on my face when a police officer stepped up to me--smiling back: "Parking is prohibited here. That'll be two marks."
    It turned out to be the most expensive haircut ever. But that's a side note. What I really wanted to tell you about was the business with the policeman:
    The state policeman had a daughter. She was a girl after my own heart. I decided to win her over. So, I suggested we go for a boat ride.
    "I don't want to say no," the lovely girl said, "but I don't want to raise your hopes right from the start. My heart is already taken."
    "No harm in that," I replied ardently, "absolutely no harm at all." Persistence often pays off. We got into the boat. I rowed while she gazed at the rustling reeds. "Row a bit more to the right," she asked; "there are wonderful water lilies blooming over there."
    "Water lilies--oh," I replied, knowing victory couldn't be far off, "I shall pick them; I shall lay whole bouquets at your feet."
    I spotted the first one right away. They were blooming side by side like a flowerbed. I reached both hands into the gentle ripples, grasped the slippery stems, and snapped them off. I piled them into a mound in front of the charming child. "For you," I cooed, gazing intently into her radiant eyes. She smiled dreamily and looked slowly out over the tranquil lake. Then we rowed back home. She sang a little song--a sad, soulful little tune about the poor journeyman who had to pay the bill… Just then, we docked. Her father was there to meet us, in full uniform. He was even wearing his revolver. It struck me as a bit excessive.
   
[ilustration of couple rowing up to dock bearing disapproving father]
   
    As I stepped ashore, he said kindly, "Please, come with me."
    I smiled at her; she smiled back. And so, I walked beside him into his office.
    "Sit down," he said. He took the water lilies from my hand and counted them. "That makes thirty-four in all. Water lilies are a protected species. Picking them is prohibited and carries a fine of two marks. That comes to sixty-eight marks. Please pay. The water lilies are confiscated, too."
    I paid and vanished forever. Yet from the distance, the song of the poor journeyman drifted faintly on the air…

Stefan Zweig on Balzac
Reflections on: "Typology of the Spirit"
    Stefan Zweig is a master of language. The fluid elegance of his style almost tempts one to focus too heavily on the linguistic beauties; the figures and events--the writer's actual creations--fade into the semi-darkness of a blissful twilight state, one that Zweig knows so well how to evoke. When the noise of the world fades into the cool of twilight and the shadows of night envelop the ecstasies of passion, the hours begin that make reading Zweig a true gift.
    He writes about Balzac, the 19th-century novelist. He delves into his world, fathoms its cosmic scope, marvels at the soaring flight of his thoughts, and contrasts him with Napoleon--that ruler who gripped Europe with power-hungry hands, drove his soldiers across countless lands, and then left them to perish in the frozen wastes of Russia. Zweig discovers the connection. The encounter between Balzac and Napoleon--whom the great writer once saw riding past him--becomes the starting point for a different kind of conquest: the conquest of the realm of the spirit.
    The thunderstorms unleashed by disastrous world-conquerors are always followed, after the triumph of reason, by years of mildness. Stefan Zweig describes them thus: "Under Louis XVIII, the saber becomes a dress sword, the soldier a court sycophant, the politician a maker of fine speeches; high offices of state are no longer bestowed by the fist of action or the dark cornucopia of chance, but rather by soft female hands dispensing favor and grace…" Here Zweig sees the beginnings of Balzac--a man who craves not merely the marshal's baton of literature but the imperial crown, a desire expressed in a fanatical hunger for the totality of things and the phenomenal.
    Zweig's greatest work--a novel about Balzac--remained unfinished when the Viennese writer voluntarily ended his life in Brazil in 1942. He foresaw the horrific fate awaiting the heart of Europe with such clarity that he simply lacked the patience to endure the agony. Hitler's Germany had rejected him--as it did so many other great figures of literature and art--even though few others possessed such a gift for shaping the beauties of our language so powerfully, all without resorting to the expressions and turns of phrase characteristic of the cheap, ersatz poetry of the "völkisch" writers.
    It is the humble aim of these lines to send a greeting in spirit to this significant poet--a greeting that the intellectual youth of Germany would not have denied him, had they been given the chance to enter the starry firmament of his poetic genius.--Werner Baecker.

Anniversaries of "Winged Words"
    150 Years: "Unter aller Kanone" (Abysmal / Beneath contempt). Around the middle of the 18th century, students at a Saxon Latin school were so ignorant in the subject of Latin that the town's head pastor himself commissioned an impromptu test. The results were devastating for the boys. The head pastor reported to the town council that he had devised a "canon of five grades" ("optime, bene, satis, male, pessime"), yet most of the papers fell "sub omni canone"--below any standard. Thus, the German idiom "unter aller Kanone" (meaning "abysmal" or "substandard") has absolutely nothing to do with artillery; rather, it is simply a distortion of the head pastor's Latin grading scale.

100 Years: Biedermeier
    Historically, the archetype of the Biedermeier period undoubtedly originated with David Friedrich Sauter, the Baden village schoolmaster whose collected poems were published in Karlsruhe in the spring of 1845. However, the term only became popular through the "Biedermeier" poems printed in the "Lüchener Fliegende Blätter" (Lüchen Flying Leaves) between 1855 and 1857. The term "Biedermeier style" used to describe the stylistic genre that was fashionable at the time when grandfathers married grandmothers, only emerged around 1855.

COLORFUL WORLD
   
[illustration of Tule Lake, mountains, geese on the wing]
What do you know about
Tule Lake…
By Hans Troeger
    Tule Lake is undoubtedly one of those places many of us will want to tell our folks back home about later on--a place that quite a few of us have come into contact with over the past months. When the then-4th Company had to set out for there in mid-June of last year, opinions were divided. Many already knew and liked satellite camps from personal experience, yet the majority were skeptical; they preferred the structured routine of a main camp.
    And yet, the journey to Tule Lake was wonderful. We saw the pleasant towns of Medford and Ashland, marveled at the towering mountains, and felt a sense of happy anticipation as we passed through Klamath Falls--the largest city on the route.
    The distance from here to Tule Lake is 111 miles. As the name implies, the area was once connected to a lake. Until 1916, the valley--spanning 283 square miles--was a single expanse of water fed by the "Lost River." In 1916, the American government began draining the lake to create fertile farmland. A dam was built on the Lost River, and its course was diverted into an extensive network of canals to provide a livelihood for the valley and its future inhabitants.
    At that time, the population consisted of 14 families. Some of the reclaimed land was gifted to veterans of World War I. This led to the creation of "homesteads." The settlers received 50 acres of land, a residential plot, and the machinery needed to get started--all free of charge. After five years, provided the house and fields had been properly cultivated, this government gift became the farmer's permanent property. He was then master of his own land. A town was built in the middle of the valley, modeled after American towns. It serves as the hub for the farmers. It features hotels, a movie theater, cafés, and shops of all kinds. It is called Tule Lake, and its name applies to the entire valley. Over the years, more and more farmers have settled here--most of them having arrived from Europe after World War I. Through hard work, prudent management, and zeal, they have created a new home here and amassed wealth.
    What, then, enabled the land and its inhabitants to achieve such wealth in a relatively short time? The answer is short and simple: water. For without water, Tule Lake could not exist today and would be a vast sandy desert. Main canals, flood and drainage ditches, and lateral canals are laid out so effectively that any plot of land can be irrigated.
    A system of dams and sluices installed at intervals allows for precise water allocation for each farmer. In Tule Lake, "water is sold." Water is a commodity--the very lifeblood for every farmer. Unauthorized water withdrawal is prosecuted by law. The farmers in this blessed valley focus primarily on growing grain, potatoes, and onions. One can perhaps form some idea of ​​the size and volume of the harvest when we mention that, last year, a farmer spent months harvesting his fields with 13 combine harvesters. And each harvester processes 700 sacks of grain daily! Last autumn, the fields of Tule Lake yielded 12,500 wagonloads of potatoes worth around 10 million dollars--offering further evidence of the fertility of this artificially created land.
   
[illustration of sweating P.W. with sack of potatoes]
   
    Once the farmer in Tule Lake has brought in his harvest, a quiet period begins for him. He goes hunting: wild ducks, partridges, pheasants, snow geese, and birds of prey are shot. Later, an extensive muskrat hunt gets underway, yielding $2.00 per pelt.
    At the edge of the Tule Lake Valley lies a small nature park known as "Lava Beds," offering everything a nature lover could desire. A miniature primeval forest, wildlife, ice caves, grottos, and much more make this area a popular destination for excursions. For the most part, we found the residents of Tule Lake to be friendly people who made no secret of the fact--even publicly--that they were very satisfied with our work.
    We hope to have encouraged the people at the Tule Lake camp to report regularly from there in the future, to the delight of everyone who holds fond memories of Tule Lake.

An Example of Democracy
    The surprising outcome of the British elections--which removed the Conservative Winston Churchill and his like-minded colleagues from office--made a profound impression on us, particularly given how little, if anything, we knew about true democracy. We simply could not grasp how a politician who had demonstrably steered a country successfully through the darkest days of an all-encompassing war could, at the end of that arduous journey, be rewarded for his efforts with a crushing electoral defeat. Many saw this as fresh confirmation of the old saying that ingratitude is the world's reward. In reality, however, Churchill's defeat was nothing less than an example of true democracy in action. The cigar-smoking statesman's popularity remains undiminished to this day. His declaration, "We shall never surrender," and his shrewdly chosen pledge upon taking office--"I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat"--remain unforgettable hallmarks of the spirit in which the British people fought the war. Great Britain could not possibly have had a better Prime Minister for the conflict. In times of crisis, as we know, all other demands take a back seat to a single, overriding objective. For the British, that objective was victory. They accepted every restriction and hardship without complaint, yet remained firmly resolved to exercise their democratic freedoms fully once the war ended and to seek a form of government that better addressed the needs of the "common man." As a peacetime politician, Churchill remained too wedded to old patterns of traditional thinking and class-based privilege. His election platform appealed to the man on the street in a manner that was far too simplistic--almost banal. The Labour Party had more to offer. A fair share for everyone in shaping how things are done, greater security, more social support, more consumer goods, and a full share in an impending industrial revolution.
    And so, without passion or excess, with the proverbial composure of a balanced Englishman, they decided. Churchill left 10 Downing Street. Thousands of people cheered him, including an incredible number of his election opponents, who, while rejecting him as a peace-loving statesman, never considered diminishing his merits as the savior of England's destiny during the war. --w.b.

[illustration of fuming wife and spoon in flight]
THE SMOKING STOVE
    One day, as the English Minister Disraeli was taking a midday stroll on his estate, he came across one of his tenants sitting in the roadside ditch, eating his lunch, even though his house was not far away. "Well, dear Henry," the affable landowner asked in astonishment, "why are you eating here on the roadside?" "Oh, sir," stammered the tenant in great confusion. "I can't go inside because--because--the stove is smoking very badly, and--" "That's terrible," said the minister. "I'll go and see what's causing it." And before the tenant could stop him, Disraeli hurried into the house. But no sooner had he opened the front door than he was struck by a well-aimed throw of a wooden spoon, and an angry woman's voice shouted: "Will you get out of here right now, you lazy old codger!" Deeply dismayed, the statesman retreated and went over to the tenant, who had sat down again by the roadside. He patted him kindly on the shoulder and said consolingly: "Cheer up, dear Henry, my stove at home sometimes smokes too."

Prof. Haehnchen--
    Professor Haehnchen in Tübingen was well-known in town for his absentmindedness. His wife went away on a trip, and the good professor felt extremely uncomfortable in his empty house. The students advised him to eat at the "Red Ox," as the food there was not only excellent but also exceptionally cheap--in fact, it was free. Professor Haehnchen went, the meal tasted wonderful, and when he went to pay, the cellar master, who was in on it thanks to the students, told him he didn't have to pay anything, because the food was free there.
    Professor Haehnchen rose, very satisfied. "Strange," he said as he left, "I can only explain it this way: it must be the sheer volume that makes it worthwhile."

[illustration of fat king and astonished woman]
WELL-INTENTIONED:
    Once upon a time, a peasant woman came to King Frederick VII of Denmark, who lived in Glücksburg Castle, to request that her only son be released from military service. Outside the audience chamber, she took off her wooden shoes and said to the adjutant on duty, "Take good care of my slippers; you have nothing better to do." When she saw the rather corpulent king, she threw up her hands and exclaimed, "Oh, how fat he is!" The king laughed heartily at this original tribute and granted her request, even giving a written assurance that her son would not have to serve, as the woman insisted on having it in writing. After receiving the note, the peasant woman took a thaler from her pocket and presented it to the king, saying, "Our village headman charges two thalers for everything, but you're a rich man; you can certainly do well for me."

MAKES YOU SMILE
   
    He falls further: Doctor: "I think your husband will now be permanently cured of his epilepsy." Wife: "I don't believe that, Doctor; when your bill arrived the other day, he almost fell on his back again."
   
    Childlike naiveté: Teacher (telling the children the story of Sleeping Beauty): "So, what did the prince use to wake Sleeping Beauty? What did he give her?" (Little Marie remains silent) "Well, Marie? He gave her the same thing your mother greets you with when you wake up in the morning. So what did he give her?" Marie: "A spoonful of cod liver oil."
   
    Always distracted: "Well, Professor, where were you on Sunday evening?" "At home; and you, colleague?" "I was at home too." "Really? I didn't see you at all."

THIS IS US
(at the camp)

A Palpable Transformation
    For the staff of the camp newspaper, it was a given that the end of the war in Europe necessitated the adoption of a clear, honest, and unequivocal style of reporting--one that would tell every reader where we stood and what we intended the camp to become. Fortunately, when we launched the newspaper, we had deliberately chosen to give it an apolitical character. We made no promises, offered no predictions, and simply waited. We respected everyone's convictions--and, incidentally, we had held our own far longer than malicious tongues today would care to admit. While we were appalled by the horrific conclusion of the war on May 8th of that year, we harbored no doubts as to whom we owed it. From this stance emerged a policy that was initially difficult to maintain, given the voices and influences stirring in the shadows of the camp--forces that could do nothing better than use the vilest tactics to disparage the open avowals made by our staff. After all, no one had forced us to suddenly commit our innermost convictions to print. We simply held the view that uncompromising openness was essential. It also struck us as far more manly than the vacillating half-measures of those who claimed never to have been interested in politics, yet scrambled to cover their backsides in every direction. We knew--and still know--how we were singled out for judgment, dragged through the mud, and fought against in every conceivable way, save for open confrontation.
    While the situation has changed noticeably today, it has not undergone a fundamental transformation. We pressed on undeterred and encountered a surprising number of supportive views from people who had previously held back--whether out of natural reserve or out of consideration for the clamorous, mindless opposition--rather than openly aligning themselves with our cause. We bear these readers no ill will, though we maintain that personal reputation counts for little when the goal is to serve a cause recognized as right--driven by the determination never to let the unfathomable madness of that era repeat itself. We want to win everyone over to this cause--not by stifling opinion or perpetuating old propaganda tactics, but by sparking interest and encouraging people to form their own judgments or offer their own suggestions. For the world of 1945 simply refuses to solve our problems for us and then serve up the answers in regimented, state-controlled publications. If we fail to grasp today that vigorous self-help is the only real help available, we will never surmount the mountain of difficulties--difficulties that no one wishes to gloss over or conceal.
    So, this is where we begin. We need the cooperation and support of our readers. We far prefer open, honest criticism to the saccharine smiles of slippery characters who offer such "exemplary" support in private conversations yet are afraid to shout their views even louder in the faces of the loudmouthed agitators. Only once these obstacles are overcome
can we speak of the comprehensive action we are working toward, for as long as the opportunity remains open to us.--Werner Baecker.

WAR COMES TO AMERICA
Informational film at the camp cinema
    The final informational film summarized once again the compelling reasons behind the democracies' resolve to fight the Axis powers to the very end.
    The first part of the film offered a brief, vivid portrayal of American history. From the early settlers' yearning for freedom and life emerged the principles underpinning a political structure that--having withstood every peril--can today be described as the strongest in the world. We believe that this evident humanization of the state--in contrast to the subjugation of the individual to the state that we know elsewhere--guarantees the survival of a healthy democratic system, one unshaken even by the turbulent, whipped-up currents sweeping across Europe. America has withstood a genuine threat. No one can seriously claim that a Europe dominated by raw power would have left America unaffected.
    And so, from this film--as from all the others--we drew a lesson and a pledge: That sooner or later, in accordance with the will of the world's greatest democracy, all the peoples of Europe (Germany included) must live in similar freedom; and that any threat to these fundamental elements--regardless of its source--must continue to be viewed as a threat to the American way of life, one to be resisted with the same determination shown in December 1941.
    For only then--we are convinced--will war never again come to America.--w.b.

[illustration of orchard harvest scene--and P.W. sprinting for "occupied" outhouse]
Harvest Duty for Camp White
    For the past few days, former gas mask specialists have been heading to Medford and the surrounding area for the fruit harvest. After long weeks spent in hot barracks, this change of pace is a welcome diversion for most--marred only occasionally by a bout of diarrhea caused by sampling a bit too much of the produce. Even eating fruit is an art that must be learned. The first steps have been taken.

American History
    There were some disappointed faces when the names of the first participants in the American history course were announced. We understand that many were genuinely interested in gaining an overview of this country's history; however, one must also realize that it was not feasible to form classes of over 250 men. Consequently, Headquarters made a selection based primarily on the idea of ​​identifying suitable instructors among the current students--men who could later (perhaps in as little as four or six weeks) teach the same course to newly formed classes. All applications submitted are being kept on file and will certainly be taken into account when further classes are organized.

English for Everyone
    Now, even the very last holdouts have picked up their notepads, pencils, and vocabulary notebooks; by the time this paper appears, they may well have already completed their first English lesson. The aim is not to harbor the mistaken notion that Camp White can be transformed into an English-speaking camp within three months. Rather, the goal is for everyone to at least gain a feel for the language--one they will almost certainly encounter again back home. Moreover, the desire to learn--often unconsciously stimulated by this process--is an excellent way to keep the mind sharp. This can only benefit anyone who does not intend to sleep away the rest of their life.

Church Music from Records
    In the third celebratory hour of church music, Pastors Dehlert and Griesheimer presented an interesting and rewarding program to the music lovers in our camp. Vocal and instrumental pieces alternated with choral and instrumental performances. The evening opened and closed with the magnificent voices of Eleanor Steber and Elisabeth Schumann. The artists sang the aria "And God said: Let the earth bring forth" from Haydn's "The Creation" and Schubert's "Ave Maria," respectively. Midway through the program, the vocal virtuoso Beniamino Gigli treated us to Grossi's "Panis Angelicus." String music by Corelli and Tchaikovsky, along with choral works by Schubert, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Grell, rounded out the lineup. Our camp chaplains deserve recognition and thanks for this enriching evening.--Johannes Tiedemann

UNDER THE STARRY SKY
A Varied Entertainment Evening with Music and Humor
    The entire camp turned out, and everyone welcomed a break from the oppressive Sunday routine. The camp orchestra was seated in the boxing ring, which had been suitably adapted for the occasion. They played familiar, oft-heard melodies--evocative, soothing tunes that stirred memories. All performances were met with warm applause.
    The announcers played a significant and praiseworthy role in the evening's success. Gerhard Becker spoke with surprising confidence; he never lost rapport with the audience and even managed to get the entire crowd to participate in his film trivia quiz--a fine performance worthy of praise. Willi Koenig told jokes with a dry delivery and an act of feigned naiveté. The fact that his material often skirted the boundaries of propriety only heightened the audience's enjoyment--and the resulting applause. Gerhard Schulz was everywhere, performing in his characteristic style. His portrayal of Rita--with her curls, glasses, silk stockings, and risqué jokes--was a brilliant performance that delighted the audience immensely.
    With thunderous applause, the camp expressed its gratitude to our musicians and their Karl Stueker, to Karl Adlung for his skillful technical arrangements, and--last but not least--to the speakers who provided us with such refreshing evening entertainment, which we hope will not be the last of the summer.--w.b.

"New World" Book Shipment
    A large number of new books arrived here a few days ago, and quite a few people jostled in their eagerness to secure a copy from the "New World" series. To ensure that camp residents who were unlucky at the canteen also have the chance to read them, a copy of each title has been placed in the camp library.

CULTURE
   
THE POET AND HIS TIMES / Ernst Wiechert's Address to the Youth
    We present excerpts from a speech by the renowned German poet Ernst Wiechert (author of "Die Majorin," "Hirten-Novelle," and "Das einfache Leben," published by Albert Langen – Georg Mueller Verlag in Munich), delivered on April 16, 1935, in the Auditorium Maximum of the University of Munich. On the evening of that same day, the Gestapo took the poet to Dachau. Ernst Wiechert foresaw the destructive path of National Socialism. His words of admonition to the youth are deeply unsettling:
    "…I myself know--and the postman in Ambach knows it just as well--that the earth today is overflowing with poets. When I was young, our bards were old men, like Jordan and Felix Dahn. Today, our bards are young. Between twenty and twenty-five. Yet they, too, might well count us among the rightfully 'deceased,' for our meager works speak only of the dead--of God, perhaps, or of justice, of love, or even of the Great War. And there are those among them who roam the land at the age of twenty-five, not only singing their 'blood-songs' but recounting their own life stories. And there are many--thousands, indeed--who listen reverently to these songs and these lives, for we are, as is well known, a brave people who have learned the meaning of manly pride before the thrones of kings.
    "My friends, this bodes ill for both us and our times. And our era, already threatened by hatred and lies, ought at least to be spared the threat posed by its own poets. In times of peril, one can say to any young person: 'Fight or die.' But one cannot say to every young person: 'Sing or die'--because it would usually be better for him to die than to sing. For dying can always be beautiful, provided it is done with decency and poise. But singing requires a few things beyond mere decency and poise. Nor does this fact change simply because we now possess, here in German lands, a 'poet-training camp' where Herr Roman Hoppenheit--none other than he--cultivates future bards for an anonymous art of the collective, in order to--pray understand me correctly--preserve the national wealth latent in these talents and harness it for the benefit of the whole. Any of you who are at all familiar with contemporary Soviet-Russian culture and poetry knows--knows full well--that Mr. Roman Hoppenheit is thereby following the same path so successfully pursued in Russia, and which we old-fashioned folk call the murder of the soul.
    "But I know of no youth that would allow itself to be molded in such a way. From twenty years of teaching, from a thousand letters, and from conversations held since then, I know a youth that is unbridled and relentless, doubting and believing, condemning and devastating, repelling and devoted. And if, back then, I asked and--from the depths of my heart--implored you to remain humble, so today I ask and implore you not to let yourselves be led astray into silence when conscience commands you to speak; and never, never to join the host of thousands upon thousands of whom it is said that they harbor 'fear in the world'--for nothing, absolutely nothing, corrodes the work of a man or a people quite like cowardice.
    "I do not know if I shall be permitted to speak to you again in two years' time. Nor do I know what I shall have to say to you then. But one thing I do know: that neither now nor at any time in the future will I be able to read Nietzsche's verses without the image of youth rising up radiantly before me--yours and mine:"
   
    Ernst Wiechert recounts from his life: "For the tracks of our feet may well stretch far across the earth, yet grass already grows in the footprints of our childhood days, and the birds of the air feed upon its seeds. And no greater destiny can be granted to man than to complete the circle that God intended for him."

FORGOTTEN AND UNKNOWN MUSICIANS
An Interesting Course in Preparation
    Musical genius is not bound by race or the political currents of the times. It transcends all earthly ties and affiliations, and the world of art smiles at the attacks of fanatics who seek to stifle artistic genius within the confines of a straitjacket.
    We have forgotten many musicians who gifted the world with immortal melodies. We were forced to forget them "on command." Just as forcibly, new stars in the firmament of art were withheld from us. To help redress this heavy debt, we intend--in an upcoming course titled "Forgotten and Unknown Musicians"--to bring composers of both serious and light music, virtuoso soloists, vocalists, conductors, and great orchestras back into the spotlight they deserve. Their own works will speak to us through selected recordings. Registration for this course has already taken place.--Fr. Gr. [Friedrich Griesheimer]


Films We Saw…
   
THE EVE OF ST. MARK--Perhaps it is a natural consequence of our experiences in recent years that we were not overly enthusiastic about the chosen subject matter--war and soldiers. The screenplay was based on a story that resonated deeply on a human level. It traced the journey of a young man who, leaving behind the orderly existence of a happy life, comes to know war and its consequences. The harshness of these experiences fully transforms him into a mature man ready to take his place in the world. The subplot involving a romance suffered at times from a touch of excessive sentimentality. The lesser-known actors rose admirably to the demands of their roles.
   
THE KING OF KINGS--Despite its age, this cinematic portrayal of the earthly life of Jesus Christ possessed an overwhelming power that left a lasting impression even on viewers with liberal views on religious matters. Cecil B. DeMille, that master director of crowd scenes, created a work here that will undoubtedly endure for decades to come. The mixed reception the film received in the camp was not surprising, though it was regrettable; for the ethical values ​​of Christianity deserve--now more than ever--to be shared with people who, stripped of all earthly idols, are stumbling in search of new ideals for living.--w.b.
   
FRÜHLINGSTRAUM--We hope no one was tempted to view this archaic piece of cinematic artifice as representative of the average standard of German film. After Schubert had already appeared in American and French versions, one looked forward to the Viennese interpretation with some curiosity--especially since the cast list (Lucie Englisch, Gretl Theimer, Siegfried Arno, and Oskar Sima) promised solid acting performances. However, this fifteen-year-old film was so woefully outdated compared to modern production standards that it was a dubious pleasure to revel in the antics of drunken, brawling youths from the Schubert era. The musical accompaniment strongly recalled the days when Grandma proudly showed off her first gramophone. As a supporting feature, we followed the "Jeep" from the drawing board to the assembly lines, and from test drives to active service at the front.--Hubert Dierauf.
   
CHRISTMAS IN JULY--The material could certainly have been turned into a charming comedy. However, endless dialogue and the overly grotesque characterization of the executives and their business practices reduced the whole thing to a mediocre affair hardly worth discussing at length.--w.b.

Religion--
   
CHURCH AND RACE / Friedrich Griesheimer, Pastor
    One issue regarding which grievous sins have been committed in recent years--and which should particularly occupy our attention today--is the question of the relationships between peoples of different races. Here, human bonds and prejudices find expression in their most extreme and dangerous forms: arrogant pride based on lineage and heredity, antipathy toward foreign peoples and unfamiliar customs, and tensions between cultures at varying stages of development. The roots of the problem run deep and are difficult to grasp. It is essential that we, as Christians, hold a clear and unequivocal view of the Christian truth regarding the race issue.
    The existence of different races must be affirmed with reverence as a fact--one that, in accordance with God's will, encompasses a wealth of possibilities for enriching human life. There is no room here for ranking races according to their intrinsic worth. All are created by God to make their own unique and special contribution to His service in the world, and all stand equally close to Him.
    Yet, this has been grossly abused. Human sinfulness has manifested itself in racial pride, racial hatred, and the persecution of other races. The Church had to--and still must--wage an unrelenting battle against these phenomena in every form and speak an unequivocal word regarding them.
    Beyond this, however, it is one of the Church's highest responsibilities to embody, within its own fellowship, the reality of a community willed by God. It is charged with calling all people to the Church, transcending all national and racial boundaries. Within it, there can and must be no room for exclusion or segregation based on race or skin color. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, for you are all one in Christ." Whoever allows the actions of the Church to be determined by contempt for race denies the Gospel, the proclamation of which to the whole world and to all peoples is its task and its mandate.

OUR SPORTS
   
Senior Medical Officer Dr. Schott Provides Information:
Sport and Its Effects on the Body
Written by Erich Becker following a conversation
    As we slowly make our way back to the barracks after our Sunday football and handball matches--our minds still completely captivated by the contest that has just ended, the roar of the spectators following the final goal still ringing in our ears--we likely find ourselves occasionally pondering our bodies' reactions to these physically demanding athletic contests. In doing so, we have surely encountered questions we could not answer ourselves, yet which are often of great interest.
    It is hardly surprising, then, that one of our sports coordinators would take these issues directly to the man who is the definitive authority on such matters in his capacity as Senior Medical Officer--and who, as a long-time, outstanding handball player and track-and-field athlete, long ago acquired the answers to these questions from the other side of the equation: through personal experience and practice.
    So, I asked: "During all our athletic competitions, we lose a significant amount of fluid in the form of sweat. Just how much body weight, Doctor, would you say is lost during a football or handball match?"
    "From practice and experience, I know," he replied, "that the average weight loss for a player during one of these matches--which, despite differing game durations, can be considered equally demanding on the body--is about 1 to 1.5 kilograms. As you rightly suspect, the lion's share of this loss is due to sweat; after all, other means of excreting waste products during a match are not a factor, and the oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange involved in breathing is practically negligible." "But what," I wished to know further, "is the decisive factor determining the extent of the loss?"
    "Well, to answer that question, I must first point to the intensity of the effort--which is somewhat greater for the forward and the midfielder than for the defender--and then to the interesting fact that a well-trained athlete, operating with significantly greater efficiency than an untrained person, always loses less. If you agree, I would like to add something to this--hitherto purely factual--answer, something that is surely of importance to every athlete.
    "Wherever mechanical work is performed within the human body, it is carried out by muscles. Fundamentally, this work occurs when the finest structural elements of muscle tissue--the muscle fibers--shorten along their longitudinal axis, thereby exerting force. Depending on how the fibers are anchored to the skeletal system, the result is a muscle contraction that produces the movement of a lever (arms, legs), a rotation (head, torso), or the constriction of hollow muscular organs (such as the heart). In the muscle, we effectively possess a natural engine capable of being called upon at any moment to deliver either 'force' or 'speed'--and doing so directly, without the need for intermediate gearing or transmissions.
    "Just as any engine requires fuel to operate, the muscle must also have a source of energy. It is now well established that glycogen--a high-quality, high-molecular-weight sugar--serves as this energy-yielding substance. It is synthesized within the body from dietary carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables of all kinds, bread, flour, and especially sugar) and stored as an energy reserve primarily in the muscles, as well as in the liver. During the active phase, a chemical process breaks down the muscle's glycogen into lactic acid and carbonic acid, thereby releasing the necessary energy.
    "A significant aspect of this process is the generation of heat, the amount of which corresponds to the intensity of the work being performed. Consequently, strenuous physical activity would logically lead to a substantial rise in body temperature; however, the organism--in order to maintain the vital stability of normal body temperature--counteracts this by dissipating heat directly through radiation and the secretion of sweat. It goes without saying that the body's thermoregulation at low ambient temperatures results in reduced heat loss to the environment, thereby also decreasing the amount of sweat produced (see 'In Practice').
    "However, the fundamental purpose of both mechanisms is to maintain the organism in its optimal operating state--which occurs at a normal body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. A prime real-world example of this is the warm-up routine--including arm rotations--performed by track and field athletes before a race; after all, a runner needs to be operating at full capacity within mere fractions of a second from the start.
   "I mentioned 'efficiency' at the beginning. This is the established term for a muscle's performance ratio. After all, only a portion of the total energy generated--normally a value fluctuating between 23% and 30%--is converted into useful work, while the rest is dissipated as heat.
    "So, when I spoke of greater efficiency, it is perhaps easier to understand now: more useful work means less excess heat, less sweating, and consequently less weight loss. And this improvement is easily achieved through systematic training--especially since a fundamental characteristic of muscle is that it becomes increasingly capable after repeated and progressive exertion.
    "Determining this efficiency--which is certainly possible using suitable equipment--gives us a means to monitor training or to identify the most effective way to perform a specific task, as modern "work physiology" does. I believe that answers your question quite thoroughly."
    "Yes, quite right, Colonel-Surgeon; but now we would also like to know: what exactly do we lose in our sweat?"
    "As I have already explained, excess heat must be removed from the body through the evaporation of sweat; however, sweat can only fulfill this function if its evaporation is not hindered by an excessively high concentration of solutes. In fact, sweat contains only thirteen dissolved substances--primarily common salt, along with fatty acids, urea, ammonia, and lactic acid."
    "He derives his water from blood."
    "Perhaps, in closing, I might mention that, in my capacity as sports officer, I have often heard the question debated here in the camp: is it better to avoid sports and spend one's free time comfortably on one's bunk, or is it advisable to participate in camp sports activities in some way? Your smile at this, Colonel Medical Officer, tells me that you resolved this issue long ago; I fondly recall our many conversations in which it was repeatedly confirmed to me that sport has walked through the years alongside you as a faithful, indispensable companion--and I, for my part, answered this question for myself long ago when I wholeheartedly dedicated myself to sport, a commitment to which I shall surely remain true."

SPORTS ROUNDUP
    Recent matchdays have brought us some interesting encounters. Most notably, there was the eagerly awaited football match between the 3rd and 7th companies, which once again ended in a 4–4 draw. We also watched a handball match between two select teams; here, the "Blue" A-team prevailed with a score of 15–7. Last week offered two other fine handball contests: the match between the 2nd and 3rd companies, won 10–0 by the 3rd Company's squad thanks to their fluid, expansive style of play. In other fixtures, we witnessed a well-earned 13–7 victory for the 5th Company over the 7th. The surprise here was the 5th Company's highly effective defense, which stifled the 7th Company's normally dangerous attack. Erich Deutsch (5th Company) put in a particularly impressive performance. Last Sunday, we also witnessed two company matches, reports of which follow below:

FOOTBALL MATCH: 2nd Company vs. 7th Company (1–3)
    A radiant Sunday morning. The preliminary matches have just concluded, and now both teams are marching onto the field in long lines for the game that promises the large crowd some fine, engaging Sunday entertainment. Immediately after kickoff, the 7th Company establishes the upper hand.
    The opposing defense has its hands full but manages to hold firm for the time being. The Second Company's forward line barely gets into the game; consequently, their goalkeeper is called upon all the more frequently--and he rises to the task admirably.
    The match remains somewhat one-sided until halftime, when Sander suddenly collects a cross from the right with great skill and places the ball between the posts with a well-judged low shot.
    After the break, the Seventh Company plays more effectively. Their attacks gain momentum, and the equalizer soon follows. Now, the Second Company's defense begins to tire, allowing the opposing forwards to score two more goals.
    The match was characterized by the Seventh Company's slight but sustained superiority.--Erich Becker.

THE SUNDAY SURPRISE: 3rd vs. 5th Company (1–2)
    The spectators were treated to a more varied match in the evening. Although the contest suffered from the heat--particularly in the first half--we witnessed some quite exciting moments towards the end. During a very quiet first half, the "Third" team--weakened by the need for substitutes--managed to score the opening goal. A gross error by the otherwise largely flawless defense allowed the opposing inside-right to put the ball in the net from an almost impossible angle. Neither forward line managed to string together any cohesive attacking plays.
    In the second half, the "Fifth" team stepped up their game. They were determined to erase the deficit and seize control of the match. Unfortunately, the heat of the moment led to some excessive roughness in play. The equalizer came from a corner kick taken by the left-winger, who had been playing somewhat lethargically. The ball sailed into the top corner of the far post without being touched by any player. Only then did the game gain the momentum the spectators had long been waiting for. The "Fifth" wanted the win--and they achieved it. With only a few minutes remaining, the left-winger broke through, and the inside-left found himself with an unobstructed shot right in front of goal. The powerfully struck ball whistled past the goalkeeper's hands and into the net. The fiercely determined team had secured the victory.--Lothar Freund.

CHESS CORNER:
    The camp's best individual players:

	Ginter	2nd	Company    7½:  ½
	Klein	3rd	Company    4½:  ½
	Koicher	2nd	Company    6½:1½
	Behn	3rd	Company    6½:2½

    (Further reports on the activities of our chess friends had to be held over due to a lack of space.)

VOICES of our readers
   
JOIN HANDS NOW--PUT AN END TO SLAVERY
    These words from an old protest song of the "System Era" should serve as a warning and a wake-up call to everyone. Now is the time to finally destroy the pernicious ideologies with which fascism clouded minds--ideologies that had such disastrous consequences for us all--and to replace them with the values ​​for which the very best among our people have fought and suffered for centuries. Long before the end of this most horrific and terrible war in world history, our homeland--in profound revulsion--had already turned away from National Socialism and is striving, insofar as it is permitted to do so, to put something better in its place. We must not stand on the sidelines; instead, we must work with all our might to rebuild our homeland. Therefore, the attitude with which we eventually return home cannot be a matter of indifference. Those among us who are older--who had insight into political affairs even before the National Socialists seized power--breathed a sigh of relief when the era of enforced conformity of opinion and terror finally came to an end. But for the younger generation, too--whose lives until now have been shaped solely by National Socialist doctrines, military drill, and blind, unquestioning obedience--it is essential to familiarize themselves with democratic ideas, if they have not already done so. They must come to realize that concepts such as republic, democracy, the people and the state, and so on, are not merely empty words; rather, they form the foundation upon which a freedom-loving people can build their lives. Helping to achieve this through education, setting a good example, and fostering camaraderie strikes me as a task for all those called upon to do so. When we return to our homeland with such a mindset, we possess the spiritual equipment that enables us to contribute to the reconstruction of our homeland and, beyond that, to understanding among peoples and the pacification of the world.--Kurt Semmler

DREAM AND REALITY
    "Whatever fails the test of time must vanish"--a principle frequently invoked in Germany in recent years, and one by which the Nazi regime sealed its own fate. Like a balloon floating in the upper atmosphere, National Socialist ideology--and its organizational framework, the Party--burst. Especially when viewing many images from the film series "Why We Fight," we may often have wondered whether the past years were reality or merely a dream. The German people themselves were the dreamers of a past that, following a terrible awakening, confronted them with a harsh reality. It is this reality that we must grapple with, for it determines what the future will look like.
    Certainly--each of us knows that difficult times lie ahead; the older among us recall with dread the years following the First World War. Yet, did anyone back then imagine that the entire nation would be forced to commit suicide? No--just as in those days, difficulty upon difficulty will arise before us now, but none will be so great as to break us. Let us beware, however, of building castles in the air upon empty phrases, and let us marshal all our strength against a new mass madness. Only with the clear-eyed realism of the present can we prepare for what is to come. Something new must be created, for the old order has passed away.--Hubert Dierauf

FREE CONVICTION--WITHOUT COERCION
    First came man, and through him, the idea, into this world. Nature imposed no compulsion upon any human being regarding their thoughts. Then nations emerged, and with them, concepts for their governance. To this day, that natural law--which brings every human being into the world with an equal right to exist--has not changed, nor will it change as long as this world endures. Therefore, every individual must at all times be granted the right to their own free convictions and the course of action that follows from them.
    They are subject only to the natural laws governing human social order. Yet in all other matters, sound state leadership must guarantee the individual a free life. We ourselves have experienced that this was not always the case. We were simply denied this freedom by people who had been endowed with neither more nor fewer rights in this life than anyone else. By suppressing personal freedom, these men adopted extreme violence and ruthlessly disregarded human rights. Thus, the youth were turned into tools rather than being educated to think freely and independently. The free voice of the people was stifled by unlawful violence.
    To recognize this great danger, it suffices to single out just one point. Although the outcome of the war was entirely clear during its final phase, those in power did not hesitate to continue senselessly sacrificing human lives and the nation's assets, with no prospect of the slightest success. Their selfishness is clearly evident here--a disregard for the fate of the people, whose misery was vastly compounded by these actions. Today, those men belong to the past; yet, contrary to their prophecies, the people have endured and must now carve out a difficult path into the future from this chaos. Had the people been left with any choice, natural common sense would have led them to act differently than those men did. Force, however, suppressed the people's sound judgment. This sequence of events alone should make us keenly aware of the dangerous downsides of the unchecked power wielded by our former leadership. From this, the desire for personal freedom and a form of government based on human rights naturally and logically follows. Anyone who recognizes free thought as a law of nature will regard this insight as self-evident. Yet--and this applies especially to the young among us--one must truly grasp a matter, not merely believe in it. Only then can one genuinely believe what one says.--Max Kroener

THE EDITORIAL TEAM ANNOUNCES:
    We feel that the bulletin board has gained quite a following. We have heard that for many comrades, it has become second nature to "stop by" at least once a day. We are naturally delighted by this and are committed to making the postings as interesting as possible. Just one thing--don't keep making off with our thumbtacks; we do have a small supply, but not enough to stock the entire camp. In particularly urgent cases, we wouldn't be opposed to handing a few over--but you would have to ask us first. Is that really so hard?

    The next issue of Heimat is scheduled to appear on September 9, 1945. Submissions must reach the editorial staff by September 2.

FROM THE CAMP CINEMA:
    "Wells Fargo."--The film transported viewers to the era when the vast expanses of the West were being opened up by transportation routes. It provided a vivid impression of the difficulties that had to be overcome to establish these connections. The screenplay--at times overly drawn-out--depicted the story of a young man who, defying all obstacles and even sacrificing his wife's love, rose from being an express rider to the chief agent of a major transport company. The crowning moment of his life compensated him for all the hardships that had marked his years.
    Strong performances (Joel McCrea and Frances Dee) and skillful direction ensured a favorable reception for the film.

PUBLISHER: The German camp representative. Responsible for content: Werner Baecker; for politics: Erwin Lange; for culture and entertainment: Karl Heinz Klein; for sports: Erich Becker. LAYOUT: Erwin Lange. Heimat is published twice a month. Circulation: 600. ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTIONS: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, Heinz Polter. SUBMISSION POINT: Library or editorial office, recreation barracks. THE ENTIRE CONTENT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY CENSORSHIP.



Heimat September 9, 1945

Germany's Future
By Werner Baecker
    It has not escaped our notice that the Potsdam decisions--and the press commentary surrounding them--have met with a very lively response among our readers. As we attempt today to discuss the consequences this holds for Germany's future, we must first guard against falling into a tone of hysterical sentimentality--something for which the world simply has no understanding.
    Let us also state at the outset that the critical voices regarding the Potsdam document that have circulated in the interim are ill-suited, or indeed entirely unsuited, to influencing the official policy of the American government. For no one disputes that some of the compromise solutions are far from ideal. Yet on one fundamental issue--and this is crucial--the statesmen must have been in agreement: the question of guilt. Potsdam is based on the premise of the guilt of all Germans. One passage in the well-known document states that "the German people are now beginning to atone for all the crimes committed under the leadership of individuals to whom they (the German people) gave their approval and whom they blindly followed as long as they ([the leaders) were successful."
    From our humble vantage point, we would not presume to take a position on this most delicate of all questions. We know only that, even within Germany's borders, countless people--both before and during the war--held the view that the "New Order" could not endure, given the immorality of its stance on "truth and humanity." Discussions on this subject are endless, yet they change nothing regarding the facts that today cause the innocent and the guilty to suffer alike.
    We must also admit that the American form of government--which, like no other document, established the people's share in and responsibility for government--has become such a matter of course here since the proclamation of the Declaration of Independence that it is difficult to comprehend why an entire nation was forced to submit to the dictatorship of a group of men and their police apparatus.
    The dilemma of Hitler's legacy has led to consequences that almost raise the question of whether we can speak of a future at all. According to the intentions of the men of Potsdam, Germany is not to rejoin the ranks of the great powers as a nation. This is clearly evident from the provisions regarding German industry and trade.
    It is entirely probable that certain measures will lose much of their severity if it becomes apparent that reducing Germany to the status of a third-rate nation brings with it adverse effects for all of Europe. Yet we do not delude ourselves. For us, the die is cast for the time being, and there is only one path open: to make the best of a bad situation, provided we are brave and strong enough to contemplate continuing our lives.
    We would be strange Germans indeed if reports from various parts of the Reich did not fill us with harrowing anxiety. We know what it means for millions of people to be forced to abandon their homes and livelihoods. We also have enough imagination to fear the worst for the coming winter, which will plunge large segments of the German people into the most grueling struggle for survival in their history. Yet our memories have not faded to the point where we fail to recognize who bears the responsibility for the scale of this misery. We cannot today fail to acknowledge that the former German system of government provided prime examples of numerous measures that strike us today as so incomprehensible and unjust.
    No one in Germany can be surprised by the wave of hatred and retribution surging toward us from the East. The Poles have simply not forgotten the displacement of their farmers and city dwellers; they remain acutely aware of the ignominy with which European Jews perished--slowly but surely--in the ghettos of their cities. Even today, they clearly see before their eyes the yellow "P" with which our leadership branded all Poles, seeking to exclude them and relegate them to the lowest rung of humanity. And the thousands of Russian soldiers searching for mothers and sisters who were forced to work somewhere in Germany harbor a hatred as intense as any human being is capable of feeling. It is terrible enough that this reckoning befalls people who never desired any of this--who would never have consented to it. It is even more terrible that those truly responsible have, through their attitudes and statements, revealed how little they understood the meaning of responsibility and how wretchedly they exploited the predicament of a people silenced and rendered voiceless.
    Upon this foundation, what we call a German future is now being built. No one can harbor illusions about the arduous path that lies ahead, though we do believe that the individual German--thanks to abilities in the economic and cultural spheres that are recognized worldwide--will eventually develop a standard of living that compares favorably with that of the rest of Europe. We also hold the firm conviction that the rest of the world does not wish to keep the heart of Europe in a state of perpetual unrest. True peace is founded on mutual understanding and reconciliation. Thus, in time, hatred will give way, and the indictment of guilt will fade. For no responsible German today can overlook the duty that we, too, must fulfill regarding the future shaping of Europe. The sooner we sense that we are once again being counted upon--and that our good will is no longer in doubt--the more rapidly a process of renewal will take place within the German people: A renewal free from the errors of the past, guided solely by the determination to act as a peaceful neighbor within the community of nations and to render the insane notion of future wars impossible.

OUTLOOK
Situation Report
   
BY WERNER BAECKER
    It was a momentous day for the Allies when, last week, the pale and nervous envoys of the Japanese Empire sailed past the mighty warships of the U.S. Third Fleet. They were on their way to the battleship Missouri--which had been anchored in the waters off Tokyo for days--to formally acknowledge, using elaborate characters, the total defeat of the Japanese Empire in its bid for world domination. Thousands of civilians watched this display of Allied might from the shore. They gazed with mixed emotions at their burnt-out ships, thinking of their ruined cities, destroyed transport networks, food shortages, and the heavy toll of the dead--and not least of Emperor Hirohito, who knelt in solemn reverence before his ancestors, whispering the disastrous news to them with pale lips. Then the Americans went ashore and were surprised to encounter signs of unexpected friendliness. It may well align with the Japanese mindset to conduct themselves with such humility in defeat. In any case, the huge banners in Yokohama Harbor reading "Three cheers for the American fleet" failed to make any impression on their conquerors. Indeed, during the initial days of the American occupation, the Japanese seemed guided by numerous misconceptions. They managed to project the impression that the authority of the Japanese government would remain virtually unchanged: They convened the Diet and listened to a speech by their Emperor--who studiously avoided words like "defeat" and "capitulation"--only to look suddenly crestfallen when the coolly reserved General MacArthur ordered them home for the night. This made them realize for the first time that, in the future, it would not be enough simply to bow toward the Imperial Palace. For a number of years, the American embassy across the street would be the decisive factor in all aspects of Japanese life--with the exception of religion.
    The occupation of the Japanese islands proceeded smoothly, as did the surrenders of the numerous isolated Japanese garrisons on smaller islands across the Pacific. Matters appeared less straightforward on the Asian mainland, where the Japanese showed little inclination to surrender to Red Army troops. Yet surrender they did--in droves, including all the generals and shadow rulers who had represented Japan's interests in the conquered provinces.
    Amidst the joy of victory, war-weary China also found a sense of unity. The long-standing antagonisms between the local Communists and the government authorities under Marshal Chiang Kai-shek appeared meaningless and irrelevant in light of the friendship treaty concluded between Chiang Kai-shek and Stalin. The Chinese Communists were suddenly compelled to realize that the Soviet Union was making a serious effort to establish stable conditions in the East Asian region as well. Moscow declared its readiness to evacuate Manchuria within three months and maintained an interest in the port of Port Arthur solely for defensive purposes. Naturally, this conciliatory gesture strengthened Chiang Kai-shek's domestic political position and fostered the hope that he might finally succeed in leading his vast nation as a unified whole after so many years.

A RECKONING…  / BY ERWIN LANGE
    With the trials of the Third Reich's leaders set to begin shortly in Nuremberg, we are once again publishing an article on this subject.
    The era of numb, listless drifting must come to an end for us. The unconditional surrender signed by the official representatives of the so-called Third Reich ruthlessly exposed the facts--realities that a large segment of the German people, as well as some prisoners of war, had refused to acknowledge. Today, the facts stand clearly and unmistakably before us. For twelve years, a nation of 85 million people was led by a group of adventurers under the pretext of acting entirely for the sake of Germany--and, by extension, the people.
    The immense destitution during the economic crisis of the early 1930s led a great many Germans to believe in the fine words of these men. From a movement born of delusion and malice, inevitably, only evil could emerge.
    This tendency became evident in the manner in which political opponents were combated; while these opponents themselves respected the dictates of humanity in their struggle, they were forced to endure the most incredible measures inflicted upon them by the executive organs of the Hitler regime. From the Reichstag fire--instigated, incidentally, by members of the government of that time--through the shameless show trials for high treason and the imprisonment of millions of upright German men, down to the atrocities committed by the guards in prisons, penitentiaries, penal camps, and concentration camps, the destructive, base spirit of the system was laid bare. Since these facts--now well known to the public--were also familiar to broad segments of the population, one might have expected a reaction that would have swept away the entire wicked, accursed regime. Yet the opposite occurred: cowed by the violence of state authorities, the masses--seeking only to preserve their lives--became a compliant instrument that an irresponsible government could wield at will. The opposition had not yet become effective; its members had either been neutralized before they could act, or they were operating underground and lacked the strength to strike a blow against the system. This underground activity took place on two levels: the opposition either operated covertly and illegally, or it held influential positions from which it attempted to undermine the regime's efforts. Countless lives were sacrificed from both groups.
    As previously stated, despite the self-sacrificing efforts of the opposition, attempts to overthrow the system from within failed for the reasons already mentioned. Consequently, after every new blow struck against those of integrity, it became easier to subjugate the people and harness them to the regime's selfish agenda. Thus, Hitler pursued his goals without internal interference. Yet these were not merely his own objectives. Hitler himself--acting as the trusted agent of German heavy industry, a role he had assumed shortly before his appointment as Reich Chancellor--was essentially a figurehead for the industrialists, pursuing their aims with the tenacity of a power-hungry fanatic. Alongside these two groups--the industrialists and the Reich government (which was itself identified with the party's regional bureaucracy)--stood a third group: the generals of the Reichswehr, from which the Wehrmacht and its Great General Staff later emerged. This circle, too, harbored ambitions similar to those of the other two groups. An understanding was reached, and every measure was taken to advance these imperialist goals--both domestically and abroad--thereby stifling the German people's spirit and rendering them compliant for the coming global conflict. In light of the established facts, responsibility for all the hateful measures ordered and executed in pursuit of this objective lies not only with the former Reich government of the Third Reich but also with Germany's military and economic leadership. In other words, no member of these groups can disclaim responsibility for the evidence of depravity and bestiality inflicted upon the German people and the world. For this reason, there should be no leniency toward those individuals who bore the diabolical responsibility for driving a nation into the abyss of chaos and inflicting unspeakable suffering upon millions upon millions of people; they must be brought to face just punishment. Nor should their claims that they were compelled to act in such a manner be believed. No, they did not have to, but a lust for power and profit drove the leadership of the Reich--economic and military alike--into conflict with ethical and moral principles.
    Those who were supposedly called to a vocation forgot that calling and the task inherent in it. They committed crimes against humanity and must answer for them as such. Yet it is not only the top leadership that must be held accountable, but also the subordinate agents who carried out orders from above with sadistic cruelty. These include the Gestapo, the SS squads of the concentration and penal camps, the "devils of the Bourtange Moor" (the Motor SA), and large sections of the Waffen-SS. The goal is to eradicate all inhumane and destructive tendencies within the German people so that, together with forces committed to reconstruction, a German homeland can be built within a Europe--a Europe sustained by the will for economic and social justice, granting all people a peaceful and dignified existence, free from the concentration of economic and political power in the hands of the few that has had such disastrous consequences to this day.
    Once the necessary purge has been carried out, the way will be clear for the socialist shaping of our country. This will mark the definitive end of the darkest chapter in our history.

THE FATE OF GERMAN INDUSTRY
    Numerous leading foreign newspapers have recently raised the question of how long German industry would take--without Allied supervision--to regain the peak levels of its pre-war capacity. Some observers, having naturally seen undamaged factory facilities somewhere in the Reich, sent nervous reports abroad. They were convinced that German industry could recover in a very short time, despite the bombing raids. Consequently, they demanded the strict implementation of the announced controls and the elimination of all industrial sectors that might potentially be suitable for future wartime production.
    The New York Times has now attempted to examine the problems facing German industry by objectively stating key facts. It acknowledges that large segments of German industry remain restricted--while others are still fully intact--and thus require supervision. However, the newspaper notes that observers who anticipated a rapid industrial revival overlooked two crucial factors that are now having catastrophic consequences throughout Germany: shortages of coal and labor. It is easy, the paper suggests, to claim that such shortages will correct themselves; proving that view is far more difficult. The coal-producing regions of the Ruhr and the Saar lack both the necessary manpower and the vital railway lines required to rapidly transport coal to areas where it is in short supply. During the war, the workforce had been supplemented by Poles, Russians, and French nationals; today, only 120,000 miners remain of the 300,000 who worked the Ruhr pits in 1939. These remaining workers are primarily men whom even the Wehrmacht--in its most desperate days--had rejected due to physical infirmities. Unsurprisingly, these men are unable to perform the arduous task of mining coal effectively. The result is a daily output of 30,000 tons--roughly one-tenth of normal production. A significant number of the miners who joined the Wehrmacht will never return to the mines. This necessitates the immediate training of new workers for critical specialized tasks--a process hampered by food shortages. Miners require a more substantial diet than the average worker. Even the planned 2,200-calorie ration intended for miners in the Ruhr and Saar regions is barely sufficient to achieve the levels of output that the Allies, too, would like to see today.
    Faced with these difficulties, any expectations raised by the fact that some of the plants remain intact pale into insignificance. Even if sufficient labor and operating supplies were suddenly to become available, the need for extensive repairs--which until now could not even be contemplated--means that years would pass before one could speak of a full recovery.
    Under these circumstances, the military authorities have already raised the question of whether it's even possible to consider destroying or relocating further parts of the industry. For example, the American director of I.G. Farben in Hoechst stated that it would be cheaper and easier to build an entirely new plant in Belgium or France than to carry out the dismantling of a factory in Germany and transporting it abroad.
    The Americans, the report indicates, already have a more realistic view of the use of German industry. Many large factories have resumed production under their supervision. Before the war, I.G. Farben in Marburg produced enormous quantities of serum, enough to supply all of Europe. Today, the same products are being supplied to the occupying authorities on a reduced scale. The IGFA factories in Munich, which produced dyes during the war, are now again manufacturing cameras and film for the American army.
    The question of which industries will be controlled in the coming years remains open. No one knows today whether future weapons of war can be manufactured without steel works, chemical plants, or synthetic oil facilities. The Americans therefore consider it unwise to define precisely where monitoring will take place and where it will not. American experts have been deployed to monitor all I.G. Farben plants (24 in the American zone alone), and the same measures are to be ordered for all plants that might consider resuming production. --w.b.

TRANSPORTATION IN THE REICH
    Reports arriving from Germany indicate that the occupation authorities are making every effort to restore the destroyed transport infrastructure--railways, roads, bridges, and inland waterways--to operation. Shortages of coal and food are largely attributable to the lack of intact transport routes; their provisional repair appears urgently necessary before winter sets in to prevent acute famine in certain parts of the Reich.
    Fortunately, the railway lines have not suffered as much damage as originally assumed. Repairs are progressing very rapidly in some areas. The only difficulty lies in restoring the numerous bridges. American engineer units have begun constructing makeshift timber bridges almost everywhere; experience to date shows that these serve their purpose admirably. Although traffic must move slowly across them, they are capable of handling both road and rail transport. The importance of managing traffic--specifically in the Ruhr region--is underscored by the fact that 30 million tons of coal are awaiting shipment there.
    In the areas occupied by the British and Americans, one can already speak of regular train services again. Although traffic on many lines is restricted to a single track and delays of several hours are the order of the day, a start has at least been made. This has helped ensure that uprooted masses of people--discharged soldiers, refugees, and foreign workers--could reach their destinations more quickly.
    During the final months of the fighting within the Reich, numerous locomotives were destroyed by low-flying bombers and fighter aircraft. Consequently, at least 2,000 locomotives are currently awaiting repair at the Henschel plant in Kassel. The Henschel works have also managed to resume the production of new locomotives on a limited scale, though they are unable to meet the immense demand in the foreseeable future.
    River shipping, which formerly handled a large share of coal transport, continues to be hampered by wreckage and debris blocking the riverbeds. The Rhine was reportedly scheduled to be made navigable again by September 1st, and the Dortmund-Ems Canal was also on the verge of reopening at the time of writing. It is to be hoped that the restoration of these transport links continue rapidly, thereby helping to mitigate the impact of the already harsh winter of 1945-46.--w.b.

SUNDAY…!
   
The Sow
By Fritz Müller-Partenkirchen
    In Mitterdinghausen, it's demonstration time. According to the curriculum, the pig must also be presented. The fact that this class is practically more familiar with it than the Minister of Education himself doesn't absolve the teacher of his demonstration duty. His pointer taps the glossy picture: "So, children, here we have--"
    "--a sow!" the class shouts.
    The teacher ignores them. Seriously, he says: "This here, children, is a pig."
    The class stares in disbelief. Alois, the whip-cracker, is third in line. "But at home, teacher--"
    "What's at home isn't at school. So what is it, Alois?"
    "A sow." "It's not called a sow, it's called a pig." That's too much for Alois, the whip-cracker. "Teacher," he shouts, "I'd know it's a pig, when we have five of them at home!"
    "You may have pigs, but at school we have pigs--so what is it, children?"
    "A pig." Now it's the teacher who's had enough: "If I tell you that's a pig, then it's a pig--understand?"
    Nods from the benches. They know this tone. A cane awaits, or an hour's detention. "So, once again, Snapper Alois, what is it?"
    "A-a-S--pig."
    "There you go, but speak in a complete sentence."
    "Doe--doe"
    "I'd like to hear you in standard German: 'This--?'"
    "This--this sow is a pig."
   
[illustration of a pig]
   
    The teacher loses his patience. He waves his prod: "That's quite a--a--" He wavers between "mess" and "filth."
    But then the door opens. The old, dour school inspector comes in.
    "No offense, colleague, I just have to check again--regulations, you know--it's a heat wave today, a heat wave," he wipes his round, country face with a handkerchief, "a pig's heatwave!"
    The class pricks up their ears. The inspector winks merrily at the blackboard: "So, what are you going to cover today, colleague!"--aha--th' sow -"
    "Inspector, if I may--according to the curriculum--"
    "--you were supposed to cover the lion today, right? Or the anteater, or the cassowary--?"
    "Oh no, Inspector; today, the pig is on the agenda."
    He taps audibly on the glossy picture at the word "pig."
    The inspector cleans his glasses, scrutinizes the fat animal, and says appreciatively:
    "A fine sow--well, children, do you like it? The--the--"
    "--sow!" the whole class roars cheerfully.
    "Inspector, please don't take offense, but I've just managed--with great difficulty--to get it into the class's heads that this is a pig--"
    "I see, I see--well, children, the teacher is quite right; this sow is actually a pig--now, what do you want, little one?"
    "I--I just wanted to ask why the sow has two names?"
    "Hm, what's your name?"--"Alisi."--"And your other name?"--"Schnalzer."
    "You see, you have two names, too--" "But, but--"
    "And you're a sow, too! Otherwise you wouldn't have a bell hanging from your nose! I'll wipe it off for you right now, you wild sow!"--The class is satisfied. Only the teacher is left with an unresolved question.
    "Inspector--I find--a difference."
    "Find?--A difference?--Well, children, the difference is simply this: a sow is a pig to those people who find something in it. And a pig is a sow to those people who find nothing in it. I find nothing in it--and now, children, go on home nicely, because the teacher and I…"
    He and the teacher are alone. Laughing, the Inspector claps the other man on the shoulder: "Come now, colleague, don't pull such a sour face. Having me as your inspector is--well, it's--"
    "--a stroke of incredible luck, Inspector, a stroke of incredible luck!"

Strange legal case in England
    It is well known that in England, every defendant has twelve jurors of his own station as judges. Their verdict must be unanimous, and--to prevent the decision from dragging on--they remain locked up without food or drink until they reach a consensus. Two gentlemen living a few miles from London engaged in a heated dispute in the presence of witnesses. One threatened the other, adding that the man would regret his conduct before twenty-four hours had passed. Towards evening, the nobleman who had been threatened was found shot dead.Suspicion naturally fell upon the man who had uttered the threat. He was taken into custody, the trial was held, further evidence emerged, and eleven jurors voted to convict him. The twelfth, however, stubbornly refused to agree, maintaining that the man was innocent. His colleagues asked him to state his reasons for this belief, but he would not be drawn out and stood firm in his opinion. It was late at night, and the jurors were tormented by hunger. Finally, one of them rose and suggested that it was better to acquit a guilty man than to let eleven innocent men starve. Consequently, a pardon was drawn up, though it also detailed the circumstances that had compelled the court to take this action. Public sentiment was entirely against the lone holdout; the matter even reached the King, who demanded to speak with him. The gentleman appeared, and--after securing the King's assurance that his candor would not result in any adverse consequences--he told the monarch that, while returning from a hunt in the dark, he had discharged his gun and unfortunately killed the nobleman, who had been standing behind a bush. "Since I had," he continued, "neither witnesses to my deed nor to my innocence, I resolved to remain silent; but when I heard that an innocent man was being accused, I did everything in my power to become one of the jurors, firmly resolved to starve to death rather than let the accused perish." The King kept his word, and the nobleman received his pardon.

[illustration of man knocking on door as Elizabethan couple spoons on the other side]
Anecdotes
BY HEINRICH VON KLEIST
    William the Conqueror: When William Shakespeare was once attending a performance of his "Richard III," he saw an actor speaking very earnestly and tenderly with a charming young woman. He approached unnoticed and heard the girl say: "At ten o'clock, knock three times on the door. I shall ask, 'Who is there?' and you must answer, 'Richard III.'" Shakespeare, who was very fond of such jests, arrived a quarter of an hour early, gave both the agreed signal and the answer, was let in, and--once recognized--was fortunate enough to appease the anger of the deceived woman. At the appointed time, the true lover arrived. Shakespeare opened the window and asked softly: "Who is there?" "Richard III," came the reply. "Richard," Shakespeare answered, "is too late; William the Conqueror has already occupied the fortress."

Bach's Wife:
    When Bach's wife died, he was supposed to make arrangements for the funeral. However, the poor man was accustomed to having his wife handle everything; so much so that when an old servant came and asked him for money to buy mourning crepe, he replied--shedding silent tears with his head resting on a table--"Tell my wife."

[illustration of little dog at feet of elderly woman with cane]
A LITTLE DOG STORY
    At times, our little Tinker was a nuisance. There was no doubt about it. He would run right under our feet, rush to the front door whenever the bell rang, and steadfastly refuse to leave his spot on the sofa unless brute force was applied. Then, our aunt came to visit. What happened next was incredible. Tinker turned into a gentleman. He would wait decorously on the top step of the stairs until our aunt had passed by. He stepped aside for her wherever she moved in the house. The sofa was his only until he heard our aunt approaching; then he would immediately jump up and lie down politely at her feet.
We will never understand how little Tinker knew that our aunt was completely blind.

[illustration of comedy mask]
AMERICA on the Move
   
    United Press announced: Mrs. Frank Scully, wife of the author of "Fun in Bed," gave birth to a 7-pound daughter today.
   
    Sign in a Hollywood tailor shop: "Our elegant uniforms make your battles and conquests easier--both at home and abroad."
   
    A Navy doctor on a battleship in the Pacific recently received a letter from his fiancée containing a small snapshot. It was taken on the beach and showed two happily laughing couples, while the bride sat alone and sad a little way off. In the letter, she explained to her fiancé that she spent every day waiting in this melancholy state. At first, the doctor was delighted. He proudly showed the picture to his acquaintances. However, in the evening, after studying the picture at length and in quiet contemplation, he asked his cabin mate: "John, I wonder--who took the picture?"

THE WIDER WORLD
   
A Closer Look at Hollywood
FACTS AND FIGURES ON AMERICAN CINEMA
    Those of us who have been in the States for over two years have had the opportunity during this time to see more than 100 feature films and educational movies. It may therefore be of interest to learn a little more about American film production--an industry we know is based in Hollywood, though often little else is known about it.
    The significance of this industrial sector is perhaps best illustrated by looking at some official figures: in 1942, for instance, 150 million people worldwide attended film screenings--85 million of them in the United States alone. To accommodate this vast number of moviegoers, there were 2,082 movie theaters across 10,013 American towns and cities, offering a total of approximately 11,719,000 seats; this means there was one seat available for every 12 U.S. residents, or one theater for every 800 potential viewers.
    Naturally, these figures are even higher today, as additional movie theaters have been built across the continent--particularly in army camps and newly established industrial areas.
   
[illustration of klieg lights and camera directed at starlet]
   
    Also in 1942, 503 feature films and 600 short films were produced in the U.S., representing 70% of total global film output. The American film industry directly employed over 193,000 people and drew upon 276 different trades and sectors for film production.
    Eight of the most prominent film companies--such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Universal, Columbia, RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum), and Republic Pictures Corporation--invest more than 2 billion dollars annually in their operations. At one point, Paramount and MGM even formed a joint venture with the German studio Ufa under the name Parufamet.
    The American film industry operates its own censorship body--established by the film producers themselves--known as the Hays Office. This institution, founded by the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (an organization joined by all 28 American film companies), censors films--including those imported from other countries--according to strictly defined guidelines. However, the 48 states retain the right to prohibit the screening of a film within their territories, just as each state reserves the right to permit or ban the sale of alcohol.
    In 1895, the first film was projected onto a screen in America, making it accessible to more than one viewer at a time; in contrast, the film used with the equipment common at the time could only be shown to a single spectator. This film did not feature cowboys, but rather a freestyle wrestling match at Madison Square Garden in New York.
    It took another eight years, however, before the first major feature film with a continuous narrative was released. This was "The Great Train Robbery," first shown in 1903. Similar films followed in rapid succession. There was romance, dancing, singing, and shooting--and, frequently, dying.
    Finally, in 1927, the Fox Film Corporation succeeded in adding a sound track to its newsreels. That same year, Warner Brothers released the first feature-length sound film: "The Jazz Singer," starring Al Jolson. Yet this was not to be the final innovation, for in 1930, color was added to sound in film. This appeared in a so-called colorized film titled "Sally," which was also screened in Germany. The first Technicolor film--distinguished from hand-colored films by the fact that the colors were not applied after the fact but captured during filming--was produced by the company in 1935 and titled "Becky Sharp." It required a completely new projection method using special projectors, none of which were initially available in Germany. However, the film was brought to Germany, where it remained stored in a steel cabinet at Parafumet until 1937.
    We do not know what further improvements await the medium of film; however, it is well known--as is the case with all technical achievements--that work in this field is proceeding ceaselessly in our century. This is amply illustrated by the fact that a good quarter of the newly filed patents consisted of devices intended for use in film and television technology.

Odds and Ends
   
    Radio Hamburg announced that 10,000 German steel helmets have been converted into pots and pans for Berlin housewives. How things have changed.
   
    Deanna Durbin, Hollywood singing star and millionaire wife of film producer Felix Jackson, couldn't keep her secret to herself: She is expecting a baby in March.
   
    For the first time in 20 years, Portuguese newspaper readers saw a picture of Stalin in their papers. Dictator Salazar had lifted the ban. Flags wave in the wind..
   
    Madame Pétain hastened to explain that she had never interfered in the affairs of the Vichy government. Her activities during the German occupation: childcare and hospital work. No one objected. Meanwhile, her husband, the old Marshal, had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
   
    Berlin's "Femina" dance hall is once again in full swing. Officers and soldiers of the occupying forces enjoy themselves over red wine and red wine cocktails. The large ballroom is burnt out, but the small side rooms are all still intact. Above the dance band: a large-format picture of Stalin. Scantily clad dancers complete the scene.
   
    The London newspaper Sunday Express wrote: "While conservatism here in England was killed by the polls, the atom bomb killed it everywhere else in the world."
   
    The "Virgin Mary" of Oberammergau (Anni Rutz) told a reporter that the Passion Play had lost about 100 performers due to the war, including "John the Baptist," who is currently employed as a POW in the USA, working on the harvest.
   
    After six years of wartime exile, the Venus de Milo is back in her old spot at the Louvre in Paris. She survived it all.
   
    Felix Mendelssohn, musical scapegoat No. 1 under Hitler and Goebbels, was back in its old place: The first symphony concert in Munich featured it at the very beginning of the program.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)

FROM DESERT TO SOLDIER CITY
Capturing the Essence of Camp White – by D. W. W.
    Those of us who moved into the POW section of Camp White as its first inhabitants on that rainy April day in 1944--hauling our numerous pieces of luggage from the "railway station" to the barracks--had ample opportunity, while sweating and growing weary, to marvel at the sheer scale of this soldier city. Seeing a genuine American military camp for the first time, we naturally began making comparisons--observations that hardly aligned with the notions we had held back in Germany regarding the layout and construction of military barracks.
    Aside from the fact that the iconic barracks gate (not to mention the guardhouse) was simply missing, it soon became apparent that the term "barracks" as we understood it--enclosing walls, masonry buildings, garages, and the like--was entirely inappropriate here. Camp White is a veritable city--a city that even includes women (provided, of course, one excludes the POW section itself).
    As is well known, the United States did not possess a particularly large army before the war. Permanent barracks existed for those soldiers--facilities that likely did not differ significantly from our own German barracks. When America began preparing for defense, however, accommodations had to be thrown up in great haste. The War Department commissioned the construction of "training camps," primarily on land that was otherwise unused. Construction on Camp White began in 1942. The name "White" bears no relation to the white, snow-capped mountains that dominate the surrounding landscape for most of the year; rather, it honors Major General White of Oregon--a distinguished veteran of the World War--whose wife attended the camp's inauguration. Most of us who report to our duty stations within the camp every day likely know little about the interesting details of the site--details certainly worth discussing later on, back home. The camp measures approximately eight kilometers in length and two kilometers in width, though these figures refer only to the developed area; vast training grounds extend to the north and east. As previously mentioned, the soil here is barren. A solid layer of rock lies just one meter below the surface, preventing water from draining away. The result is that not a single tree or shrub grows anywhere in the camp unless it was planted using artificial means, such as imported topsoil. Residents of Oregon refer to the area as the "Agate Desert." Camp White can comfortably accommodate 50,000 soldiers. Two wide roads run the length of the camp, allowing for the smooth flow of vehicular traffic. The administrative buildings (headquarters) are located in the center of the camp. Most of the structures erected are the "barracks" (sleeping quarters) familiar to us all. The layout was designed so that each unit (company or battery) has its own area, complete with a kitchen, mess hall, and administrative building. These administrative buildings also house supply rooms, recreation areas, and classrooms. One can imagine the volume of supplies--especially food--required when a camp like this is fully occupied. Ten large warehouses, including a cold storage facility, hold the supplies intended for day-to-day consumption. Each of these warehouses has its own rail spur. During 1942 and 1943, when the camp was in full operation, four locomotives handled the shunting of the railcars arriving and departing daily. Camp White boasts its own modern power and water supply, an impeccably equipped bakery, and an efficient laundry facility capable of processing vast quantities of clothing in a relatively short time. At full capacity, the camp's vehicle fleet comprises more than 3,000 military vehicles of all types. The vast distances within the camp necessitated a transportation network; consequently, buses run throughout the camp area on a fixed schedule at all hours of the day. Buses operated by civilian transport companies maintain connections to Medford and Ashland--two charming small towns that experienced a sudden, marked upswing in development following the establishment of Camp White. Numerous service stations and repair shops keep the vehicles running; speed is of the essence. One service station features up to 40 fuel pumps, enabling it to refuel a convoy of vehicles in record time. The massive piles of coal once visible at the railway unloading points gave an idea of ​​the sheer volume of fuel required for heating and hot water during both the cold months and the summer. We call it a city, and we mean it: theaters and movie houses (five in total) provide evening entertainment. In addition, there are numerous clubs for officers and enlisted personnel, as well as canteens, bowling alleys, and guest houses. A large, fully modern hospital rounds out the impression that Camp White possesses everything characteristic of a medium-sized city. All of this--it sounds almost incredible--was built in the short span of seven months. Thirty thousand workers toiled day and night (working by the light of powerful floodlights). Prefabricated components for the barracks were delivered ready for assembly; a sleeping quarters could be fully erected and finished in just a few hours. Then the soldiers moved in--men who are now scattered across the globe. They underwent rigorous training. The training grounds--featuring barbed-wire entanglements, lines of bunkers, and mock villages--bear witness to the intense activity that took place before they left Camp White. Today, Camp White has served its purpose; it is doubtful the camp will ever be fully occupied again. The war is over, and the government has begun selling off usable assets to the civilian population. We, too, will leave one day. We will march to the loading ramp with our gear once more, board the train, and--looking back through the window--cast a final glance at Mount Pitt, Table Mountain, and the vast array of gray buildings that served as our temporary home for so many months.

When are we going home?
    Let us state right away: no one knows for sure--probably not even the War Department, which ultimately has to make the extensive preparations, order the trains, and ensure that the interval between leaving the train and boarding the ship lasts no more than a few hours.
    The indications so far that departure is imminent are extremely vague. We all know that the sudden end of the war necessitates a large-scale restructuring of American industry. The organizational measures required for this make a temporary rise in unemployment in the USA inevitable. For this reason, prisoners of war are to vacate jobs as soon as possible wherever they can be replaced by civilian workers. This applies primarily to canning plants and other sectors of the food industry, as well as to port facilities and loading depots. The use of prisoners of war for the harvest will not be affected by this planned replacement; the contracts concluded with farm cooperatives remain in force. This means that both Camp White and the Tule Lake sub-camp will remain active until well into November. No one knows yet whether the U.S. Army will require prisoner-of-war labor after that time. It is quite possible that several more weeks will be spent performing auxiliary and cleanup tasks associated with the dismantling of this camp.
    The American government has repeatedly stated that it has no interest in holding prisoners of war any longer than is strictly necessary. At present, 200,000 American soldiers are arriving in the United States from Europe each month. Naturally, the returning ships will not all be loaded to capacity with supplies for Europe. This fact suggests that, over the coming six months, every effort will be made to send the prisoners of war back home. Priority is being given to the Italians, whom President Roosevelt had promised an early return immediately following Italy's capitulation. Next come us--initially the sick and wounded, as well as members of professions currently in short supply in Germany. General Eisenhower, as Allied Supreme Commander in Germany, intends to determine how prisoners of war are utilized within the Reich. This means that many will return home as free men, provided the "screening" process (interrogations, background checks, cross-referencing with war criminal lists, etc.) reveals that they pose no threat to the security of the occupation forces and give no cause to suspect them of being potential "underground fighters." Prisoners of war who cannot be released without reservation will remain in custody for some time and work in organized units on the reconstruction of German cities. The issue of repatriating released prisoners of war to the Russian-occupied zone cannot yet be considered resolved, as the Soviets have so far refused to accept prisoners released from camps run by the Western Allies.
    As you can see, the problem of repatriation is not as simple as many might imagine. Nevertheless, one should not let this dampen one's anticipation. For the day we set foot on German soil marks the beginning of an independent life for us all--one that each person can build according to their own aptitudes and abilities.--w.b.

Classes in Full Swing
    Never before has there been such massive participation in the camp school as there is right now. The enrollment lists for the various courses are growing longer and piling up on the headmaster's desk. Some people--or so we hear--attend as many as three different classes in a single evening. That is perhaps a bit too much of a good thing, considering that all this is done alongside one's daily work. And when the streets are noticeably empty on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7 and 8 p.m., one can safely assume that teaching and learning are taking place in every corner: inkpot, ham, sun, bad, cap, and sing. The first words have been mastered, and the majority of new English students--we are pleased to note--are making a genuine effort to follow the lessons attentively.

Editorial Note
    Submitted manuscripts become the property of the camp newspaper. They will be returned only if, for specific reasons, we decide against publication. Naturally, all contributors accept the editorial board's decision, which also determines the form in which the work appears. Necessary cuts or textual alterations can rarely be avoided. Letters to the editor, however, are published as received, as they express the views of the individual reader--views we share with the camp without commentary.

Amusing Tidbits
   
    School Essays: At the time of mobilization, the number of men and women on the streets increased visibly.
   
    Writing about the work of the Red Cross, a student notes: "Gentlemen and ladies devote themselves to love. Some are paid for it; others do it for free."
   
    A girl working in the shoe trade writes in her vocational class: "Boots are presented at an angle, with the heel section pushed forward, so that the customer gets a better view."

CULTURE
   
Poets and POLITICIANS
From an address by the poet Carl Zuckmayer on the death of Carlo Mierendorf, the German socialist.
    Mierendorf, whose life's goal was dedicated to maintaining peace and realizing true freedom, fell victim to an air raid on Leipzig on December 4, 1943. Born in Darmstadt in 1897, he was a front-line soldier in the World War of 1914–18. His university studies took place between 1919 and 1922. He was active in politics from 1923 to 1933, serving as a member of the Reichstag from 1930 onwards. From June 1933 to January 1938, he was held prisoner in various concentration camps.
    We present here excerpts from a commemorative speech delivered by Carl Zuckmayer in New York before friends of Germany. Carl Zuckmayer is a popular German playwright whose best-known works--"Der fröhliche Weinberg," "Schinderhannes," "Katharina Knie," and "Hauptmann von Köpenick"--were staged with great success at numerous theaters across the Reich prior to 1933. He is one of many exceptionally gifted figures whom only Hitler could vilify as "cultural Bolsheviks," simply because they refused to submit to the coercion and censorship imposed by Goebbels. We are all the more pleased to share this excerpt because it offers not only valuable insight into the mindset of the émigrés--with whom we enriched America as a result of the Nazis' insane policies--but also touches upon matters deeply connected to our own collective destiny. Just as these fighters witnessed a collapse in 1918, we too look on in despair today at the consequences of an irresponsible war policy. Past events teach us the compelling lesson that we must seek new hope for our future solely in a lasting peace.
    When I think of Carlo, my own youth stirs within me--not the childhood that, for us, might appear to lie beneath the waves in the shimmer of a vanished world of peace, but rather that time of stormy ferment, of breaking through clouds of blood and mist, of returning from death and advancing toward life--a journey we began when we came home from the trenches and the grim doom of the last world war. We returned to our homeland, yet we stepped onto a different earth; for the world had changed along with us, and we wished to live only for a transformed world and within a renewed homeland. It is not merely sentimental memories I wish to unearth here; it is a gaze toward the time to come that demands this retrospective--toward the time awaiting us and the world when the survivors of this war return home--survivors who may face perils just as grave, perhaps even graver, yet who may also receive warnings that are far more vehement and urgent. This gaze toward the future is serious and concerned, yet neither despairing nor hopeless, nor intoxicated by false hope. We, too--the returning soldiers of that earlier era, at least in the defeated nations--were certainly not showered with rosy optimism. We were all scarred and shaped by the war, yet--curiously--despite the darkness of those years, we did not feel destroyed by it. The path into new territory that we sought to bravely tread began with pain and disappointment. We had undergone an inner transformation; we had begun to think for ourselves and refused to be deceived any longer; and we knew--despite every obstacle and setback--that time, the future, and the course of the world were running alongside us, keeping pace with our own stride. Those of whom I speak here were, at first, but a scattered few, And they stood out--defiantly and unpleasantly--from the gray mass of disgruntled, dull, or indifferent returnees who cared only about lost social prestige or the lucrative trough.
    The war had left little mark on young Carlo. In the spring of 1919, we had gone to Heidelberg together, and our circle soon expanded--almost of its own accord--to include like-minded comrades who joined us, people of whom we had previously known nothing, and who had known nothing of us. I often reflect on the elemental, unexpected, and spontaneous nature of how that circle formed--and the communities of life that grew from it--whenever I listen today to discussions and speculations about the youth of the post-war world, particularly in post-Hitler Germany; it gives me a positive feeling to have experienced firsthand that the unpredictable and the nascent can be more powerful and hold greater promise for the future than what is organized and pre-planned.
    At that time, almost all of us came from the ranks of the enthusiastic war volunteers of 1914. None of us had a background in political or democratic traditions, let alone any "party indoctrination." Most had become officers and recipients of high military honors during the war, yet--despite our varying shades of opinion--we all shared the same fundamental convictions: We were committed supporters of the German Revolution, militant pacifists, and true believers in a united Europe.
    Is it so absurd to imagine that among the young Nazis in this war--not just those who underwent the "schooling" of Stalingrad, but among the masses of returning soldiers and the demobilized--there might also be similar outsiders walking about, individuals with the calling to become the center, the core, and the focal point of a new development? We--the transformed generation of 1914–18--had possessed that calling. It remains the tragedy not only of our generation but of our entire world that we were not mature enough to fulfill it.
    But the tide of time rose and swelled, gurgling ominously as it advanced; and while we still imagined ourselves bathing fearlessly and unarmed amidst its spray and breakers, the waters were already lapping at our throats, washing the sand from beneath our feet with a relentless, sucking pull. Jest turned to earnest; the prelude gave way to tragedy; the training ground transformed, overnight, into an arena of combat. A man like Carlo knew at once that his path and his destiny in this chaotic world--a world crying out for shape and order--lay in politics.
    I heard Carlo speak at public gatherings of every kind; whenever he took the podium, he won people's hearts, whether they wished it or not. Even when he railed and raged, even when he put his opponents to shame and held them up to ridicule, there remained within him a trace of innate goodness--that secret radiance found in people of "good will"--devoid of anything base, vulgar, or merely "propagandistic." That is precisely why the Nazis hated him so bitterly--with a hatred mingled with envy and almost with admiration, even awe; for he possessed, quite naturally--by the grace of God and nature--something they could never attain: a genuine bond with the common people. He was always in form, his voice always strong, and he looked exactly as Göring wished he could look: like a man through and through.
    In the spring of 1933, he returned to Germany from Switzerland. "What are our workers to think if we abandon them there? They can't all move to the Riviera, after all!" He was aware of the danger, yet he made light of it. Alongside an enduring, youthful zest for adventure and playing at Indians, there was despair--a revulsion against reality--that manifested itself in an almost blasphemous contempt for death.
    Yet it is only from the realization of death that our vision of life emerges. Only from the death mask does the true face rise; only from the grave, resurrection; only from transience, the sign of eternity.
    Germany--Carlo's fatherland and our own--has passed through a tragedy as profound and harrowing as death itself. Germany's fate calls to mind that dark saying of Christ regarding the stumbling block that must needs come into the world--yet woe to the one who brought it into the world. Germany has incurred guilt before the world. Yet we, who were unable to prevent it, do not belong among its judges in this great global trial. Nor will we be permitted to serve as its defense counsel. Thus, our place is on the witness stand, sitting side by side with our dead--and despite our implacability toward its tormentors and executioners, we shall always raise our voices on behalf of the German people.

Ernest Hemingway, Contemporary Author
On his book "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
    The book by the renowned American writer Ernest Hemingway--which has now arrived here under the German title "Wenn die Stunde schlägt" (When the Hour Strikes)--merits the full attention of readers interested in literature, thanks to its harrowing portrayal of a life defined by blood and suffering.
    It is not so much the bloody backdrop of the Spanish Civil War and its almost inconceivable atrocities that captivates the reader and compels them to race from page to page; rather, it is the immediate personal destiny of young Jordan. A foreigner voluntarily supporting the Republican cause (against the Fascists), he is--in an enviable sense--capable of realizing something profound: Despite the undiminished vigor of his vital energy, he understands that an entire lifetime--with all its highs and lows--must be lived within the absurdly brief span of four days, once one has recognized that the hour has struck.
    Rarely has a love story been depicted so captivatingly and poignantly. One experiences every phase of the brief time shared by Jordan and Maria--the young Spanish woman uprooted by the war and driven across the land like autumn leaves in the wind. Nothing had robbed her of her purity of spirit--not even the rape she had been forced to endure during the war's early months. Thus, she embraced Jordan, happy and filled with bliss. Their dream of love was so intense that the very earth seemed to spin for them; their passion encompassed everything for which human beings might ever yearn. Jordan is aware of this. For him, Pilar's ​​oracular prophecies merely confirm his own feelings: no human being can be this incredibly happy--at least, not for long. And so, he makes the most of the hours granted to him by his brief life.
    Never did the terrifying abyss between life and death become as clear to him as during those silent nights of bliss--nights when his limbs pressed against his beloved's smooth body, and both savored the glorious sensation of youth until the dawn of a new morning infused their bodies, spent from lust and passion, with renewed vitality.
    In stark contrast stands a cruel war that knows no mercy. Jordan and Maria are surrounded by rough men who neither fear death nor spare the lives of their enemies. Their language is unvarnished, coarse, and repulsive, yet deeply human. The figure of the woman Pilar is a blend of passion, a demonic quality, moral corruption, and the noblest human kindness. Only Hemingway's linguistic mastery could navigate this labyrinth of characters to create a book that--like few others--grips the reader completely and refuses to let go. To live does not mean living a long time; it means seizing the moment, gaining insight, and feeling gratitude. Only those who realized their hour had come will know what it truly means to live a life.--Werner Baecker

Masterworks on Record
Continuation of the Tiedemann Series
    The loyal audience that consistently gathers for Johannes Tiedemann's record-listening evenings will surely appreciate his efforts. Steadfastly continuing the series he began last winter, Tiedemann presented a playback of Ludwig van Beethoven's magnificent String Quartet in E-flat major--performed by the Budapest String Quartet--on August 19, followed by an evening dedicated to Schumann and Tchaikovsky on August 26. The Cello Concerto in A minor was superbly rendered by the London Symphony Orchestra under John Barbirolli, while the evening--rich in musical substance--concluded with Tchaikovsky's Overture to "Romeo and Juliet," performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Serge Koussevitzky. Further concerts of this kind are currently being planned. It is also worth noting that the records used are provided by the LCA, an organization that is doing exemplary work in this area as well.

Letters That Unburden the Heart
   
    It is customary for American magazines to publish all letters to the editor, regardless of the opinions or content expressed. Thus, Time published a letter from Sgt. Jay G. Bundenthal, in which he wrote:
    "Nowhere in my life have I seen more graceful, better-dressed, and better-proportioned female beauties than on the streets here in Germany…"
   
    Mrs. Dortha Evans McKnight took up her pen on behalf of local women to voice her feelings. Naturally, Time published her letter as well. Mrs. McKnight remarked:
    "If that (the Sgt.) is the sort of man American women and girls have prayed and waited for--for whom they worked and saved and suppressed their natural biological instincts--then, well then, we have been cheated. The German "Fräuleins" can have him."
   
    Oh my, we imagine the Sgt. will be hearing more about this.

Movies We Saw…
    We have certainly noticed that our readers are a bit disappointed. They have repeatedly told us that on hot summer evenings--when one would prefer to visit the cinema in nothing but swimming trunks--they would much rather enjoy a lighthearted musical or entertainment film than the complex, high-caliber American productions which, despite advance plot summaries, often remain rather baffling to most viewers. Our readers likely know that the selection of films is not made here. The War Department, in collaboration with major film studios, has devised a plan to ensure that all the best domestic films eventually find their way to the camp. And the films are undoubtedly good--take, for instance, "Mark Twain," "Happy Land," and "Magnificent Obsession" (released as "Aus dem Leben eines Arztes"). Yet, these are perhaps not the entertainment films many wish to see. Even the lighter films did not always live up to expectations; "The Cowboy and the Lady," for example--despite starring top actors like Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon--was a rather trivial affair that offered little real enjoyment. That leaves only "The Lady" herself, who seized the opportunity and--despite this being her second visit--found enough admirers to justify a two-day run at Adlung's Film Palace.
    As mentioned, we are aware that a large portion of the summer audience prefers "summer movies" (that is, light entertainment). And since these words reach all the way to the barbed-wire fence, we are fulfilling the wishes of many readers by presenting a selection of films that would surely help make those hot summer days a bit more carefree: "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Kismet," "Music for Millions," "Casanova Brown," "Rhapsody in Blue," "A Song to Remember," and "Lady in the Dark"--to name but a few. These films--mixed with weightier fare (against whose artistic merit, naturally, nothing can be said, and which have more fans in the camp than some might think)--would certainly make for a varied screening schedule that satisfies everyone's wishes.
    "Music for Millions" has already been shown.--w.b.

NOTES OF EXCUSE
   
    "Miss, if you thrash my Jochen one more time, I'll set my husband on you. And that'll be the end of you being a 'Miss'." --Frau Frieda Lippert.
   
    "Little Karl has no shoes" --Yours truly, Frau Mueller (his mother).

OUR SPORTS
   
SPORTS REVIEW
    Recent match days have provided us with many fine and exciting contests. They have repeatedly demonstrated just how popular our football and handball matches are among the other camp inmates, and underscored the importance of our sports activities in this regard as well.
    With the heat subsiding, Sundays could be utilized for matches more frequently than before.
    It was particularly gratifying that several experienced football and handball referees stepped forward to assist. Their competent officiating earned universal recognition and acclaim.
    Unfortunately, some comrades have already left us, and the coming days will bring further changes to our camp sports program.

Camp Chess
    The final results of the tournament for the camp's best individual players are in. Four participants have pulled well ahead of the rest.
    The standings are: 
    The top two players, Klein and Ginter, will now play a 10-game series against each other to determine the definitive camp champion. Behn has one outstanding match left to play; a win would bring him level with Keicher.
    The team tournament for the camp championship is still underway. We will report the final results in the next issue.

VOICES of our readers
   
Our path back--
    "No burden is too heavy to be borne."
    I deliberately chose these words--words that have helped many a person, seemingly sinking into the chaos of a shattered life, to stand tall again and find the will to persevere. They apply to no one more fittingly than to us, standing amidst the ruins of a world that once meant everything to us. Each of us had a life goal in mind, the pursuit of which was a sacred duty. Are we suddenly absolved of that duty today? No, and a thousand times no! Greater than ever is the obligation to set a firm foot upon the road leading to a better future.
    Since it was merely a small clique of ruinous leaders who brought Germany to the brink of the abyss--leaving behind a landscape of rubble inhabited by starving women and freezing children--surely an entire nation, now breathing freely as it leaves a dark chapter of its history behind, can succeed in making what was shattered and withered bloom once more.
    Once before--after a war that no one believed could ever be surpassed in sheer horror--Germany recalled the great human ideals of freedom and peace. Today, we must finally cast aside the notion that wars are an inevitable fact of nature, given that they are always fought by those who neither desired nor instigated them.
    And so our path leads us back toward two great goals: first, to rebuild with a firm hand what the arrogance and lust for power of a modern Nero destroyed; and second, to realize the ideal of international understanding, built upon the unshakable foundations of freedom, truth, and justice.--Martin Ackermann, 7th Company

A letter:
    "Dear Heimlat: I am writing this piece because a matter that has long been close to my heart must finally be addressed in no uncertain terms. For months, many comrades have been waiting for the last vestiges of Nazism to vanish from our camps. I refer to the swastika-bearing eagles on German uniform items that some still wear. They simply cannot bring themselves to part with this symbol of a past that brought the German people the direst distress and deepest misery. It was once called a symbol of freedom--uttering one of the most brazen lies ever foisted upon a people, a lie that brought chains of servitude to countless souls. Under the sign of the swastika, the flower of the German nation perished; the blood of our children clings to it, as does the blood of all those who fell victim to a deranged government. The leaders of that regime now sit in the dock, badmouthing one another and whining for their wretched lives. These are the very men who unscrupulously drove countless millions to their deaths, who dared to speak of the 'ultimate fulfillment of duty' yet lacked the courage to stand by their own convictions. Because of these men, the German people now live in ignominy and disgrace. Because of them, endless rows of wooden crosses stand across half the globe. We desecrate the memory of those millions of dead if we stand by and watch as unteachable, obstinate individuals continue to publicly display swastikas…"
    These lines should suffice to prompt everyone to promptly remove and destroy the swastika eagles still attached to their uniform items.

A Note on Contributions
    We have endeavored to utilize all submissions received for this issue wherever possible. We were unable to include them all. To maintain the character of our paper--and above all to prevent it from becoming one-sided or uninteresting--we had to hold back certain articles; we will publish these gradually, as space permits. Both readers and contributors should understand that our relatively small readership requires a carefully balanced distribution of subject matter.

Publisher: The German Camp Spokesman. Responsible for content: Werner Baecker. Politics: Erwin Lange. Sports: Erich Becker. Layout: Erwin Lange. Heimat appears twice monthly. Circulation: 600. Artistic contributions: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, Heinz Polter. Submission point: Library and editorial office, Recreation Barrack. No liability is assumed for unsolicited manuscripts. Contributors have no claim to the return of materials by the editorial staff. ENTIRE CONTENT APPROVED BY CENSORSHIP.



Heimat October, 1945  The cover shows a woman harvesting grain alone.

CAN GERMANY
BECOME DEMOCRATIC?
BY WERNER BAECKER
    At the current stage of Germany's political evolution, the primary interest of the outside world lies in the unresolved question of whether the Reich--following twelve years of subjugation by a ruthless dictatorship--can ever develop genuine democratic conditions. It would be entirely wrong to answer this question with an unqualified "No," for the general notions that so many among us hold regarding the concept of "democracy" are so hollow and superficial that one is often tempted to advise certain people not to use the word at all. They have developed a certain knack for listing negative aspects--a tactic they employ whenever they feel the urge to dismiss "democracy" with disdainful contempt. Although their objections are, in themselves, harmless and utterly baseless, they nonetheless cause significant damage among those who make no secret of their ignorance on such matters--damage that could well prove a serious hindrance to us during the coming years of reconstruction. The lingering effects of the old Nazi propaganda machine are not easily erased. It was so "pleasant" to listen to the arrogant rhetoric of a Goebbels railing against "degenerate and irresolute democracies"; it was so easy to be lulled into a sense of absolute superiority and security by the saber-rattling of militarists and their displays of marching troops and parades.
    All these notions gave way to a bitter awakening. It did not dawn on us overnight that the Western powers would do everything in their power to safeguard their freedom and independence. From our vantage point, we could observe the efforts being made not only to equip this country with immense military might but also to assist all the other Allies in combating the totalitarian bloc at the heart of Europe. Yet, we witnessed more than just that during our captivity. Newspapers, magazines, radio broadcasts, and films offered us a glimpse of American life--a picture so favorable that, to this day, many wish to shape their own future lives in Germany under similar conditions.
    However, with astonishing illogic, many in our ranks expected that, once the war and the clamor for the destruction of the Nazis had ended, the Western powers would immediately set about creating the very same conditions back home that we had observed and come to admire from afar. They simply forgot that the victors were facing the ruins of a great nation; that the populace had been reduced to political infancy by the government's policy of coercion and heavy-handed control; that the hatred of the victorious world vastly compounded the confusion of Germany's internal affairs; and that, ultimately, revelations of crimes came to light that noticeably dampened sympathy for starving women and children.
    No one should imagine that a democratic state can emerge in just a few months from the chaos of a Reich destroyed by the actions of our own government. Democracy is something that requires work and sacrifice. American history abounds with examples of this. Only after the fratricidal conflict within its own borders had been quelled did America possess freedom, independence, and a government of the people and by the people--one that could have been sent to the devil had it begun to treat the populace as a submissive mass.
    If only those among us who remain unteachable would reflect for a moment on how much misery we might have been spared had the German people had the opportunity, through genuine democratic institutions, to determine their own destiny. Let no one try to pass off the Reichstag--with its theatrical displays of "Sieg Heil" shouting and the unanimous adoption of the most shameful resolutions--as a democratic institution! No, we must state again and again--and cite this in our attempt to prove the German people's innocence--that our "representative body" did not represent the will of the German people. We simply could not have conceived of the extermination of countless Jews in gas chambers, the conditions in the concentration camps, the implementation of the Eastern policy, and so much else, had we--or our parents, as enfranchised Germans--been asked if this was what we wanted when, in March 1933, we marked our ballots with a "YES" in the hope of freedom, work, and bread.
    My God, never in world history has there been a greater mass deception than during the "glorious" years of the Hitler regime. The necessity of bringing the full background of this drama to light, and of attempting to steer German youth toward something better and more worthy of aspiration, is self-evident. It is a great pity that, to this day, it is almost exclusively foreign entities that are striving to lay the foundation for a German democracy through re-education programs. One would think there are enough capable and upright Germans who--simply by drawing upon the ideas of numerous great German thinkers--could demonstrate that democracy is not at all "un-German," but rather--in terms of its intellectual foundations--can be viewed as a thoroughly German endeavor. For democracy is not a gift bestowed upon individual peoples; it can and should be the goal worth striving for by all peoples who view the peaceful shaping of their lives as their highest task.
    Of course, it will be argued that our modest attempt at a German democracy ended in disastrous failure by 1932. Yet let us not forget that this failure was primarily due to the incompetence of the men in charge at the time; placing their selfish party interests above all else, they failed to recognize the imperative of the hour: a coalition at any cost to combat--with united forces--the economic crisis then afflicting the entire world, a crisis whose resolution was certainly not to Hitler's personal credit. Any democratic government could have reduced unemployment through a similar work program--even without rearmament--and established normal economic relations in step with the rest of the world.
    Men who contemplate helping to shape the future of free political life in Germany will harbor no illusions about the immense difficulty of the task. It will be relatively easy to inspire the German people with democratic ideals. Far more difficult, however, is the task of showing them how the necessary foundations are to be laid. The concepts so essential to this--respect for the opinions of others and for the religious views of one's fellow human beings, a willingness to reach an understanding, and tolerance in every conceivable situation--have been utterly destroyed by the "educational principles" of the Nazi system. Here lies the starting point for the arduous and thankless preparatory work. In the long run, this cannot be accomplished solely by foreign institutions; we ourselves must shoulder the greater part of the burden.
    Thus, the final conclusion is this: Germany must become a democracy. Its central location in the heart of Europe and its natural alignment with the West assign it a place--if one may use the term here--within the Western European bloc. Not only the majority of the German people but also our Western neighbors--even those across the ocean--would be appalled if the Nazi system were replaced by a Bolshevik leadership modeled on the Russian example. The task facing the new political parties, therefore, lies not so much in publishing manifestos as in immediately forming a united front with the sincere aim of rebuilding Germany along truly democratic lines. The sooner a new German democracy is established on a firm foundation, the less likely it becomes that the totalitarian tendencies of Eastern European politics will once again steer German public life in a one-sided direction and banish the promising words "freedom" and "independence" from our vocabulary forever.


OUTLOOK
Situation Report
   
By Werner Baecker
    Intelligence reports and newspaper dispatches from recent days have brought a flood of news from Germany. It has been anything but good. To judge by these reports, hunger, despair, and misery are sweeping through our homeland. Only the hope that better times will follow the passing of these bitterest months keeps the people over there going. Yet it is not only in Germany that survivors view the coming weeks with dread. All of Europe is being gripped by a wave of hardship that spares only a very few, extremely fortunate nations. As far as Germany is concerned, voices calling for immediate aid to the starving Reich have recently grown more numerous. We refer to General Eisenhower and Marshal Montgomery; both, through firsthand observation, are evidently far better qualified to understand Germany's current conditions within the broader European context than the shortsighted, hate-filled journalists who--even now--persist in dismissing any emerging understanding of the gravity of Germany's situation as misplaced leniency.
    During a brief tour of the French occupation zone, General de Gaulle declared that aid must be provided, regardless of the emotions the war has unleashed on both sides. In doing so, the French leader has taken a courageous step toward calming the sentiments of hatred and retribution that have hitherto so disruptively hindered all attempts to establish genuine peace terms.
    No one knows what the coming months hold for Germany. The only certainty is that the harshness of the times also strengthens the people's capacity to endure and overcome the greatest hardships. And in overcoming these months lies the only hope upon which we can build.
    American and British newspapers have discussed the unsatisfactory outcome of the London Conference at great length. The New York Times, America's leading newspaper, clearly stated that Russia's stance rendered any further discussions pointless for the time being. In the debate over Italy--to cite just one example--the Russians held views diametrically opposed on every point. Neither side appeared willing to make concessions. Moscow supported Yugoslavia's claims to the port of Trieste, demanded sole control over parts of Libya, and--to Britain's considerable astonishment--requested a base in the Dodecanese Islands, which had been Italian since 1920 and lie just off the coast of Asia Minor. In the view of the negotiating partners, this demand showed Russia acting in an imperialist manner. Another obstacle was the peace treaties for Bulgaria and Romania. China and France agreed with America and Britain that the two Balkan nations in question were--and remain to this day--anything but democratic. Irritated by the persistent 4-to-1 voting ratio regarding this issue--which was of such importance to the Soviet Union--Molotov proposed excluding China and France from further deliberations on Balkan problems. U.S. Secretary of State Byrnes pointed out that the five-power consultations had been agreed upon at Potsdam and that neither America nor Britain intended to alter the fundamental principles of the negotiating process. No compromise was reached. The foreign ministers parted ways, leaving the remaining work to their representatives. The world hopes that, in the interest of a peace so urgently needed, ways can be found to bring about a genuine reconciliation between East and West.
    The situation in the American labor market--on which we have reported so frequently in recent days--stems entirely from the overly abrupt transition from a wartime to a peacetime economy. At the outbreak of the war, American workers had voluntarily observed a social "truce," aimed primarily at ensuring price stability as a natural consequence of wage stabilization. This averted the specter of inflation. Although the cost of living rose by 48% during the war, the increased cost of daily necessities was readily offset by high wartime wages and overtime pay.
    The shock came when, following Japan's surrender, all wartime contracts were suddenly and matter-of-factly cancelled. With the reintroduction of the 40-hour workweek and the disappearance of any opportunities for overtime, the weekly take-home pay of American workers naturally shrank. Unions then became the mouthpiece for their members' demands: a 30% wage increase to ensure they could continue to make ends meet given the unchanged cost of living. Major employers countered this argument. They had no intention of paying millions for work not performed, pointed out that wage hikes automatically drive up prices, and ultimately maintained that--in the interest of preventing inflation--workers would be better off returning to their jobs immediately.
    Thus far, the President has exercised his special powers to compel the continuation of production only in cases of extreme urgency. In recent days, however, there have been growing signs of legislative action by Congress, which will very likely have to pass a law to restore peace to the American post-war labor market.

If--
    When Neville Chamberlain flew to Berchtesgaden in September 1938, he thwarted the plans of senior German General Staff officers who were on the verge of putting an end to the Hitler era. This startling revelation emerged during the interrogation of Colonel-General Franz Halder in London. As Chief of the General Staff from 1938 to 1942, Halder had planned the offensives against Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, France, and Russia.
    He reported to the interrogating officers that in 1938, the German Army possessed only 21 divisions, including two Panzer divisions. At the same time, the Czechs had 45 divisions positioned behind a defensive belt that was more modern and superior to the Maginot Line. Consequently, the prospects of a war in 1938 would have been nothing short of catastrophic.
    Reportedly, a circle of high-ranking officers had resolved to take Hitler's regime by surprise and expose the recklessness of his actions to the German people.
    These determined men included Halder; General Erwin von Witzleben, Commander of Berlin; Colonel-General Ludwig Beck, Halder's predecessor as Chief of the General Staff; Count von Helldorf, Police President of Berlin; General von Brockdorff, Senior Garrison Commander of Potsdam; and General Edwin von Stülpnagel. The Commander-in-Chief of the Army, von Brauchitsch, had been apprised of the undertaking.
Halder decided to strike during the night of September 14. He dispatched a Panzer division to Berlin without arousing any suspicion. However, just as all plans promised an excellent chance of success, London announced the impending trip to Berchtesgaden by the umbrella-toting Prime Minister. Stunned by this dramatic proof of Hitler's political acumen, Halder called off the operation. Not all mistakes, Halder noted, were made on the Allied side. Hitler himself allowed the British army to escape from Dunkirk by ordering the attack on Paris. It was also Hitler who missed the opportunity to capture Moscow in 1942 by sending all reserves from the East into the Ukraine.
    Hitler harbored a mysterious fear of Moscow because the city was too closely linked to the fate of Napoleon's army. Halder believed that Hitler thought he could defeat the Russians by capturing Stalingrad and Leningrad, as he considered both cities inextricably bound up with the political idea of ​​Russia.
    Halder's personal impression of the Führer was as follows: the man was a consummate liar, utterly untrustworthy, and highly resistant to any logic whenever the conclusions ran counter to his own pet ideas. His military capabilities were those of a mediocre corporal.

The Russian Approach…
    In the occupation zones held by the Western powers, the Germans had very little say regarding the reopening of schools. Allied officers did all the work: they organized courses, selected suitable teachers, printed new textbooks, and destroyed the old ones.
    Different methods were employed in the Russian zone. Marshal Zhukov ordered German civil administrative bodies to open all schools--with the exception of universities--by October 1st. The German authorities were "warned" to ensure that buildings and books were ready in time. All private schools were converted into public elementary schools. The German zonal administrator was given a two-day deadline to submit a list of subjects and textbooks for approval by the Soviet authorities. School principals were instructed to find non-Nazi teachers. Instruction, Zhukov stated, had to expose the "reactionary nature of Nazism, fascist racial theory, and the militarism of the former German Reich." His instructions were typical of the Russian approach: the Germans do the work, while the occupation authority exercises supervision.

Re-education in Germany
    As might have been expected, implementing a systematic program of re-education in Germany has proven to be no easy task. An illuminating report by General Eisenhower reveals that the lingering effects of Nazi propaganda--in newspapers, radio, film, theater, and music--are still being felt, and that the void left by what has now been banned must be filled by the Allies.
    American authorities view the existence of this void as an opportunity to provide the German people with new guiding principles for life based on democratic foundations.
    In his report, General Eisenhower notes that the German people are eager to receive news from abroad--news from which they had long been cut off by rigid censorship.
    A start has been made on implementing an information and re-education program. In July, German-language newspapers had a readership of 3 million. The "Frankfurter Rundschau" was the first post-war newspaper to be run by Germans; it has been published since early August and boasts a large readership. Additional German newspapers are slated for publication as soon as a sufficient number of qualified non-Nazis and anti-Nazis can be found. Radio broadcasting also plays a major role in the American Zone in terms of public information. Radio Luxembourg serves as the primary broadcaster for the stations in Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt am Main. Its programming consists mainly of news, military government announcements, religious broadcasts, lectures, and music.
    A limited number of American magazines and books have been distributed and made available in areas where the withdrawal of overtly Nazi literature was felt most acutely. By October 1, five million elementary school readers and arithmetic books were available, enabling the resumption of classes. Schoolbooks from the pre-1933 era are also being brought back into use.--w.b.

Greater Responsibility for Germans
    According to a statement by American occupation authorities in Germany, administrative duties in rural districts and cities are to be returned to German officials on November 15, 1945. This measure is regarded as the first step toward developing a new, autonomous German government capable of meeting the demands of the post-war years. The administration of the individual states remains in the hands of military authorities until December 15; thereafter, these functions will be taken over by German officials, subject only to supervision by representatives of the occupying power. The plans of the American authorities go even further: Supervision of county administrations is to cease on April 30, 1946, and that of municipal administrations on June 30--provided, however, that proper elections can be held before these dates.
    We can only welcome these resolutions. Everything we have learned so far about the current situation in Germany reveals a profound sense of helplessness and confusion--stemming primarily from the complete sidelining of the civil service, which is now, as the report states, increasingly resuming its duties following the purge of active National Socialists.--w.b.

Time is of the essence…
BY ERWIN LANGE
    Lately, signs of dismay have been mounting within the camp regarding the news reaching us from Germany via the American press. While the picture emerging from these reports varies depending on the specific occupation zone, an underlying trend is undeniable: the German population is left defenseless against the hardships of the coming winter and all their dire consequences. This lack of protection extends to all Germans, regardless of whether they actively opposed the former regime or were its ardent supporters.
    A significant number of our own people currently in this prisoner-of-war camp--even those who were once truly convinced supporters of the regime--have, after difficult inner struggles of conscience, come to the conclusion that the past twelve years represented a reign of pure nihilism in political, economic, and cultural terms. Those who had opposed this entire nefarious system from the start knew exactly why; after all, some of them had experienced its methods firsthand.
    A small fraction of our camp inmates--a group now of negligible importance--remains utterly deluded regarding the past and present, clinging to the specter of National Socialism. These individuals justify their stance by claiming that the failure of the men involved had nothing to do with the "idea" itself. Such devotees of the "idea" are beyond help, and we no longer rely on them; indeed, we attach not the slightest value to their cooperation. However, what we do want--and what we urge upon those who, having reached this realization themselves, are now willingly making themselves available for the political and economic reconstruction of Germany--is this: Please bear in mind that the conditions currently prevailing in Germany, with all their consequences as reported by the local press, are merely the result of the chaos wrought by the war; that even for the occupying powers--with their differing fundamental approaches to the problems back home--it is impossible to reach a consensus and, consequently, a tolerable solution overnight; and that the people currently wandering the German countryside as victims of this chaotic situation must be viewed simply as casualties of the war--just like the potential victims of the famine that various quarters have confidently predicted.
    Let us draw this conclusion: that for the survivors--among whom we count ourselves--there rests an even greater obligation to devote all our energies to preventing a second catastrophe of a similar nature; and that we will not allow ourselves to be diverted by anyone or anything from the path we have recognized as right, and will put our insights into practice. The past was hard, and the present is hard. The future will be harder still. Often--as right now--we will ask ourselves: Is it really worth it?
    Rest assured, it is worth standing up for the inalienable human right to life--even under the most unbearable conditions. It is worth advocating for economic, political, and social justice among people. It is worth building Germany according to these principles--worthy of its finest sons and daughters--and making it a cornerstone of a Europe where every individual and every nation can live in the full realization of their potential. Yet in such a Europe, there will be no room left for the exploitation of one person by another, or of one nation by another. In the name of justice, we--who have dedicated our lives to it--will pursue our path. And marching alongside us will be all those who, having had their eyes opened by the events of the recent past, have also joined the sacred cause of the masses of all peoples. Undeterred by any passing circumstances, we know only one thing--we must know only one thing: Always forward, never backward.

A COLORFUL WORLD
   
AT THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA:
ENERGY FROM ATOMS
   
BY KARL HEINZ KLEIN
    While we, in the "Magic Mountain"-esque seclusion of prisoner-of-war camps, became acutely aware of the oppressively sluggish passing of days and the alarmingly rapid flight of years, events of immense, world-altering magnitude were unfolding in the outside world--events of a scale and speed rarely seen before in such a brief span of time. This is not the place to discuss the profound transformations in the political and economic face of the world, even though their significance touches us deeply. Instead, we wish to speak of an epochal invention--one that, only a few years ago, was merely a bizarre figment of the imagination found in science fiction novels, but has since become a reality and a weapon of destructive power beyond all comprehension: the atomic bomb.
    Years of sustained labor and painstaking research were devoted to unlocking the secret of "nuclear fission." German and Allied scientists, spurred on by the rivalry between warring powers seeking ever-better and more devastating weaponry, redoubled their efforts during the war. For a long time, the Germans held the lead in pure research, yet all their endeavors ultimately succumbed to the sheer scale of mass production--unhindered by bombing raids--achieved by the Allies.
    On August 5 and 8, atomic bombs dropped from American aircraft wiped the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki off the face of the earth, marking the dawn of a new age: the age of atomic energy. All previous military concepts and strategic factors were suddenly rendered obsolete. From that moment on, mighty naval forces and air squadrons, tanks, artillery, and even soldiers belonged more to the past than to the future. In a future war, a single atomic bomb launched as a V-rocket will suffice to shatter entire divisions. Only those who possess the secret of the atomic bomb and the means to manufacture it will be powerful in the military sense. Furthermore, it is impossible to foresee the extent to which the harnessing of atomic energy will reshape the economic and political fabric of our planet. Will the resource-rich and highly industrialized nations be able to maintain their advantage over others less well-endowed? Will not a "world state" built on a democratic foundation become the goal to strive for?
    When an atomic bomb--whose key component is uranium (U-239)--explodes, billions upon billions of neutrons are hurled into space at speeds of millions of miles per hour within a tiny fraction of a second. The explosive power of a single pound of this element--the heaviest known to man, occupying no more space than a small cube--is equivalent to that of 1,000 tons of dynamite (TNT). We can grasp the immense destructive force of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan by considering that each contained an explosive charge of approximately 20 pounds of U-239.
    To prevent their devastating effect from being wasted on the creation of massive craters, these bombs are set to detonate before striking the ground. The resulting blast wave spreads horizontally in all directions at unimaginable speed--like a cataclysmic tidal wave--shredding everything in its path and leveling whatever stands in its way.
    Even at a distance of half a mile, the gale-force wind generated by the blast travels at 750 miles per hour--four times the speed of the most violent hurricane. The heat instantly unleashed by the explosion rivals the searing intensity of the sun. Air crews 100 miles away from Hiroshima witnessed a light "brighter than the sun."
   
[illustration of spaceship hurtling toward planet]
   
    Despite the immense explosive power of an atomic bomb, fears that the Earth might be shattered into ruins by failed manufacturing attempts or the use of this "world-splitter"--while perhaps metaphorically understandable--are in reality entirely unfounded. The vast majority of the matter composing Mother Earth is "inert" material that acts to "smother" atomic energy releases. Equally unfounded is the alarming notion that the explosion of atomic bombs would render the Earth's surface radioactive and leave the affected areas uninhabitable for many years. While the release of atomic energy does increase the radioactivity of any material within the blast zone, the effect dissipates very rapidly; the most dangerous forms of radiation vanish after just a thousandth of a second.

[illustration of three bears]
THREE LITTLE BEARS
An Encounter in Germany
    A stocky, imposing-looking Red Army captain had been in Berlin for only about a week. He had heard wonderful stories about "sophisticated" Berlin and its even more "sophisticated" women, and thus could not shake a feeling of disappointment when he saw only careworn housewives scavenging for food and fuel among the ruined buildings.
    But then, one day, the "other side" of Berlin appeared in his small, plain office: a stunning platinum blonde whose shimmering satin dress revealed shapely knees as she took a seat beside his desk. She fluttered her long, blue-tinted eyelashes sweetly and beamed at him with a regal, Madonna-like smile:
    "You see, it is about the reopening of our Berlin circus. Not about me--I am a circus performer--but we have three bears. They were evacuated here from the south during the final weeks of the war, and now we don't know how to feed the poor things."
    Her long fingers, with their glowing, bright-red lacquered nails, made a gesture of pleading helplessness.
    The captain cleared his throat several times, looking embarrassed: "Well, a matter regarding food supplies… Hmm… That really ought to be handled by the provisions department. This is the cultural department."
    Once again, the blonde woman smiled sweetly at him: "That is perfectly true; our circus is a cultural institution. Wouldn't the Captain like to come along and take a look at the bears? They are such sweet, charming bears, and I've housed them right next to my own room! Surely a solution could be found to save the adorable little bears from a cruel death by starvation? Please, Captain--you surely have a mess hall here…"
    The Red Army captain blurted out: "Naturally--of course; but that would be impossible--simply impossible." The circus performer would not take no for an answer.
    And so it happened--as often occurs even in the best-organized armies--that an unusual order was issued; the next day, three shaggy, scruffy creatures appeared to gorge themselves on the leftovers from the commandant's mess hall. The following day, an even more unusual order was issued: the bear food was to be delivered daily to the bears' quarters, right next to the circus performer's room. Three days later--again, as often happens even in the best-organized armies--word of these orders reached a general. He immediately forbade any further bear-feeding and unleashed a merciless dressing-down upon the well-meaning captain. The three little bears and their caring blonde keeper have not been seen since…

Odds and Ends
   
    When President Truman recently visited his old barber in Kansas City, he explicitly requested that none of that "smelly stuff" be put in his hair. The bewildered barber looked ruefully past all the bottles of Kreml, Wildroot, and Fitch and sought refuge at the water tap. Mr. Truman was satisfied.
   
    Prince Higashi-Kuni, the Japanese Prime Minister (who has since left office), devised a counterpoint to America's wartime slogan, "Remember Pearl Harbor." In a press interview with American reporters, he addressed a pious wish to his conquerors: "Forget Pearl Harbor." One wonders if he might have been mistaken about that…
   
    Russian officers no longer sit at the same tables as ordinary soldiers in communal mess halls. They now enjoy certain advantages over non-commissioned officers and enlisted men; the most notable "highlights" include tax exemptions, permanent orderlies for boot polishing and similar unpleasant chores, and special rations.
   
    With the end of the war, restaurants in London's fashionable West End very discreetly informed their guests that gentlemen were expected--"out of consideration and courtesy toward the ladies"--to appear for dinner in evening dress once again.
   
    Of America's 13,000,000 Black citizens, 12,000,000 have at least one white ancestor.
   
    Spain is the only Christian nation that has not yet introduced compulsory education.
   
    A corporal reported to his lieutenant: "Corporal Jones has the First Sergeant's permission to speak to Lieutenant Johnson."
    "What can I do for you?" asked Johnson.
    "Lieutenant," the corporal said, standing at perfect attention, "I am being discharged in the next few days. I have observed you for a long time, and I must say I have been quite favorably impressed."
    The lieutenant's manner turned cool. But the corporal continued:
    "I run a construction company on the West Coast. If you should return to civilian life, I would be happy to offer you a position in my firm."
   
    An agitated army recruit asked his company officer for immediate leave. He cited his young wife's impending delivery as the reason. Permission was granted, and once the leave papers were ready, the officer asked once more exactly when the baby was expected to arrive. The answer was somewhat unexpected: "About nine months after I get home!"

[illustration of treasure chest]
THE COLORFUL CHEST
   
    The first railway in Germany: The railway line from Leipzig to Dresden opened on April 27, 1839. Construction had begun on May 8, 1837, with 600 men at work--amidst the head-shaking of most narrow-minded locals, who strongly doubted the venture would succeed. After all, the postmaster in Meissen had dismissed the whole thing as a "stillborn child" and refused to sell a single one of his 40 or 50 horses. The view held by the citizens of Meissen was also quite naive: They wanted the railway routed as far away from the town as possible so as not to harm the livelihoods of carters, wagon makers, blacksmiths, and the like. They were obliging enough to route the line several miles away into the hills and--near Oberaus--indulge in the costly but rather superfluous luxury of a tunnel. Such are the recollections of an elderly Saxon, who also describes the primitive open carriages--protected against drafts and soot only by canvas side-curtains--which nonetheless drew the amazement of all who saw them.
   
    Smart thinking: In a village in Limburg, a public road was to be leveled; the surveyor who was called in managed, with great difficulty, to mark out the route using stakes. He then asked the village headman to ensure the stakes weren't stolen over the weekend. When the surveyor returned on Monday, the pegs were gone. When he questioned the headman, the latter replied that, to prevent them from being stolen, he had had them stored safely in the municipal building.
   
    Tower clocks: More than 600 years have passed since the first clock was installed on a tower. This venerable forefather of all our tower clocks is said to be the very clock that, in 1309, first announced the time to the citizens of Milan from the campanile of St. Eustorgio. Dante mentioned it several times; it caused a great sensation far and wide and provided many a poet with the inspiration for the opening lines of a poem. For six centuries now, this clock has looked down upon the ever-changing bustle of human activity--itself alone remaining equable, steadfast, and punctual, while the times and life all around it have undergone such manifold changes.
   
    What a tiny mouse can cause: One evening, all of Geneva was plunged into darkness for nearly half an hour. The electric lighting failed suddenly; no fewer than 166,000 lights lost their glow in an instant. When the authorities investigated the cause of the incident, they discovered the partially charred carcass of a small mouse inside the control cabinet. Attracted by the warmth, the animal had evidently crept along the wiring and created a connection that resulted in the blackout. The dead mouse is now kept in the municipal lighting museum.

Our Short Story--
   
[illustration of parrot]
Love Makes You Inventive
    I love Leonore; I loved Leonore. And it happened like this: Leonore is a charming girl. Anyone who sees her on the street--at the age of twenty-two--is bound to turn around and look. That is how beautiful she is.
    So, I was in love. Hopelessly in love. With Leonore. My friend Felix was in love, too. Also with Leonore.
    At first, Felix and I glared at each other. Then, we ignored each other. Finally, in the last stage, we started giving Leonore gifts. And what gifts they were. We tried to outdo one another. We tried to beat each other out. Leonore laughed. And she had every reason to laugh. Who wouldn't laugh when two men in love are hauling in gifts?
    We started with lucky charm bracelets--Felix and I. Then we moved on to books and boxes of luxury chocolates. When that didn't help--when Leonore still wouldn't choose one of us--we gave her bicycles and folding kayaks.
    Suddenly--finally--I had a brilliant thought. A dazzling idea. Now it was bound to work. Now I had it figured out. Now I would beat Felix. Beat him hands down.
    I headed straight for a shop. A pet shop specializing in birds. There, I bought a parrot. A real, tropical parrot--one guaranteed to say its own name.
    "What's his name?" I asked the man.
    "Unfortunately, his name is 'Blockhead,'" he replied, "but he rarely says it--only when he's in a very good mood. Still, he's young and learns easily. Just teach him a few simple sentences."
    From then on, I avoided all social gatherings and stayed home. Sitting in front of my parrot.
    The man from the bird shop was right. He learned easily. He truly never said his name. And a good thing, too--after all, you can hardly call a parrot a "blockhead."
    I taught him two very simple, short phrases. First: "Do stay a little longer, darling." And second: "Thank God."
    That was my brilliant idea. The next time the two of us were sitting with Leonore, I would suddenly stand up and say:
    "I'm afraid I have to go now." At that cue, my parrot would flutter his green wings and call out: "Do stay a little longer, darling."
    Then I would sit back down. The parrot, meanwhile, would say contentedly: "Thank God." And I would grin over at Felix--who would by then be getting a bit worked up--and say: "Well, when even the dear little creature asks me to stay, I suppose I'd better."
    Unfortunately, things turned out quite differently. Quite differently. I had given Leonore my parrot. He was sitting by the window, smiling out at the view. Once again, the three of us were seated around a charmingly set table--Leonore, Felix, and I.
    Suddenly, Felix stood up. "I'm afraid I have to go now," he said hurriedly. I rejoiced; the fool was leaving me alone with Leonore. But just as Felix was about to walk out the door, the beast squawked from the window: "Do stay a while longer, darling."
    I turned blue with rage and shook my napkin threateningly at the window. "You don't say," Felix marveled, scratching the creature's feathers. "Well, if even the dear little thing asks me to, then of course I'll stay."
    "He does that with everyone," I retorted irritably, standing up and slowly making my way to the door as well. The parrot was examining his toenails.
    "I have to go now," I said loudly. I put on my coat. The bird didn't budge. "I have to go now," I repeated, much louder this time, glaring angrily at the green devil. He didn't even twitch his beak.
    "I have to go now!" I bellowed for the third time, so furiously that the plaster behind the wallpaper began to crumble.
    "Thank God!" the beast screeched, flapping its wings.
    Felix grinned; Leonore smiled. Without a word, I stormed out. The devil take you, I thought--all three of you!
    As I dashed down the stairs, I heard that little devil with the hooked beak let out three shrill whistles behind me: "Blockhead! Blockhead!"
    Did he finally know his own name, or was he referring to me?
[illustration of man rushing for door as couple snuggles]

Movie Corner
   
    YOUNG MR. LINCOLN.--The film offered a faithful portrait of the United States during the early decades of the 19th century. Amidst the growth and expansion of new towns and territories, the vigorous young personality of Abraham Lincoln emerged; with tireless tenacity, he made his way from a humble shop clerk in New Salem to the presidency of the United States. The film stops short of the point where those around him begin to realize he is destined for greatness; the narrative concludes once the viewer is convinced that the character possesses all the traits of a noble spirit. It starred Henry Fonda and Marjorie Weaver. --w.b.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)

[illustration of sheaf of grain]
Harvest Time
    With the harvesting of the fields and the southward migration of the birds, the harvest season draws to a close--a time that instinctively turns people's thoughts toward the coming winter. In these days and weeks, our primary concerns do not center on ourselves, but on those close to our hearts. We do not know what tangible things they are harvesting today. We cannot guess what necessities of life remain to them--what will enable them to survive the winter. We can only hope.
    How long have we been hoping? Oh, a great deal of time has passed since we first hoped for anything in our lives. And yet--how little of that has come to pass, and how much more remains to be wished for.
    But has this led us--standing now on the threshold of a new winter that may bring the hardest task of our lives so far, namely a new beginning--to dissolve into bleak hopelessness? No. We believe that all trials and all suffering reach their limits at a certain point, and that a balance will be restored--something we can well describe, by analogy with the seasons, as a new spring. To hope for this brings comfort and enlightenment. The winter night may be dark, but the knowledge of the spring sun that follows makes even that darkness bearable.

[illustration of row of trucks and one car]
Football Convoy
    It is, of course, a very different matter when the farm wagons appear at the camp gate on a Sunday afternoon. It is not just that the empty sacks are missing; the people waiting look different, too. There are pressed trousers, fresh shirts, and jaunty neckerchiefs--in short: everyone is ready to go out. Most of those scrambling onto the wagons are going simply to watch the game; others want to visit a friend; and still others--how clever they really are!--undertake the journey simply to create a tangible sense of how time is passing: four trips to Tule Lake--and the whole thing here is over. And who wouldn't be happy at the mere thought of that?

So Natural--
    When the members of the 8th Company returned to their home base, Camp White, there was, of course, some surprise and questions on both sides, but no one seriously considered that living together again would simply be impossible. The fact that we in Germany will all face the same difficulties and challenges may have contributed to making the reunification easier from the very beginning. Under normal political circumstances, differences of opinion never lead to open hostility or even physical attacks. Only in the abnormal political atmosphere of the previous system was it the "duty" of every "good" fellow citizen to either physically or morally slap their neighbor in the face if they weren't marching in the same direction. Everyone is now free from this questionable duty. We must learn to respect every opinion that, in its basic principle, is to help our beleaguered homeland to the best of our ability. And surely we all want that.

[illustration of bearded man smoking pipe]
The Clever Uncle
    The uncle was once asked if he had any siblings. He explained that his half-brother had died 125 years ago. Since he himself is only 75 years old, everyone thought it was a joke, and they shook their heads in astonishment when the uncle assured them that his statement was true. How is this relationship possible?
    Uncle posed the following question: "For example, every morning at seven o'clock, a steamer departs from both Europe and America, taking exactly seven days for the crossing. How many steamers would one encounter after departing on such a journey?
    We want to consider the question from each direction, because it contains a trap…
    Uncle would like to know the following from us: Can a sheet of paper be folded 50 times? How large would this sheet have to be? We will first try it with a thin sheet of tissue paper, just to be safe, and then make our findings.
    (Solutions on the last page of this issue)

Camp School Update
    Word has likely spread by now that the camp school has no intention of shutting down operations entirely, even if things aren't currently running quite as ideally as students and teachers might wish. However, the "old hands" from Tulelake--who until now haven't had many opportunities to attend structured courses--have now received a friendly invitation to sign up for a short course on American history. The idea of ​​continuing the geography course has merely been mentioned for the time being, though it could resurface if the potato harvest ends early and departure for Camp White is delayed. Very few students have allowed their correspondence courses to be interrupted. New registrations have already been received, and more are being accepted; the desire for further education is strong.

Odds and Ends
   
    A number of African tribes adhere to a peculiar tradition that demands "a life for a life." Before a murderer begins his prison sentence, he is compelled to live with the victim's widow or sister until a child is born. In this way, it is ensured that for every life wantonly destroyed, a new one must at least be brought into the world.
   
    By the end of November 1944, 28,040 Canadians had become casualties of the recent war. During the same period, 71,350 Canadians died of cancer.
   
    A sergeant wrote from Morocco: For centuries, the status of Arab women in North Africa was very low. While the man, as head of the household, always rode a donkey, the woman had to walk behind, heavily laden with household goods. But the war changed things somewhat. True, the man still sits on the donkey while the woman walks, but with this difference: she now trots ahead of the donkey--because there are still uncleared landmines in Africa!
   
    A woman wrote to her daily newspaper from a very secluded summer retreat: "My sister and I don't feel particularly lonely here--after all, we can talk to each other--but we do miss having another woman to talk about…"
   
    An author included the following remarkable dedication in his book: "To my wife, without whose absence this book would never have been written."
   
    A man from Boise, Idaho, has just received the Purple Heart for his participation in combat. This news would be of no particular significance were it not for the fact that the battle in which he was wounded took place on July 1, 1898, at San Juan Hill in Mexico.

CULTURE
   
The Bible--Seen from a Different Perspective
by P. Griesheimer, Pastor
    Viewed initially as a monument of human literature, the Bible is a highly distinctive and unique book. The great works of world literature--think of Goethe, Schiller, and the like--are penned by a single hand. In the Bible, however, we encounter a multitude of authors whose lives and work span the vast period of 1,500 years. Kings and shepherds, priests and prophets, craftsmen and physicians speak to us--ranging from simple, unlearned folk to men possessing the finest Greek education.
    In this book, we traverse every stage of human cultural development, from the lives of hunters and nomads, through agriculture and the rise of cities, to the civilization of the Roman Empire.
    We gain insight into the struggles of the great historical powers: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Syria, and Rome.
    The Bible encompasses every conceivable form of literary expression: narrative, letter, riddle, dialogue, poem, prayer, didactic instruction, legal statute, public address, and historical record. Its linguistic artistry is often of unique beauty and poignant simplicity--one need only think of the Christmas story as told by the Evangelist Luke! Above all, the Bible repeatedly captivates the reader through its wealth of genuine human experience. It embraces the whole of life: the joy felt by lovers; the bitter heartache brought about by infidelity, illness, parting, and death; the happiness of being blessed with children; the anguish over a lost son; the fervor of national zeal; and the depths of pessimistic despair. We look into the longing for God and the enmity toward God, into the hunger for God and the indifference toward God within the human soul. All the heights and depths--the noblest and the basest sentiments that can fill the human heart--are revealed here with boundless honesty.
    Thus, even when viewed purely as a literary monument, the Bible is a "work" that cannot be overlooked. The greatest poets, musicians, and philosophers have drawn inspiration from it for their thought and creative work, repeatedly turning to the Bible for their subject matter.
    Yet what should give us the most food for thought is its enigmatic vitality. How often has the Bible been pronounced dead--dismissed as old-fashioned, obsolete, and useless, or even condemned as harmful and dangerous? Generations, nations, and cultures have come and gone. Much has changed, and some things have been forgotten, but the Bible alone has endured. Today, it has been translated into 900 languages ​​and dialects.
We might ask ourselves: how is it possible for such an ancient book--whose origins date back three millennia--to possess such enduring vitality? To answer this, we must first acknowledge that the reasons and tributes mentioned so far are insufficient to fully explain this phenomenon. We need to approach an understanding of this book--this book belonging to all humanity--from a different perspective.
    The Bible is not a miraculous book that fell from the heavens. It was written by real, authentic human beings of flesh and blood--people who were products of their own time, their own people, and their own culture. We can clearly discern the stylistic differences and unique temperaments of the individual authors. Isaiah possesses a different temperament than Jeremiah. The prophet Amos speaks with greater fire than Hosea, whose heart is capable of the tenderest appeals. Luke, the physician, writes in a different style of Greek than Matthew.
    The scientific worldview of that era--which differs so profoundly from our own understanding of nature--is nowhere transcended or set aside. Even the words of Jesus show no miraculous anticipation of modern scientific knowledge. The Bible demonstrates its genuinely human authorship in the fact that it by no means denies the limitations, dependencies, and inadequacies of human life, thought, and reporting. Discrepancies regarding figures and locations are allowed to stand. Therefore, we should not make strained attempts to strip the Bible of its genuinely human authorship.
    (Part 2 of the article on this topic will appear in the next issue.)

LIFE begins
    Like a water lily that has just risen from the waters--its calyx still furled like a bud as it inclines toward the dark mirror--the infant sleeps in its cradle.
    We quietly draw back the curtain, scarcely daring to breathe, sensing the self-contained seclusion of this deeply slumbering existence as a miracle.
    The tiny fingers are clenched into fists; the skin glows rosy with healthy circulation. Chin, skull, cheeks, forehead, and the delicate contours of nose and ear gleam with a dewy smoothness. The round head nestles trustingly sideways against the pillow; yet at the center of this hushed, plant-like stillness, the mouth blooms with lips parted halfway. From this point, life itself takes shape; the breath pulses, lending rhythm and sound to the form.
    At times, a sudden, jerky movement of the limbs interrupts these gentle rhythms. It is as if a force were pulsing within this body--a force refusing to be content with mere dreams and slumber. Then, a ray of sunlight brushes across the flushed cheeks, catches in the curve of the mouth's corner, and makes the moist lips glisten in the stream of breath.
Eyelashes still cast shadows upon cheek and lid; the eyeball stirs beneath the skin--but suddenly, the light is revealed: the infant awakens. Large, clear, and of a deep, dark blue, the eye now defines the newborn's countenance--a face that seems mask-like, detached, suspended as if in empty space. Iris and pupil, it seems, merge in a glittering blend--a dark lake, perfectly round, cradled in milky white. The gaze is fixed on a realm far removed, unable to hold fast to impressions from our sphere, for primordial beginnings and eternity remain bound within its radiance.
   
[illustration of baby's head]
   
    Yet motor forces stir within the body; the light blanket has already been kicked aside; hands and feet, arms, thighs, and legs row, kick, and relax; everything twitches, and even the tiny toes curl as if seeking to grasp and hold fast to some object. The plump hand--with rosy creases at the wrist--reaches up with all five fingers toward the small face; the features contort into grotesque folds as a powerful impulse works beneath the surface; a sound, thin and delicate as a bird's chirp--the child sneezes. The mask-like emptiness has vanished from its face; the mouth, too, joins in the general movement, shaping the first, as yet unintelligible sounds amidst expressions of contentment.
    Joy and pain lie close together in this face: expressions of existence that both drive toward the same goal--the life-giving source of nourishment. And then the human blossom lies soft in the mother's arms, surrendered to its first great passion. Like an inverted cup, the lips latch on tight--so firmly that the nose, too, touches the swelling flesh from which the stream of milk flows. Both fists knead with the greed of eager sucking; there are smacking sounds of animal contentment, while the eyes remain tightly shut. There is no difference between animal and human in the moment of nursing; the urge to assert oneself is already present: a sacred egoism of which reality is made.

[illustration of dog and hunter on horseback]
THE WILD HUNTSMAN HACKELBERG / Einn Frosch
    When autumn arrives and shakes the trees, the wild huntsman Hackelberg hunts across the region between the Harz and Solling mountains. He wears a green hunting suit and a red feather in his hat. His horse is pitch-black. In one hand he holds a long hunting whip; in the other, a hunting horn, which he blows from time to time--so loudly that the forest echoes eerily. When he charges through the woods at the head of his retinue at midnight, a giant night owl flies ahead of him. When his hunting cry "Huhu" rings out and his pack of dachshunds yaps in pursuit of the quarry's scent, hikers who encounter the procession throw themselves face-down on the ground and let the ghostly spectacle rush over them.
    Hans von Hackelberg was once a Master of the Hunt in the Duchy of Braunschweig and frequently hunted in the Harz and Solling regions. Once, while traveling to Harzburg with a large hunting party, he dreamt that a massive boar charged at him and savaged him so cruelly with its tusks that he lost his life. In the morning, he cast off the grim premonition, and soon the cheerful hunting call rang out. Sure enough, the master of the hunt encountered a boar--exactly the one he had seen in his dream. He pursued the beast hotly and brought it down. As the animal was being dressed, he lifted the boar's head to take a closer look at the creature that was fated to cause his death; but the head slipped from his grasp, and a massive tusk drove into his leg. Red blood gushed from the deep wound. Deathly pale, Hackelberg sank to the turf. Yet, as he lay dying, he wished that he might hunt until the Last Judgment.
    They intended to bring the Master Huntsman back to Braunschweig, but death overtook him at the Klipperkrug in the Steinfeld near Juelperode. His grave lies there to this day. His likeness is still clearly visible on the headstone, which bears the inscription "March 13, 1581." Anyone wishing to visit the grave would do well not to be too bold, for several grisly black dogs lie upon it, keeping watch year in and year out. Yet the Master Huntsman's final wish was fulfilled in a wretched manner: Followed by his hunting companions, he continues his ghostly hunt through the air until the end of time.

SOLUTIONS FROM THE CLEVER UNCLE
    1.) The story is true. When the uncle was born, his father was already 70 years old. That was in 1863. The father had previously been married at the age of 20--around 1813--and in that same year, a child was born to him who died shortly thereafter. The uncle is a child of the second marriage. The half-century age gap between the siblings, combined with the uncle's advanced age, produces this rather remarkable result.
    2.) Since seven steamers are already en route from the opposite port--each separated by a day's travel--one encounters two steamers daily, and a total of 13 steamers throughout the crossing. A 14th steamer was just pulling in as the journey began, and a 15th steamer departs the other port just as one arrives there.
    3.) Folding the sheet is impossible because, by the third fold, the paper has already reached eight times its original thickness. Making the next fold is already difficult. By the 7th fold, the stack is 128 times as thick. By the 20th fold, the stack could already be 20 meters high. With just 24 folds, the sheet reaches a height of 450 meters. It continues in this manner, and by the 30th fold, it reaches a thickness equal to the circumference of the Earth. The sheet would have to be as large as North America.


Publisher: The German Camp Spokesman. Responsible for content: Werner Baecker; for politics: Erwin Lange; for sports: Erich Becker. Layout: Erwin Lange. Heimat appears twice a month. Circulation: 600 (for Tule Lake and Camp White); artistic contributions: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, Heinz Polter. This issue was produced in Tule Lake, California. We assume no liability for unsolicited manuscripts. Entire content approved by the censor.



Heimat November, 1945   The cover pictures a group of refugees.

Greater Honesty
   
By Karl Heinz Klein
    It is only natural that we prisoners of war in the United States are driven by the desire to learn from the past and to school our thinking and actions--from this point forward--for the establishment of a truly democratic Germany. In doing so, we are by no means trimming our sails to the wind; rather, we are simply revising prejudices that were hammered into us for years in the form of seductive promises--prejudices that have left us with nothing but catastrophic consequences: a Germany lying in ruins and utterly devastated.
    What did we really know about democracy? Through impressive mass rallies, the press, the radio, and our schoolbooks, we were assured time and again that democracies--especially the "Western" ones--were decadent entities; that the people, who only appeared to be in charge, were actually exploited by unscrupulous speculators and plutocrats; and that the nauseating drivel about the so-called freedoms of the individual served no purpose other than to stupefy the populace. The only true democracy--one not "reduced to absurdity"--was the National Socialist Führer state, for within it, the will of the entire people was theoretically embodied in the person of a single individual. Whatever the Führer said or did was right; to doubt the infallibility of the leadership was one of the most heinous crimes.
    Today, the fallibility of the "infallible" has been terrifyingly demonstrated, and many other delusional doctrines have dissolved into a ghastly nothingness. Yet even if we--or rather, most of us--cannot help but openly admit today that we willingly heeded the deceitful words of our former leaders and blindly followed their banners with youthful enthusiasm, this in no way prevents us from replacing vanished views and ideals with new, better ones. It does not stop us from striving to transform ourselves from politically passive subjects into members of a state founded on democratic principles--a state where respect for one's fellow human beings is more than mere empty rhetoric, and where the foundation for a government of the people, by the people, and for the people is not an irresponsible sense of collective accountability, but the honest sense of responsibility held by each individual.
    There were many--especially among the older generation and those who had fallen victim to the "corrective" methods of the Hitler regime--who had long since sensed or known things that only dawned on many of us shortly before or after the collapse. It is not for us to praise them for their shrewd foresight or to reproach them for their perhaps understandable silence. Let us instead turn to a different category of contemporaries: people who, on May 8th, performed a sudden somersault--swinging from 120% pro-Nazi to 120% anti-Nazi--in an attempt to erase their Nazi pasts. These "May-blossoms"--exact counterparts to the long-vanished "March Violets"--are those unsavory characters who, right up to the end of the Hitler regime, had been "hard-core" champions of National Socialism, zealously hailing Hitler or even taking pleasure in putting fellow prisoners they disliked on "blacklists"; yet who then, as if to soothe their far-from-clean consciences, suddenly adopted a veneer of anti-Nazism and tried to convince everyone that they had been "against it" all along.
    It is precisely these acrobats of conviction who may have prompted the Allied press to write that waging war against National Socialism had been utterly pointless, given that--to all appearances--Germany was populated solely by dyed-in-the-wool anti-Nazis. Such reports, however much we might wish to dismiss them as mere jokes, contain a pungent dose of mockery and scorn--something that may escape the notice of those know-it-all "veteran resistance fighters," but which stands for all of us as a rather unappealing testament to insincerity. …displays. The resulting mistrust of us on the part of the Allies is therefore certainly easy to understand. After all, even we cannot shake off a sense of embarrassment when confronted with people who seek to buy their way out so cheaply. Indeed, we are even of the opinion that these hypocritical protestations of long-standing hostility toward the Nazis--so utterly at odds with their past conduct and mindset--will not do any particular damage to their reputation, or to our own, in the eyes of the world. After all, one cannot argue away the fact that more than 90% of the German people, dazzled by fine words, willingly put a cross next to "Yes" or at least shouted "Sieg Heil." Having once belonged to the Party, the SA, or the HJ is not necessarily a shameful or damning entry in a German's life story--not even for the vanishingly few who were not "forced in" but joined of their own free will.
    In our view, what determines political reliability is less a matter of membership in SS organizations or whether one had long supported or opposed National Socialism; rather, it is above all the willingness to learn from the past and to press on undaunted into the future. For people with a clear conscience, where a person comes from matters less today than where they are willing to go.


OUTLOOK
   
Germany Facing Winter
    Germany's problems have not diminished with the onset of winter. The state of disintegration that the Allies encountered upon occupying the Reich has proven slow and difficult to contain. The legacy of chaos--which peaked during the final weeks of the war with the destruction of domestic property and vital infrastructure--has turned any attempt to reorganize Germany's shattered public life into a monumental task. Thus, patience is the order of the day. The plight of refugees in the East is a source of concern that extends beyond German authorities within the Reich. To the extent possible, the Allies have also provided aid, disregarding critical voices--such as those in the Netherlands and France--which argued that it was apparently better to be America's defeated enemy. They claimed that the liberated nations of Western Europe had received less assistance than the Reich. Such were the voices from the Netherlands and France; naturally, they do not prove that conditions in Germany are any less severe than depicted in photographs and press reports. Foreign Secretary Bevin delivered a comprehensive statement to the British House of Commons regarding the situation in Central Europe, frankly acknowledging the need for aid. Bevin warned against heaping reproaches on the governments in Prague and Warsaw for their impatience regarding the issue of German minorities. The British minister noted that one must not forget that these countries were the first victims of Hitler's policies--policies that, toward the end of the war, sought with reckless irresponsibility to avenge the Nazis' certain defeat by leaving behind a chaotic Europe. The extent of Hitler's success in this policy of destruction is also evident in a report published a few days ago by General Eisenhower; by detailing specific facts, the report conveys a rough idea of ​​the difficulties facing German authorities alongside the Allied control bodies.
    The problem of displaced persons (foreign workers, prisoners of war, etc.) remains serious, says General Eisenhower. Organized looting and robbery-murders are occurring with distressing frequency. The consequence of this lawlessness is growing bitterness among the German civilian population. Supplies of food and fuel are deteriorating as winter approaches. No coal is available for German civilian needs. To counter the resulting danger of widespread famine, plans are currently being drafted to provide mass feeding for the German population. The difficult food situation--combined with the slow pace of necessary reconstruction efforts (which, according to Eisenhower's report, are significantly hampered by a lack of genuine cooperation among the occupying powers)--has led to signs of unrest among young people and returning prisoners of war. General Eisenhower describes this as dangerous, and in my view, it is not far removed from organized resistance. The American Commander-in-Chief further announced that it had become necessary to partially re-arm the German police with firearms so they could intervene effectively to keep displaced persons under control. The report expressed the hope that 60–70% of the Polish workers in the American zone--admittedly the primary source of all the unrest and lawlessness--could be repatriated by December 1, 1945.
    None of this sounds very encouraging to the German observer. Yet, a rational view would have recognized early on that the horrific end of the war would be followed by a long and extremely difficult transitional period--one that could only lead back to normal conditions through the full mobilization of all available resources and the expenditure of every last ounce of energy. The road ahead may be long and arduous. But since we have already embarked upon it, we should not doubt that we will successfully see it through to the end.--w.b.

Thoughts on the Times
    It is not in itself surprising that there are still people who, for lack of greater insight, cling to old ideas. They are certainly entitled to our purely human respect, provided they are honest with themselves and tolerant of others. Yet it seems grotesque that there are still elements who believe they must--even now--enforce the spirit of that old world through threats, psychological terror, or by brutally crushing any opposing sentiment. They resemble rampaging gunmen or gangsters fighting a lost cause. They inhabit a world of unreality. They revel in this role, owing to a lack of genuine imagination. They are prepared to sacrifice everything--themselves, their families, and their fatherland--to the hatred that was so lavishly preached to them and which has remained their only legacy. They have suffered such bitter disappointment that they cannot bring themselves to believe in the sincerity of the offer to work. To them, everything is--and remains--nothing but a swindle… They are truly to be pitied!
    --Excerpt from an article in the camp newspaper Wille und Weg, Camp Fort Benning, Georgia

A Ray of Hope for Austria
    It was the dead of night in Vienna when, months ago, the Russians entered the Danube metropolis, its streets strewn with rubble. Despair, hardship, and fear dominated the lives of those left behind. Something had to be done, and there was a great demand for a strong personality. With surprisingly swift decisiveness, the Russians appointed Dr. Karl Renner--a veteran leftist politician--as Chancellor of a provisional government intended to include representatives from all political parties. No one underestimates the difficulties Renner had to contend with during his first months in office. The Western powers withheld their recognition, driven by the understandable concern that the government might fall under excessive, one-sided communist dominance due to Russian pressure. Yet, the sparse news emerging from Austria--the transmission of which was hampered by the division of the country into zones modeled on the German pattern--revealed that the prospects for democracy in Austria were not as bleak as might have been assumed during the initial weeks of the Renner administration.
    The seriousness of Renner's efforts was underscored when foreign correspondents reported the lifting of press and postal censorship in Austria, the partial resumption of federal railway operations, and the implementation of forward-looking measures to prepare for the harsh winter ahead. That Renner's concerns extended beyond his country's domestic affairs was evident from the news that, speaking on behalf of all parties--the Socialists, Communists, and the People's Party--he had demanded the return of South Tyrol, a territory that had been ceded to Italy after World War I.
    Then, rumors began to circulate that the Western powers were also prepared to recognize the Renner government. This was good news for Austria--the first successful step toward a new future. Recognition has since taken place, and Russia has decided to establish immediate diplomatic relations with Austria. For the small nation, this appears to mark the end of a turbulent chapter in its history and the beginning of a new, brighter one.--w.b.

It Must Be Avoided
    At the end of World War II, General Marshall, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, published a report that serves not only as a detailed account of facts but also as a global warning against another war. After noting that the United States arrived "almost too late" in 1941--and that victory was made possible only by the endurance of the British and Russians--the American general states that in a potential future war, being "almost too late" could spell total ruin. In the future, without any declaration of war or warning, stratospheric bombers--capable of exceeding the speed of sound and carrying payloads of ten tons or more--could strike any inhabited spot on Earth. In the atomic age, the report continues, cities such as New York, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and San Francisco could be destroyed within hours by attacks launched from other continents.
    These insights reinforced the general's conviction that a major nation must be vigilant and prepared to launch swift, appropriate countermeasures in the event of an attack. In Marshall's view, it is foolish to assume that atomic weapons render large armies obsolete. The war machine that a future aggressor or defender must have at the ready requires a large number of trained personnel to operate it. Marshall's views evidently also underpin the proposals made by the President a few days ago, when he called for the introduction of basic military training for all young Americans. Mr. Truman made it clear that this must be done to preserve peace. The new war against which voices of reason are warning must be avoided if the talk of humanity's downfall is not to prove the product of mere nightmares.--w.b.

THE PRESS
    Comments from some of our people regarding the contradictory reports and articles in the American press prompt me to briefly address the subject of "a free press and freedom of the press" once again. Many of us--and not just the young--accept everything that appears in the press as the official view of the authorities, simply because we were accustomed to doing so during the years of the past dictatorship. Everything that appeared in the German press of that time--or rather, the Nazi press--bore the stamp of official sanction and, consequently, exclusivity. No other or independent opinion--that is, one independent of the government and the party--could coexist with it. Thus, the public could naturally regard what was written in the newspapers as binding.
    The situation is quite different, however, with a press that is independent of official bodies. Such a press serves as a forum for the formation of public opinion. In this forum, the views and counter-views of those who feel compelled to speak on issues of the day--or on timeless questions--are presented to the public and processed within that public sphere. This takes place through articles written by individuals who do not necessarily belong to the editorial staff. Alongside these articles, we find brief, factual reports devoid of commentary. These reports represent the factual content of the press. Finally, as a third and significant category of political, economic, and social news, we encounter items beginning with phrases such as: "As we have learned from a well-informed source…" In such instances, we are dealing merely with the discussion of a possibility--something that cannot, at that moment, be stated as an established fact.
    Therefore, if we wish to discern official intentions from a press that is independent of the government, we must restrict ourselves to those straightforward, uncommented reports. Everything else represents the expression of opinion or public debate. We must therefore also rethink our approach to a press that operates under the banner of press freedom, in order to understand it correctly.--E.L. [Erwin Lange?]

His Testament
    After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally succeeded. Guards found Robert Ley dead in his Nuremberg cell with a homemade rope around his neck. But they found more than just him; they also found a document intended for posterity--a so-called "testament." And that is what prompts us to dedicate an "obituary" to him here.
    We would not have uttered a word about the Ley case had he--mindful of his crushing guilt and his share in the boundless misery that befell the German people--quietly and humbly vanished from the scene. Indeed, we never expected him to seize the opportunity to look the German people and the world in the face during the public proceedings at Nuremberg. A guilty conscience would not allow it. And besides--what could he have said? Perhaps expounded on his "revelations" regarding the Jewish question? The courtroom would have doubled over with laughter. So, he chose instead to write out his cowardice and unburden his soul.
    With repulsive arrogance, he addressed his message to "his" German people. Amidst the seclusion of his life as a high-ranking party bigwig, he had failed to notice that he had never been close to the German people; that he was one of the most ridiculous and unpopular figures in "Party and State"; and that his standing among German workers had sunk to a low point long before the war--a level that even the most bombastic promises from this "Workers' King" (by the grace of Hitler) could not raise.
    Robert Ley had no right to address the German people during his bleak final days. Back when his days were still "glittering," an incredible number of Germans were already aware of the very home truths that only dawned on him in the solitude of his cell. For nothing could have better characterized the regime's "godless" course over the past years than the atrocious methods employed in the "solution" to the Jewish question--methods that drew the hatred of the entire world upon us. It is the greatest insult imaginable today for a man like Ley to have the audacity to point out to us the "error" committed in these matters.
    Just as Ley failed to understand the workers, he evidently failed to understand German youth as well. Otherwise, he would realize that, having been misled, they have no intention of continuing to commit themselves to the National Socialist "idea." German youth will willingly and wholeheartedly allow themselves to be guided toward new goals--goals that differ significantly, however, from Ley's earlier Volkswagen and KdF schemes. Our greatest concern today is restoring our reputation and honor in the eyes of the world--a reputation dragged through the mud by men of Ley's ilk. "Testaments" in the style of Ley cannot help us achieve this; only the courageous advance of new men can--men who derive guidelines for a new future from the horrors of the past, a future to which German youth will unreservedly commit themselves. This stands in stark contrast to the doubts of a "man of yesterday" who lacked even the courage and decency of the humblest infantryman--the soldier ordered to stand his ground at an advanced outpost for the sake of that "idea," even if it meant being shot down. And who did exactly that.--w.b

COLORFUL WORLD
   
[illustration of man in bed regarding ghostly hand writing on slate]
GETTING READY
for the End of the World
    Just as the first pale glimmer of the young day appeared in the eastern sky one morning in September 1938, Charles Long--a preacher of a religious sect--startled awake from a deep sleep, having experienced a vision. A faintly glowing hand scribbled a momentous message on a ghostly blackboard hovering eerily above the foot of his bed: "Daniel, Chapter 12." It then wrote down three years, the last of which--1945--appeared in the largest print. For a man of Long's perceptiveness and acuity, there was not the slightest doubt as to the meaning of this event: in seven years, the world would burst apart like a bottle of home-brewed beer left in a warm room.
    Long, a bespectacled gentleman with white hair, was equally certain that the Lord had secretly groomed him for the role of oracle. Born in Turkey, he had served as a missionary in Syria, Egypt, and Palestine before arriving in Pasadena, Southern California, in 1932 to found a splinter sect known as "The Remnant of the Church of God." Yet, despite his apparent credentials and the compelling power of his vision, sinful humanity paid no heed to his prophecy--at least, not until last May.
    That month, a mysterious voice conveyed more precise information to him: the end of the world would occur at exactly 5:33 p.m. on September 21. Long hastily penned a detailed treatise and sent copies to Stalin, the Pope, Harry Truman, and the governors of the 48 states--none of whom, to Long's dismay, made the contents public. Long concluded that the end would come about through the disintegration of all atoms and sought permission to speak on the radio. He wanted to make it clear to the sinful world that ten angels had been assigned the colossal task of shipping all sinners off to hell immediately after the explosion. The broadcasting companies would not let him near the microphone.
    Long's son, Richard, gave up his job at a grocery store to devote himself entirely to preaching: "Repent and be baptized, for the day is at hand." Only twenty-five people were converted. Long, now determined to save what could be saved--even if it were but a tiny fraction of humanity--gathered the fifty members of his sect and led them in singing, fasting, and prayer. Finally, he declared: "We are prepared."
    Then the Los Angeles newspapers took an interest. They interviewed the seventy-two-year-old prophet and delighted in publishing the news of the impending end of the world. But when sinners came to Long seeking salvation, he had to tell them it was too late. "I am sorry, but I cannot help you," he said; "the day of atonement has passed." He suggested they do penance on a cross, like St. Dismas, the Good Thief, though he added doubtfully: "There is no guarantee of success."
    At first, the prophet rejoiced at the stir he had caused. The Times in London called him twice to ask if the end was still certain. Someone from New Brunswick, Canada, phoned to complain that his wife had read the prophecy and was now stubbornly refusing to preserve any more cauliflower. "The Lord," Long replied coolly, "cannot wait until worldly tasks like preserving cauliflower are finished." When the "work-shirking" housewife picked up the receiver herself, the prophet called out to her in a solemn voice: "Pray at two o'clock and at eight, and be ready for the end." All across the United States, frightened people were waiting for the big bang.…
    Among those who regarded Long's prophecies as a joke, some amused themselves by visiting him to offer to buy his bungalow, reasoning that he wouldn't be living in it much longer anyway. Reporters also posed a rather baffling question: had the mysterious voice meant 5:33 p.m. Pacific Time? Long, mindful of his prophetic mission, explained that the Lord likely set His watch to Jerusalem time, and that the End would consequently arrive in Pasadena at 7:33.
    On the day of the prophecy, members of the press gathered outside Long's house at the crack of dawn. The savory aroma of frying bacon wafted from the windows; the prophet's family was using up their last ration coupons while they still could. But 7:33 came and went, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Long's son opened the door and, grinning, told the reporters that the world was full of lust, immorality, and hatred, and that he wished it would blow up soon.
    But nothing happened at 5:33 p.m. either. The prophet--doubtless engrossed in complex arithmetic--sent word to the curious onlookers outside that he had miscalculated, though the End was nonetheless near. His firmest prediction was September 29, or any day within the year following it.…--Karl Heinz Klein
[illustration of intact Earth laughing at vision of melting Earth]


[illustration of despairing man lying on rug]
SIAMESE ADVENTURE
    From Siam came the tragedy of a European engineer who, along with a group of colleagues working for the Siamese government, was exploring a virtually uncharted part of the country, in the border region between Kochi China and Cambodia. The engineers spent the night with several local Deruf colleagues in a village whose inhabitants were extremely hospitable, but had never before seen a white person. During the course of that cheerful and hospitable evening, it happened that the youngest of the European engineers suddenly disappeared. He had made the acquaintance of a pretty young villager and apparently embarked on some secret romantic adventures. We will never know whether it was sympathy, malice, or jealousy that prompted one of the natives the next morning, when the guests were leaving, to take the young engineer aside and point out to him that the girl he had been involved with was suffering from leprosy.
    It was only while they were on the move that the young engineer told his companions what had happened. Although they tried to talk him out of his fears, he clearly noticed that his colleagues were taking certain sanitary precautions around him. This realization drove the young man to the brink of madness. In Siam, leprosy manifests in such a way that up to ten years can pass before the germ, lying dormant in the body, breaks out. Throughout this time, however, one lives in agonizing uncertainty, unable to take action, while simultaneously acting as a dangerous carrier of the bacillus--for it is quite possible to infect others before the disease becomes visibly apparent. The young engineer no longer dared to come into contact with his friends. Upon returning to civilization, he desperately went from one doctor to another. None could diagnose him with leprosy, yet none could guarantee that he did not harbor the leprosy bacillus.
    Every doctor he consulted looked grave as soon as the engineer recounted the incident with the natives; they could do nothing but advise him to wait calmly and see what happened. It was this response that completely robbed the young man of his will to live. After several weeks spent living as a total recluse in his Bangkok home--allowing no one near him--he wrote a farewell letter to his parents and one day vanished from his apartment. Some time later, the body of the unfortunate man was found; he had voluntarily ended his life out of fear of leprosy. An autopsy performed at his parents' request revealed that there was not a trace of the leprosy germ in his body. He had gone to his death in vain and fallen victim to a phantom.

[illustration of sinking ships]
Odds and Ends
   
    During World War II, the United States lost 701 warships, including 157 so-called "first-line ships"--a category comprising battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, destroyer escorts, and submarines. The total tonnage of these vessels amounted to 496,994 tons.
   
    The first crate of post-war Pilsner beer was sent as a gift from the Czech government to Marshal Joseph Stalin. Small gifts keep friendships alive.
   
    American newspapers gave the new Kiepura-Eggerth operetta "Polonaise" a rather cool reception. One magazine summed up the overall impression of the production--which features, among other things, many "borrowed" melodies by Chopin--with this sentence: If the Poles knew what had been done to their Chopin in this operetta, they might well be tempted to start another revolution…
   
    Shortly before the Allied invasion of France, England's Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery appeared in Algiers in "duplicate" form to mislead Axis intelligence regarding his actual whereabouts. Montgomery's "role" in Algiers was masterfully played by a British lieutenant--an actor in civilian life. The "real" Montgomery, however, was at the English Channel at the time…
   
    Alois Hitler, Hitler's half-brother, appeared at Hamburg City Hall with an all-too-understandable request: He applied to have his name changed.
   
    In Honolulu, a thief stole a pair of shoes from the window of a Bata store. He returned the following evening--not out of remorse, but to exchange them. The shoes had been too small.
   
    In Oklahoma City, police arrested a stark-naked woman who steadfastly refused to get dressed for the ride to the police station. Even in the cell, the beauty insisted on remaining stark naked. Only when it turned chilly did she change her mind. She asked for clothes. They were to bring her at least twenty yards of wool…

Our Short Story--
   
[illustration of man in bed reading enormous book]
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
By Hans Riebau
    "Say," Schmedeking said to me, "don't you have anything to read there? I have such a hard time falling asleep at night."
    I gestured toward my bookcase. Schmedeking ran his hand along the rows. He stopped at Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment."
    "Is that something to help you fall asleep?" he asked.
    "Yes," I said, "it is something to help you fall asleep, but treat the book well. It's bound in morocco leather and is a deluxe edition."
    Schmedeking nodded, took a handful of cigarettes, and left.
    Three months later, I asked him: "So, how about that Dostoevsky book? Did you finish reading it?"
    "Dostoevsky?" Schmedeking mumbled, rubbing his forehead. "The book," I prompted him, "the book I lent you."
    "You lent me a book?" Schmedeking asked, his eyes shining with astonishment.
    "Indeed," I said firmly, "a book, 490 pages long, bound in morocco leather, by Dostoevsky--"Crime and Punishment.""
    Schmedeking thought for a moment.
    "Oh, right," he then exclaimed, "the book about the dancer and the old major--yes, exactly, it was hilarious."
    "No," I shook my head, "that wasn't it. Dostoevsky never wrote about an old major."
    "It must have been that thick red book," said Schmedeking. "But I never actually read it. I think Hildebrand took it at some point--or Pusch; if I'm not mistaken, he wanted it for his aunt."
    I sighed. Then we talked about something else.
    Over the next few weeks, I continued my inquiries. Hildebrand knew nothing about it.         Pusch said he had never read a book in his life. Still, it was possible that his aunt--
    The aunt, however, declared categorically that she read only books from the lending library, and only those recommended by Pastor Horssen. Her sister, on the other hand, had once given Anna, the maid, a book that was red.
    I went and asked Anna, the maid.
    "Anna," I said, "I implore you: have you read "Crime and Punishment"? A book that looks red and is bound in leather?"
    "Red leather?" Anna mustered.
    "Yes, the lady gave me a book like that once. One of the legs on the sideboard was broken, and the lady said the book was exactly as thick as the leg was long."
    I rushed into the dining room and dropped to my knees in front of the sideboard, but lo and behold--a carpenter must have visited the apartment at some point; a brand-new, freshly painted leg gleamed beneath the piece of furniture.
    That was when I gave up. It wasn't until years later that I was reminded of my loss--the moment I found myself idly scanning the spines of the books in Schmedeking's small library.
    "Dostoevsky," I read: "Crime and Punishment." The book was bound in red morocco leather, though grease, coffee, and possibly ink and jam had transformed the red into a kaleidoscope of shimmering colors. The corners were bent, and a few torn pages hung loose; yet when I opened the book, I found my name inside--my name, crossed out with a thick stroke of ink. And above it was written: "Schmedeking."
    I cleared my throat. "Say," I said, "could you lend me this book?"
    Schmedeking turned around. "Please don't take this the wrong way," he exclaimed, placing his hand on my shoulder, "but as a rule, I don't lend out books. I've had such bad experiences with it."
    Then we talked about something else.

Film Corner
   
BIRTH OF THE BLUES--They played neither Beethoven nor Tchaikovsky. But they "made" the hottest kind of hot music--not only to the utter displeasure of New Orleans residents in the late 19th century, but also to the bewilderment of 20th-century audiences; this reaction was kept within tolerable limits only by Crosby's voice and Mary Martin's charm. We must also mention the positive contribution of Rochester, whose genuine acting style set him apart--quite noticeably--from the usual buffoonery associated with Black performers.
   
MY FAVORITE WIFE--This delightful social comedy, which we had seen before, captivated us completely once again. The polished dialogue, the subtle wit, and the excellent cast (Irene Dunne and Cary Grant) made watching it the most enjoyable evening entertainment imaginable.
   
A GUY NAMED JOE--A fighter-pilot story with a touch of legend and genuinely human moments. Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, Van Johnson, and Esther Williams made up the stellar cast that turned this film into a box-office hit in American movie theaters.--w.b.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
Musical Chronicle
    Naturally, our camp orchestra has also been affected by the numerous changes that have occurred in the camp over the past few weeks. With this in mind, several people had--quite deliberately and with foresight--joined forces to document the musical evolution of our camp orchestra in a brief chronicle; this serves as a memento and a source of joy for all those who dedicated their time and affection to this worthy cause.
    Having read this account, one can certainly say that our orchestra had to overcome numerous obstacles and difficulties to fulfill its mission within the camp. While we will not dwell on the details, it must be acknowledged that we--the audience--were often not sufficiently appreciative of the challenging circumstances; indeed, through some thoughtless criticism, we frequently gave the musicians cause for frustration.
    The orchestra has now lost several members, and it is doubtful whether it will ever again be able to present a program on a grand scale. We therefore wish to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to all of them for the many wonderful hours they provided. The fond memories of these musical events cherished by most members of the camp are a testament to the valuable contribution made by the men of the orchestra--men who could well be proud of their work and their achievements.

That Was Another Sign
    There were plenty of things people in Tule Lake used to grumble about--no one knows that better than we do. The movie theater was one of them. That seemed understandable, even though the people running the place certainly couldn't help the lack of space or the inadequate power supply. So, we simply accepted the routine: going there at nine o'clock, sitting flat on the floor, and watching the films unfold before us.
    The first movie night at Camp White after returning from Tule Lake made up for all those drawbacks. There were two projectors, a good movie, plenty of seats, and even heated stoves. Were we happy? You bet--you could hear it everywhere: Thank God, we're back!

[illustration of woman vacuuming on hands and knees under grand piano]
Upcoming Films
    According to the documents available to us, the following films are expected to arrive: "Appointment for Love" (Charles Boyer, Margaret Sullavan); "Mr. Winkle Goes to War" (Edward G. Robinson); "Wuthering Heights" (Merle Oberon and Lawrence Olivier); "Roughly Speaking" (Rosalind Russell and Jack Carson); "Shadow of a Doubt" (Joseph Cotton and Theresa Wright); "There's Magic in Music" (Allan Jones and Susanne Foster); "His Butler's Sister" (Deanna Durbin, Franchot Tone, and Pat O'Brien); "How Green Was My Valley" (Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara).

Short Notes
   
    The former German Chancellor Dr. Heinrich Bruening will celebrate his 60th birthday on November 25th. Dr. Bruening is a professor at Harvard University.
   
    Dolly Haas, the formerly very well-known German film actress (known for "Kleines Maedel, großes Glück"), is the wife of the renowned cartoonist Albert Hirschfeld of the New York Times.
   
    The Czech film actress Lida Baarova was charged in Prague by the People's Court for her collaboration with the German police. Lida Baarova had been forced to leave Germany after the jealousy incident involving Dr. Goebbels and Gustav Froehlich.
   
    The Soviet government has acquired the following films for screening in Russian cinemas: "This Is the Army," "His Butler's Sister," "Spring Parade," and "Appointment for Love."

For a Laugh…
   
    A well-known lecturer was speaking at an event hosted by the local women's literary society. After he finished his talk, the club secretary approached him with a check for his fee. The speaker politely declined to accept it, suggesting instead that the money be donated to a charitable cause.
    "Would you also agree," the lady asked, "if we added the amount to our special fund?"
    "Of course," said the speaker. "And what is the purpose of that fund?"
    "To be able to hire better speakers next year," was the honest reply.
   
    He came home with some candy and acted very promisingly. "Well, children," he said, "which of you has been obedient these past few months and always done exactly what Mother said?"
    "You have, Daddy," said the youngest little girl.
   
    When the young husband came home in the evening, he found his wife in tears. "Your mother insulted me," she said.
    "But darling, how? She isn't even here!"
    "Even so," she lamented, "she addressed her letter to you personally, and at the very bottom of the page she wrote: 'P.S. Mary, please don't forget to show this letter to John, too.'"
   
    "Jack," said the newlywed film star as they entered their new home, "this house looks so familiar. Are you sure we haven't been married before?"
   
    Navy wife: "Your Honor, he smashed every bowl in the house, treated me cruelly, and finally even threatened to volunteer for months of sea duty."
    Judge: "Did he apologize or at least show some regret?" Marine woman: "No, Your Honor, the ambulance took him away before he regained consciousness."
   
    A sergeant drilling a group of young recruits noticed that one of his men was out of step. He called out sarcastically: "Hey, do you realize that everyone is out of step except you?"
    "What do you mean?" came the innocent reply.
    "I said everyone is marching out of step except you!"
    "You're the one in charge here--why don't you tell them?"

Arturo Toscanini
    "Toscanini--restless, a slave to his own striving for perfection--never knew the joy of self-forgetfulness." So wrote Stefan Zweig, the great Austrian writer and friend of Toscanini. "He is consumed, as if by unquenchable flames, by a longing for ever-new forms of perfection."
    This yearning for perfection and for absolute freedom of action drove Toscanini from country to country. From 1930 to 1933, he conducted at Bayreuth, becoming the first foreign conductor ever to appear there. He achieved immediate success; never before had such a performance of Wagner been heard. Who would have ever imagined that "Götterdämmerung" could be conducted entirely from memory? Yet the era of Nazi tyranny was fast approaching, and Toscanini clearly foresaw their goal: the destruction of free culture. In 1933, Toscanini decided to leave Bayreuth and went to Salzburg; between 1934 and 1938, the Salzburg Festival became the focal point of the musical world--largely due to the participation of Toscanini and Bruno Walter. Toscanini left Salzburg in 1936 and returned to America, where he had previously led the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. This time, he was to conduct the National Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble assembled specifically for him by the National Broadcasting Company.
    Analyzing a Toscanini performance reveals many merits. Two are particularly striking: the balance with which all parts of the orchestra are clearly audible to the audience, and Toscanini's stylistic adaptability to the unique expressiveness of each composer. Mozart and Haydn are played with a refined, classical tone. In Beethoven, the dramatic force of the music of the free human spirit is brought to life. Toscanini possesses the ability to empathize with the spirit of the great composers. In Italy, he once conducted a Verdi composition and felt it appropriate to give a particular sequence of notes a slow, delicate ritardando. After the performance, Verdi, who was among those present, rushed up to him and asked: "How could you have known that I wanted a ritardando at that point? I hesitated to write it in the score, fearing that conductors would then tend to overdo it. But you played it exactly as I had in mind."
    Toscanini's brilliant interpretation was rooted in a profound personal culture. He was a passionate admirer of Goethe, Dante, Shelley, and Shakespeare. He was a lover of great painting and interested in history and politics. Above all, he was deeply committed to the creative freedom of the individual. His devotion to his ideals led him to leave Europe and go into voluntary exile. The artist's greatness stemmed from his human greatness.

The Magic Mountain
Reflections on a book by Thomas Mann
    If one picks up the book merely in the mood to be entertained for the rest of the evening, one had best not touch it at all. The story Thomas Mann tells in "The Magic Mountain" may grip the true reader for weeks--at least as far as the act of reading itself is concerned. Yet it leaves a lifelong mark on him, provided he is able to draw parallels between the fate of Hans Castorp--the novel's protagonist--and his own existence. The work's external framework bears features that are by no means pleasant. The author's penchant for verbosity and his painstaking attention to every detail result, in "The Magic Mountain," in a realism that is at times slightly off-putting in its depiction of the conditions and goings-on at a large sanatorium for the lung-afflicted in the mountains of Davos; only with some experience of life does one perceive them as perhaps intended: as a reminder that life can be, after all, a thoroughly human affair. And who has not experienced that!
    The atmosphere "up there" is sickly and frail, at least when viewed in "physical" terms. The idiosyncrasies of the sick reflect the severity of their illness without, however, offering insight into their inner, intellectual lives. The prime example of this in "The Magic Mountain" is the humanist and cosmopolitan Settembrini--an ideal figure (or so we perceive him) through whom the author voices his own views.
    Hans Castorp undergoes his development within the world of sickness--a realm where people lose their sense of time and become estranged from life itself as the approach of death reveals itself through their advancing illness. Castorp and his cousin perhaps sense only subconsciously at first--but later with far greater clarity--that it is not merely the gravely ill who are at risk of being spirited away from the reality "down below." Yet it is difficult to break free from the spell of the Magic Mountain, in which the story's young hero is hopelessly entangled. His love for Madame Chauchat is surely a morbid consequence of the sheltered, otherworldly life "up there," for she, too, is sick--despite her grace, her supple form, and all her ruthlessness and cultivation.
    The reason this book grips us so powerfully amidst the confinement of prisoner-of-war camps may well be understood by readers already familiar with the substance of this great novel. We, too, live as if on a "Magic Mountain," estranged from the events unfolding below and existing in an atmosphere that is far from natural--one that harbors the very real danger of becoming lost. Reading "The Magic Mountain" will undoubtedly rouse many an attentive observer from the sluggish monotony of their suspended state, instilling in them the resolve not to be crushed by the passage of time or the relative emptiness of the weeks and months--to say nothing of the days (for what, after all, is a day?).
    Thomas Mann's "The Magic Mountain" is a book that already ranks among the significant works of world literature. To discuss and critically evaluate it would be an act of presumption, an attempt that could never do justice to the author's greatness. Yet the purpose of these lines--which are also intended to express gratitude to the poet--is to draw attention to him and to attempt to grasp his work from the perspective of our own lives; it was he who, only a few weeks ago, found the wonderful words that--along
with "The Magic Mountain"--can restore us to life should the first signs of alienation ever begin to make themselves felt: "And I believe in Germany's future, however desperate its present may appear, however hopeless the destruction may seem."--Werner Baecker.

The Bible--Seen from a Different Perspective
BY FR. GRIESHEIMER, PASTOR
    In the first part of this article series, we discussed the human authorship of the Bible and raised the question of how it is possible for this book to possess such vitality. The decisive factor in any work is--and remains--the spirit behind it. One can play the noblest or the most banal music on any instrument; the instrument remains the same and never loses its characteristic timbre--whether violin, trumpet, or otherwise--yet the ultimate outcome depends on the greatness or pettiness of the player's spirit. Similarly, while real human beings speak and write in the Bible, the Spirit of God stands behind each one of them. Were we to ask them, the answer would likely be: "We are not setting down our own thoughts about God; rather, we wish to bear witness to what God Himself has shown and told us during moments of unique encounter." Thus, the Bible's true purpose is for God to convey to humanity--through chosen instruments--what His will is, how He is disposed toward us, and what mighty plans for the future He holds for human history. The Bible is not a reference work designed to satisfy human curiosity. Anyone wishing to know exactly how the world began, or seeking flawless geographical, astronomical, or historical accounts and research findings, will always find something to criticize in the Bible. Yet, for those who seek to be liberated from guilt and existential despair, and who desire a profound and glorious purpose in life that extends beyond death and the grave, the Bible will not disappoint. It tells them a powerful story of the depravity of the human race, yet it also conveys the message of a wondrous divine reality that broke into our world through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is why what one expects from the Bible--and the inner attitude with which one approaches it--will always be of decisive importance. Those who seek only the human in it will find only the human; those who seek more will find more. One simply has to immerse oneself in it. Kant, Goethe, Beethoven, and the discoveries of modern physics and chemistry require prolonged engagement if the greatness and splendor of these worlds are truly to dawn upon us. We therefore willingly devote the necessary time and effort to them. It is only with regard to the Bible that we tend to depart from this principle.
    We are quick to pass a dismissive judgment; we open the book, glance at a passage, and close it again without ever having seriously engaged with it. Naturally, the "Book of Books" remains a sealed book to us in this way. Yet for anyone who sets out to truly delve into the Bible, it will soon become a trusted friend. One discovers first individual words that hold great meaning in the struggles of life, then chapters, then entire books, until eventually, one can no longer imagine life without this companion.
    The naturalist and philosopher Gustav Th. Fechner highlighted the Bible's enduring vitality through a subtle and striking analogy. He says: "Once I came to a city filled with palaces of hewn stone and marble--solidly built structures, each vying with the next in splendor and ornamentation. Yet in their midst stood an old hut, riddled with holes and dark corners, its parts ill-fitted; it was a marvel that it held together at all. I laughed at the sight of that hut in such a beautiful, wealthy city and said: 'By tomorrow, it will be rubble.' Yet when I returned a hundred years later, all the surrounding palaces had crumbled to ruins, and new ones stood elsewhere. The old hut, however, remained in its original spot, unchanged. And after another hundred years--and yet another--it was still the same: the old hut unchanged, while everything around it was new. From those houses and palaces came many a sick person who found no cure, whom no physician could heal; yet whoever entered the hut was restored to health and joy. Then I said: 'Here dwells God's healing.' And upon entering the hut, I saw One who laid His hands upon the sick and suffering, making them whole; and I recognized Christ. That hut--poorly constructed by human standards--is Holy Scripture. Viewed with the human mind, one asks: What in it is durable? What is there that does not invite the scorn of mockers? And yet, the writings of the world's sages--the most beautiful and brilliant among them--eventually give way to others bearing new teachings. Holy Scripture, however, endures and shall endure; and Christ's Spirit within it--as Guardian and Lord--will ever bring joy and healing to all who come to Him."
    THE SIGN OF THE CROSS--Cecil B. DeMille spared no expense in capturing the cruel fate of the early Christians in Rome during the reign of Nero. Although the film is over ten years old, it has lost none of its impact. The performances by Charles Laughton (Nero), Claudette Colbert (Poppaea), Fredric March (Marcus), and Elissa Landi (Mercia) remain unforgettable.

Responsible for content: Werner Baecker; for politics: Erwin Lange; for sports: Erich Becker. Layout: Erwin Lange. Heimat is published twice a month. Circulation: 600. Artistic contributions: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, and Heinz Folter. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Entire content approved by the censors.

Documents of World Politics (I)
   
THE FOUR DOCUMENTS
OF THE MOSCOW CONFERENCE
OF 1943
   
    It was two years ago that the representatives of America, Russia, Britain, and China signed four documents following the conclusion of the Moscow Conference. At the time, the Axis press could still laugh and jeer at the decisions reached. Virtually nothing regarding the content of the documents was disclosed to the German people. Today, two years later, the Moscow agreements appear in a different light. What were once mere whims are now becoming--or have already become--reality. We are thinking in particular of developments in Austria and the impending trials of the leaders of the "Third Reich." We have omitted the document concerning Italy's position in the post-war world, and we are presenting only a portion of the introductory statement made by the then Secretary of State, Cordell Hull.--The Editors.
   
    Excerpt from a speech delivered by the U.S. Secretary of State before both houses of Congress on November 18, 1943:
    With this declaration, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, the United States, and China have laid the foundation for joint postwar efforts intended to enable all peace-loving nations--whether large or small--to live in peace and security, to preserve the freedoms and rights of civilized life, and to enjoy the broad opportunities and facilities for economic, social, and intellectual progress.
   
Joint Declaration of the Four Powers
    The governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and China:
    Are united in their determination, in accordance with the Declaration by United Nations of January 1, 1942, and subsequent declarations, to continue hostilities against the Axis powers with which they are at war until those powers have laid down their arms on the basis of unconditional surrender;
    Recognizing their obligation to secure the liberation of themselves and the peoples allied with them from the impending danger of a war of aggression;
    Recognizing the need to ensure a rapid and orderly transition from war to peace and to establish and maintain world peace and security with the least diversion of the world's human and economic resources for armaments;
    Jointly declare:
    That the united actions to which they have pledged themselves in the prosecution of the war against their respective enemies will be maintained for the organization and maintenance of peace and security.
    That those among them who are waging war against a common enemy will act jointly in all matters concerning the surrender and disarmament of the enemy.
    That they will take all measures they deem necessary to guard against any violation of the terms imposed upon the enemy.
    That they recognize the necessity of establishing, at the earliest practicable date, a general international organization based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all peace-loving states, and open to membership by all such states, large or small, for the maintenance of international peace and security.
    That they will consult with one another and, as occasion requires, with other members of the United Nations with a view to joint action on behalf of the community of nations, pending the re-establishment of law and order and the inauguration of a system of general security for the maintenance of international peace and security.
    That they will not employ their military forces within the territories of other states after the termination of hostilities except for the purposes envisaged in this Declaration and after joint consultation.
    That they will confer and cooperate with one another and with other members of the United Nations to bring about a practicable general agreement with respect to the regulation of armaments in the post-war period.

Declaration on Austria
    The governments of the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States of America agree that Austria, the first free country to fall a victim to Hitlerite aggression, shall be liberated from German domination.
    They regard the "Anschluss" imposed on Austria by Germany on March 15, 1938, as null and void, and consider themselves in no way responsible for any changes effected in Austria since that date. They express the wish that a free and independent Austria be re-established, thereby opening a way for the Austrian people themselves--as well as for neighboring states facing similar problems--to secure the political and economic safeguards that constitute the only foundation for a lasting peace.
    However, they remind Austria that it bears an inescapable responsibility for having participated in the war on the side of Hitlerite Germany, and that, in the final reckoning, account will be taken of its own contribution to its liberation.

Declaration on Atrocities
    The United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union have received evidence from many quarters regarding atrocities, massacres, and cruel mass executions perpetrated by Hitler's armed forces in countries they overran and from which they are now being progressively driven out.
    The atrocities of Hitler's rule are nothing new, and all peoples and territories under his control have suffered under the worst form of a reign of terror. What is new, however, is that many of these territories are now being retaken by advancing liberation armies, and that Hitler's retreating barbarians, in their desperation, are redoubling their inhuman cruelties. This is now demonstrated with extraordinary clarity by the heinous crimes committed by Hitler's forces on the territory of the Soviet Union--now being liberated from them--and on the territories of France and Italy.
    Accordingly, the three Allied powers mentioned above hereby solemnly issue the following warning, speaking on behalf of the thirty-three United Nations:
    If an armistice is granted to any government that may be established in Germany, all those German officers, enlisted men, and members of the Nazi Party who were responsible for, or consented to, the atrocities, massacres, and executions mentioned above will be sent back to the countries where their heinous acts were committed, so that they may be judged and punished in accordance with the laws of those liberated countries and the free governments established therein. Lists containing full details will be compiled by all these countries--particularly the overrun parts of the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Greece (including Crete and other islands), Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Italy.
    In this way, Germans who took part in the mass shootings of Italian officers, or in the executions of French, Dutch, Belgian, or Norwegian hostages or Cretan peasants, or who participated in the slaughters perpetrated against the Polish people or in those parts of the Soviet Union now being cleared of the enemy, know that they will be brought back to the scene of their crimes to be judged on the spot by the peoples they treated so shamefully. Let those who have not yet stained their hands with innocent blood beware lest they too join the ranks of the guilty; for it is an incontrovertible fact that the three Allied powers will pursue them to the uttermost ends of the earth and hand them over to their accusers so that justice may be done.
    The foregoing declaration applies equally to cases involving German criminals whose offenses are not tied to any specific geographical location and who are to be punished pursuant to joint resolutions of the Allied governments.



Heimat November 15, 1945
   
The Defendants
By Werner Baecker
    Led by the former Reich Marshal, the Nuremberg defendants entered the courtroom for the first time last Tuesday. It was not only the eyes of the world that were fixed on this event. With even greater interest, the German people are following the course of the proceedings, from which they expect moral exoneration regarding many of the acts allegedly committed in their name.
    In the months that have passed, the question of the German people's complicity has been debated time and again. We know that the world is inclined to lend only a skeptical ear to our counterarguments. People are unwilling to believe that the spirit of a nation of 80 million could be so thoroughly violated--that a relatively small group of power-hungry individuals could, by overriding the better judgment of countless Germans, not only systematically prepare for war but also employ methods in carrying out those plans that tarnished German honor and incited the fiercest desires for revenge across the globe.
    Let us admit that the men sitting in the dock in Nuremberg today still enjoy the secret approval of many Germans. They are the very same people who, from the first day of Hitler's seizure of power, staked everything on the new regime. Their entire existence was so inextricably bound up with National Socialism that today, following the collapse, they truly have no glimmer of hope left of ever placing their own lives on a normal footing again. These are the people who believed in the eternal union of Germany and National Socialism; who, even now after the terrible end of that "worldview," still doubt whether this Germany can ever rise again without its Führer. They will continue to doubt and, in all likelihood, remain the negative elements that stand as obstacles to Germany's reconstruction in the years ahead.
    But--we must ask the question--is the entire German people like this? Do we really wish to demonstrate, through our attitude, that we retrospectively applaud the deeds of Hitler and his henchmen? We believe that, in the face of such appalling misery, the revelation of countless atrocities, and the suffering of innocent women and children across Europe, no decent German could possibly have the audacity to defend the methods of the past.
    One ought to publish the documents that circulated among the foreign ministries of European capitals during the critical days of 1938. They are far too little known. Everyone should read of the--one might almost call it submissiveness--with which the British Prime Minister Chamberlain strove to save the peace at any price, how he dealt with the accusations hurled at him in Munich, the lack of any hesitation in deciding the fate of Czechoslovakia within a few hours--devoid of the most elementary sense of justice and decency--and how terribly disappointed and angry that German leader was when the Western powers yielded to his brazen demands instead of opening fire right then and there, thereby finally giving him a legitimate pretext to launch a war against the entire world.
    These events must be mentioned. They reveal the true causes of the war--a war the German people desired no more than did the British, French, or American peoples. These documents provide unequivocal proof of the Allies' justified indictment against those who "conspired systematically to wage a war of aggression." They marked the starting point of the crimes committed against humanity and against the German people--who, for this very reason, now appear as a silent co-plaintiff at Nuremberg.
    The documented prelude to the war finally proves, however, that the German people--during those days when almost all European statesmen were rallying around Hitler and were still inclined to believe his promises--were completely misled regarding the true course of events. After all, we all seriously believed we were surrounded by aggressive nations; we had no idea that the oppression of Germans in Poland and Czechoslovakia only began the moment the Berlin Foreign Office let the cat out of the bag and left no room for doubt about its ultimate intentions. Nor did we have the slightest inkling that Chamberlain--against his own convictions and those of Daladier (to say nothing of Mussolini)--forced a "cruel decision" upon the Czechs for the sole purpose of satisfying Hitler's demands and appeasing his threats. These facts, which could be elaborated upon further, ought to trouble the world's sense of justice today. The loudest proponents of the collective guilt theory should realize that, in the long run, it must be difficult to prove to the outside world that the German nation consists predominantly of murderous, war-loving creatures who belong in a zoo rather than in the community of decent nations. Thomas Mann recently spoke out against distinguishing between Germans and Nazis. In his view, there are only good Germans and bad Germans, who can be judged by their intentions--whether to build or to destroy. The good Germans have long since renounced National Socialism. Not because they hold him responsible for the outcome of the war, but because they have since come to know his hideous face--a face that a sophisticated censorship, backed by all the instruments of police terror, had successfully hidden for years from the decent segment of the population. And the good Germans--therein lies the hope for the future--will work, rising above hatred and contempt, toward the day when the world once again recognizes that this utterly shattered nation has become, once more, a full-fledged member of the community of nations.

OUTLOOK
   
The Burden on Harry S. Truman:
The Greatest Task of the Present
   
By Werner Baecker
    When Harry S. Truman assumed office on April 12, 1945, following the sudden death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he faced no easy task. He was well aware of this, as was the entire world--a world that, despite the certainty of an Allied victory, anxiously contemplated the foundations of the peace to come. His immediate task was, first and foremost, to continue the war across the globe. Victory in Europe appeared assured, and the forces poised for action against Japan also fostered optimism, even though no one at the time dared to predict a final victory by the summer of 1945.

Continuing Roosevelt's Policies
    Soon after the new president took office, it became apparent that the tasks associated with the systematic continuation of military operations would be vastly overshadowed by the challenges of the coming peace. While the Allies were in complete agreement regarding their military objectives--the defeat of the Axis powers--they did not, naturally, share the same political views on how the world should be shaped in the future. President Truman soon discovered that his predecessor had already made a series of concessions regarding post-war issues--concessions by which he, as successor in office and a representative of the same political outlook, necessarily felt bound. We learned, for instance, that at Potsdam, Truman was in some cases barely able to express a decisive opinion on crucial matters. Verbal assurances given at Yalta and Tehran had already sketched the outlines of the coming peace in Europe--outlines the Russians, in particular, had no desire to alter, as their wishes had been fully met.

The Atomic Bomb Changes the Global Situation
    While en route from Potsdam to the United States, the President received news that transformed the global situation in an instant. In a voice filled with excited anticipation, Truman summoned his aides aboard the cruiser Augusta to personally inform them of the use of the first atomic bomb in Japan. Three days later, the second bomb was dropped, and everyone hoped that the end of the war in the Far East was now merely a matter of days away. Immediately after the first atomic bomb was dropped, the Russians declared war on Japan; with this move came Moscow's demands for a voice in the political shaping of the Pacific region. This was unlikely to simplify matters--much as in Europe.

Transition from War to Peace
    Then the world had peace--at least in terms of the cessation of active hostilities. Yet the immense tasks ahead remained unresolved. It was not only America that looked to its President; the rest of the world, too, turned its gaze toward him--hoping, imploring, and waiting.
    America suddenly found itself in the midst of a labor crisis precipitated by the unexpectedly rapid end of the war. Where tanks and aircraft had been gliding along gigantic assembly lines just the day before, all machinery fell silent the very next morning. Overnight, the War Department had cancelled all wartime contracts, leaving industry faced with the urgent need to switch immediately to peacetime production--aiming to keep as many workers employed as possible and avoid layoffs. The reintroduction of the 40-hour workweek reduced workers' wage income, even though prices remained unchanged. Labor unions protested. They demanded decent living conditions for their members--at least on par with what they had enjoyed during the war years--taking into account the shorter working hours and the government's unchanged pricing policy. But therein lay the rub. A hasty reduction in prices was out of the question. On the contrary, business leaders made it clear that any wage increase would be accompanied by a further rise in prices. Strikes and unrest ensued--developments no one wanted, yet everyone deemed inevitable. No resolution has been reached as yet, even though everyone recognizes how much the United States' future economic development hinges on solving these issues. President Truman has largely held back so far, offering only a single mediation proposal. Yet there is a widespread conviction that, ultimately, it will fall to him to restore peace to the labor market--through legislative measures, if necessary.

The European Problem
    The stance President Truman has adopted regarding European issues thus far essentially represents a continuation of Roosevelt's policies--policies visibly embodied in the Potsdam agreements. We all recognize that current circumstances will determine whether the guidelines established at that time can be implemented point by point.

Cooperation with Russia
    Yet it is not merely the Potsdam plan that is at issue; the nature of the Allies' mutual relations is likely a matter of far greater concern to the American President. Since the breakdown of the London Conference of Foreign Ministers, the rather strained relationship between the Western powers and Soviet Russia has become a subject of open discussion. The root causes may well lie in linguistic and cultural differences, which make it difficult even for British and American soldiers to forge genuinely friendly ties with Russian troops. Furthermore, the Soviet Union has not yet shed the mistrust it has harbored toward the "capitalist world" for over two decades. It still prefers to operate behind a dense curtain of military might and censorship, acting in whatever way best suits the pragmatic objectives of Russian policy. In doing so, however, it has overlooked the fact that its conduct was bound to provoke an all-too-understandable mistrust on the other side--mistrust currently manifested in the refusal of the USA and its Western allies to share the secret of the atomic bomb with the Russians. Winston Churchill undoubtedly voiced the prevailing view when he declared: "The Russians would certainly never take us into their confidence had they succeeded in developing the atomic bomb before us." Yet for Truman, cooperation with Russia is essential if he is not to abandon the hope of lasting world peace. In his statements on American foreign policy, the President has left no doubt as to the sincerity of his intentions--nor has he left any doubt that America stands ready to confront any threat with overwhelming military might.

The World's Hope
    The problems outlined here--in the resolution of which Harry S. Truman must play such a pivotal role--are far from exhaustive. A new civil war looms in the Far East, one that could potentially embroil 400 million people in a grueling, bloody conflict. Calls for freedom and independence are sweeping through the East, where there is a desire to finally cast off white supremacy. Palestine stands at the center of Anglo-American discussions aimed at finding a home there for displaced Jews from Europe. And overshadowing everything is the most difficult problem of all: Europe, with its victorious nations--far from content--and its defeated peoples in despair. The tasks ahead are immense. They call for wise men who, guided by reason and a sense of justice, can chart a course that rises above the heated opinions of the moment. The Western world looks to the American President; it is convinced of his integrity and awaits his success with hope.

What do the Indonesians want?
    For weeks, newspapers have been reporting on fighting on the island of Java. The native population is firmly resolved to cast off white rule forever and to make the ultimate sacrifice in their struggle for freedom. On August 17, 1945, they established the Republic of Indonesia, which--during a session of the National Council--formulated the following four-point program: 1) the rapid evacuation of Japanese troops, 2) the prevention of Dutch troop landings, 3) the removal of the Dutch administration, and 4) a call for the world to recognize the Indonesian Council as the country's independent government.
    The country is in turmoil. Abraham Lincoln's words from the Gettysburg Address--"government of the people, by the people, for the people"--are displayed in English lettering on almost all public buildings in Batavia. Through its Minister for Overseas Territories, the Netherlands has declared that it has absolutely no intention of negotiating with Dr. Sukarno, the chairman of the Indonesian Council. Instead, it is attempting to muster troops to suppress the Indonesians and to interest British and American financial circles in supporting the economic exploitation of the East Indies. The economic importance of these regions is evident from the fact that 40% of the world's rubber supply comes from the Dutch East Indies--not to mention other products such as oil, coffee, and tea.
    British troops currently control Java and other islands in order to--as the stated reason goes--"prevent further uprisings." Nevertheless, fierce fighting has broken out in parts of Java. In recent days, the port city of Surabaya has been the scene of heavy street battles between the native population and the British. No one knows what course events will take. The Indonesians appealed to President Truman to ban the use of American weapons in the fight against the native population. Opinions regarding the Indonesians' demands are divided. Some argue that the victory in the Far East ought to be a victory for the peoples of the Far East as well; however, the more powerful voices representing economic interests have little patience for such objections. For them, other considerations are paramount--and ultimately, as is likely already clear today, these will prove decisive.--w.b.

Operation Stork
    The British began evacuating 50,000 children from Berlin to rural areas, where the chances of surviving the coming winter are better. This measure, officially carried out under the code name "Operation Stork," has particularly stirred up those Germans who never tire of speculating about the "imminent" war between the Western powers and Russia. They are now whispering: "There you have it. The war against Russia will start soon. Whenever the British evacuate children, they are planning to start a war."

Elections in France
    The elections held in France a few weeks ago--in which women were permitted to vote for the first time--saw an unusually high turnout. The results: 152 seats for the Communists, and 142 seats each for the Socialists and the Catholic "Republican Popular Movement." While the Socialists maintained their previous standing, the Communists recorded a significant gain in votes. Léon Blum, the Socialist leader, had rejected a united front with the Communists. Political events over the past weekend demonstrated that this stance effectively placed significant limits on the Communists' influence; they failed to garner much support in the National Assembly for their motion to replace de Gaulle with a Communist. De Gaulle's view--that France must maintain a balance between the East (Russia) and the West (Britain and America)--apparently deterred the other leftist parties from joining forces with the Communists to force the formation of a government without him. Well-informed observers once again concluded that French politics would continue along a moderate path and that the Fourth Republic stood a strong chance of serving as a bridge for understanding among the great powers of Europe.--w.b.

[inscrutable illustration]
How absurd--
    According to a report in a German-language newspaper, the film actress Zarah Leander was allegedly executed last year on suspicion of spying for the Allies.
    Aside from the fact that this is at least the tenth report claiming the film diva is dead, the "real reason" cited this time is a far-fetched story--so absurd that one has to wonder in astonishment how a newspaper could fall for such a hoax. As is well known, Leander sang several songs in the UFA film "Die große Liebe" (starring Viktor Staal and Grete Weiser), one of which contained the following lyrics:
    This song, it is claimed, cost Zarah Leander her life! Undoubtedly, many innocent people lost their lives in Germany, but surely no one was shot because of a popular song that had already passed Goebbels' censorship board as part of the finished film. Time magazine recently reported that she is passing the time in good health at her Swedish estate. That sounds far more credible.

From Germany
   
Emergency Aid in Kassel
    The Welfare Department has established a municipal emergency relief service for returning Germans, providing them with food and makeshift accommodation and assisting them in finding employment. Bread, hot soup, and coffee substitute are distributed at emergency feeding stations; special housing arrangements have been made for mothers with small children. On average, the emergency relief centers serve about 600 returning soldiers and 2,000 civilians daily.
   
Housing Shortage in Darmstadt
    By mobilizing all available construction specialists and building materials, the aim is to repair approximately 2,000 damaged homes sufficiently to make them habitable without posing health risks before the onset of cold weather. Since the beginning of September, courses for architects and civil engineers have been underway at the Technical University to help alleviate the shortage of qualified professionals in these fields.
   
Youth on New Paths
    A youth organization named "Free German Youth" ("Freie Deutsche Jugend") has been formed in Hamburg with the aim of uniting young people of both sexes--regardless of religious denomination or worldview--for joint activities. The first point of its guidelines states: The League of Free Youth seeks to unite young people on a democratic basis. To date, there are 70 groups with approximately 4,000 members.
   
Soldier Support in Bad Homburg
    Members of all anti-fascist parties have united in a joint committee to provide support for returning soldiers. Unlike the veterans' associations of the past, this committee has set itself practical goals, such as medical care, the provision of prostheses, clothing, assistance in re-establishing a civilian livelihood, supplementary nutrition for needy disabled veterans, and support for the families of the fallen.
   
Cologne Cathedral
    The Archbishop of Cologne has called upon the people of the Rhineland to assist in the reconstruction of Cologne Cathedral. The construction work requires a vast amount of labor and materials, as many of the vaults have collapsed. The aim is to have the cathedral ready for worship again by 1948, the 700th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone.

COLORFUL WORLD
   
[illustration of captain stopping sailor at radio telegraph key]
From the early days of radio broadcasting in America
    American broadcasting, and thus radio broadcasting worldwide, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. In the quarter-century between two world wars, broadcasting experienced phenomenal growth, illustrated by the fact that in 1917 wireless communication was still a novelty. At that time, ships were only just beginning to use wireless radio, and the possibilities of radio were so unknown that in November 1920 a ship's captain refused to announce the results of a presidential election on board, which had been picked up by a receiver. The suspicious captain believed it to be a bad joke and forbade posting the announcement on the bulletin board.
    The first American radio broadcast from a studio was the result of the tinkering of amateur radio operator Frank Conrad, who, after giving his call sign and the address of his "station," exchanged trivialities with other amateurs. Then he had a record played over his weak transmitter, which he had built himself using the most rudimentary means. Numerous letters and postcards reached him at his apartment in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. Many had heard the music, and all asked him to play more so that he could convince the skeptics who didn't believe in music "from the air." The requests were so numerous that Conrad decided to broadcast two hours of recorded music twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The process was very simple. He placed the microphone near the record player and announced the titles of the pieces.
    Naturally, Conrad's supply of records soon ran out. A music store in Wilkinsburg came to his aid. They offered to lend him records on the condition that he announce during his broadcasts where they could be purchased. This marked the beginning of radio advertising--a practice that continues to bombard us today from every direction with all manner of offers.
    The first radio station in the United States was KDKA; established by the Westinghouse Electric Company, it was set up in a tent on the roof of a building in Pittsburgh. When KDKA began broadcasting, Conrad stood ready with his small, homemade transmitter--just in case KDKA's broadcasting power proved insufficient.
    During the station's first year of operation, successful attempts were made to broadcast events taking place outside the studio. KDKA aired the first church service, the inauguration ceremonies of a newly elected President, the first broadcast from a theater, the first play-by-play account of a boxing match, and the first political broadcast. When Herbert Hoover made a radio appeal for aid to Europe in 1921, he became the first prominent figure to utilize the medium. Many radio comedians and actors--figures likely familiar to prisoners of war as well--launched their careers when radio was still in its infancy; among them were Jack Benny and Eddie Cantor.
    With the founding of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in 1926, competition among broadcasting companies began, initially with only Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) taking up the challenge. Over the years, Mutual and American Broadcasting Systems followed, and a fifth company, Associated Broadcasting System, joined them a few weeks ago. KMED-Medford is affiliated with the National Broadcasting Company.
   
[illustration of couple slouched in easy chairs listenting to console radio]
   
    Receiving devices were not as numerous in the early days of broadcasting as they are today. Small crystal radios were widespread, but anyone wanting to listen to a broadcast had to use headphones, as the crystal receivers were far too weak for a loudspeaker. The first radio set to be mass-produced and sold in America was the Aeriola Junior. It cost $25 and had a reception range of approximately 15 miles. Its successor was the Aeriola Senior with a built-in loudspeaker. Radio programs at that time were only broadcast during the broadcast during the evening and night hours. Families fortunate enough to own a radio would invite friends and acquaintances over so they, too, could listen in. In those days, the radio was by no means a device that could be set in motion with the mere flick of a finger. By the time KGW in Portland, Oregon, began broadcasting in 1922, there were already 400 radio stations in America. On that memorable day, there were difficulties establishing the connection between the studio and the transmitter--a circumstance that caused the first radio broadcast in the state of Oregon to open with the less-than-polite words of an agitated technician.--JRF.

[illustration of man flying off donkey's back]
DONKEY RIDE
By Honstheodor Zink
    I am clumsy. I know that. Someone asked me if I liked animals. Naturally, I said yes, for only bad people dislike animals. And I do not believe I am a bad person. I was asked to describe an experience involving an animal. I did not want to--after all, one does not willingly share unpleasant stories, especially not ones that concern oneself. But we all know those pleading eyes that study you closely when you are reluctant. In my case, they are always black.
    "I had never sat on an animal," I said, "since I was six years old. Back then, it was no big deal, for the camel was very broad and had a thick coat of fur I could hold onto. When I dismounted at the gate--or rather, was helped down--my mother sniffed the air. 'The camel,' she said, wrinkling her nose, 'stinks. And you stink, too.' Half a bottle of Eau de Cologne was enough to mask the odor. And then everything was fine. As I said, I hadn't sat on an animal for a very long time--until I came to Italy. One day, I was out for a walk. A small donkey was standing by the side of the path, braying. Have you ever heard a donkey bray? If so, then you know that all the misery in the world is contained in that sound. Filled with pity, I decided to take it to the nearest village."
    "I cautiously approached and picked up a piece of rope that was tied around his neck. Then we set off. Very carefully, of course. He walked gently, and I watched him. We'd been walking for half an hour when I said to myself, 'If those Italians can ride those things, then so can I.' I'd seen them so often, trotting through the streets: sitting behind the saddle, legs flapping. I thought it was mindless to sit behind the saddle, if an animal is wearing a saddle, isn't it? So I jumped into the saddle, just like I'd always seen in the movies (it was a bit easier, because the donkey wasn't so tall), but the donkey seemed to split in two. I got off again and it took me a while to calm him down. He'd proven on my trousers that he had a good back, too. Then I finally crouched down behind the saddle, and from then on everything happened very quickly. My donkey shot off like a rocket. I never would have thought it could reach such speeds.
    "I didn't have time to steer it; I didn't know how anyway. I was completely occupied just holding on to the saddle. Finally, I found myself back on the ground. The donkey was standing a few meters away, grinning devilishly at me. An Italian man had suddenly appeared. He was talking loudly and at length. I just said 'Si, si' because I couldn't understand him. But he talked even more. When I was back on my feet, I realized several things: I was in the same spot where I had found the donkey. And now, suddenly, I understood what the farmer wanted. He said I was a disreputable dog, a dirty thief, and much more besides. Then he made it clear that the police would undoubtedly be interested in me.
    "I was lucky enough to still have some money in my pocket. I handed it to him. Sort of as rent for the good animal. The miracle happened. In a split second, his face brightened. He laughed, called me a gentleman, and helped me get the dirt off my clothes. But still--I'll never do it again."
[illustration of south end of northbound donkey]

Odds and Ends
   
    Ellen Wilkinson, England's female Minister of Education, recently spoke at a gathering of German school principals in Berlin. She said, among other things: "In England, we have mainly three political parties: the Conservatives, the Liberals, and the Socialists. The Socialists are now in power." The nervous German interpreter provided the following translation: "In England, we have mainly three political parties: the Conservatives, the Liberals, and the National Socialists. The National Socialists are now in power." Oh, those interpreters!
   
    According to his own account, the Virgin Mary has appeared over the course of 15 nights to a 9-year-old New York boy, Joseph Vitolo. The boy described the Queen of Heaven as slender and blonde, dressed in blue or white robes. His visions--which occur outdoors--have aroused the curiosity of countless people. Police reinforcements were required to manage the flow of some 100,000 people in a single week through the narrow street where the boy lives.
   
    In the Atlantic Monthly, Professor Albert Einstein expressed the view that current problems could be solved through the formation of a world government. Einstein's plan for a world government envisions the participation of the United States, England, and Russia. While the scholar would entrust the drafting of the constitution to the Russians, he envisions control over atomic energy for the USA and England.
   
    Students at a New York school had gone on strike. The reason: Black children had been admitted to classes. In their efforts to calm the students, the desperate administration turned to Frank Sinatra, who is known to be immensely popular among American youth. The singer appeared before 3,000 young people and told them that "outbursts against other races were the most dangerous thing one could do in the USA right now."
   
    Frau von Ribbentrop (née Henkell) stated in Nuremberg that she had never even considered the possibility of a German defeat--and certainly not the idea that one could survive such a defeat.
   
    Hollywood gossips recently reported the following: Actor Humphrey Bogart proposed to actress Lauren Bacall. He said: "Kid, I want to marry you. But I certainly don't want to rush your decision. Think it over and take your time. I'll wait until you've finished your cigarette…"

Our Short Story--
   
[illustration of perplexed P.W. tangled in electrical cord]
A LINGUISTIC MISUNDERSTANDING
BY WERNER BAECKER
    Fridolin was a nice fellow, without a doubt, but rather slow on the uptake. While that is a disadvantage, it is no disgrace. He himself never really felt it as such--except, perhaps, when he noticed the uproarious laughter of those around him from time to time, though in most cases he didn't know what they were laughing at him about. And since Fridolin wasn't any dumber than the law allows (and the law allows quite a lot), he never really rubbed anyone the wrong way.
    But there was one time it really shook him up. That was here in America, shortly after his arrival in Texas. Fridolin had to go to the hospital. It wasn't anything serious, but he did need to have an X-ray. He didn't really know what to expect; he held a healthy awe for flashing machinery and instruments and was bewildered by the bustling activity in front of the X-ray department. Then, looking utterly flummoxed, he found himself standing before a stunning X-ray technician--a Hollywood type with hair dyed a striking blonde--who whispered to him most graciously, though in English: "Take your clothes off and put this over." This was her way of telling him to remove his clothes behind a folding screen and cover his newly exposed manhood with a long, flowing, unearthly white surgical gown.
    Fridolin already had a fair amount of feel for American culture, but the whole white coat thing wasn't quite clear to him. So, faster than he would have liked, he found himself innocently naked behind the wall, waiting. The girl at the X-ray machine not only looked the part, she also had the patience of an angel. She waited, glanced in the mirror, powdered her pointed nose, finally took out her lipstick and applied a few deft strokes, adjusted her hair, and then cast a questioning look at the wall. When Fridolin still hadn't appeared in the next few seconds, she chirped "Get ready, please" through the wall, which he quite rightly took to be the decisive moment. With a final burst of willpower, taking one last look at his figure, Fridolin grabbed the white coat and, holding his breath, strode toward the Hollywood model.
   
[illustration of flirty nurse]
   
    What happened next is hard to describe. Screaming, gesticulating, laughter, and horror. But laughter reigned supreme, for hours, perhaps even days. And that was what had shaken Fridolin and moved him to take Otto's grammar book into his hands every day from then on.
[illustration of naked man carrying gown and horrified nurse]

WE ASK OUR READERS
   
    Those who submit the correct answers will be named in the next issue.
   
    1. Was John Cabot, who reached the American continent under the British flag in 1497, English? Or where did he come from?
   
    2. When did Nietzsche live?
   
    3. Name an important woman of the 20th century. (Born in the 19th century.)
   
    4. When did Cleopatra live?
   
    5. When was the word "ocean" first used?
   
    6. In which U.S. states do oranges grow?
   
    7. What was the nationality of the German spy Mata Hari?
   
    8. What position did Baron von Steuben hold in the American Revolutionary War?
   
    9. How many words does the German language have?
   
    10. Where was handball first played?
   
    Answers in the next issue.

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
We Chose a Camp Representative: Johannes Tiedemann
    Opinions were naturally divided when an announcement from headquarters suddenly appeared on the bulletin boards, informing everyone that Camp White would be heading to the polls in a few days. Some thought it was unnecessary. Others took the view that they couldn't care less who sat in those rooms down at the chapel; they never went there anyway. But the vast majority--as was later revealed when voter turnout was tallied--viewed the matter as it was meant to be seen: as an opportunity for everyone in the camp to actively influence the management of their own affairs by casting a vote for a candidate.
    The camp's current low occupancy made the election process extremely simple. During the preliminary vote, every camp member was free to nominate the man of their choice--even themselves, if they wished. However, the word-of-mouth campaign worked so effectively that votes were clearly concentrated on the candidates who were viable contenders for the final race. The few days of active campaigning for Johannes Tiedemann and Erich Becker brought more enjoyment to the campaigners than to the candidates themselves. The latter stood rather defenseless against their supporters' enthusiastic promotion, able to do little more than wave and hope the commotion would soon pass. Yet, to the credit of the "parties" involved, it must be noted that the campaigning focused strictly on the individual candidate's merits and never descended into disparagement of the opponent.
    And so, everything proceeded peacefully. Two hours after the voting concluded, the camp learned that Johannes Tiedemann had won the race--though his lead over Erich Becker was not vast. Becker had gained a significant number of votes compared to the preliminary round--a success surely welcomed by anyone familiar with his active dedication and self-sacrifice for the camp. Dr. Johann Thur's vote count demonstrated the solidarity of our Austrian camp inmates; they had previously exercised tactful restraint, avoiding interference in internal camp affairs, even though--given the circumstances--no one would have denied them a voice or influence regarding general camp matters. In his address during last Sunday's breakfast gathering, Johannes Tiedemann thanked the camp for the trust placed in him and pledged to dedicate his work to the service of every camp member--a promise taken for granted by all who already knew and respected Tiedemann as a man of integrity and honesty.--w.b.

Help for Smithland
    We are pleased to note that people across the United States--whether motivated by their heritage or simply by a sense of humanitarian duty--have come forward to call for immediate aid for Germany. A glance at German-language newspapers in the U.S. reveals that every club, social circle, and community where German immigrants have settled is making a sincere effort to launch relief organizations for Germany. The primary obstacle at the moment remains the complete absence of regular postal services. For weeks, German-American organizations have been sending daily letters of inquiry and appeal to the relevant authorities, who in turn repeatedly assure us that everything humanly possible is being done to restore communication with Germany as quickly as possible.
    We must all prepare ourselves to offer every possible form of assistance the moment a soundly established relief organization for Germany begins its work. Naturally, no monetary donation should seem too large to us. We wish to do at least something to alleviate a plight that concerns us all--a plight from which none of our relatives in Germany are exempt. We urge American authorities now not to place any obstacles in the way of our participation in such relief efforts. The thought that our donation might enable a desperate mother to feed a starving child brings us far greater comfort than the dubious satisfaction of a substantial savings account. Hence our appeal: Open your hands and your hearts when the call for donations goes out!

[illustration of candle on fir bough]
Christmas Preparations
    One cannot say that thinking about Christmas preparations is premature. We are already celebrating the First Sunday of Advent this coming weekend--quietly, reflectively, and with the deep hope that, by next year at the very least, the small candles will have dispelled the terrifying darkness that makes it so difficult this year to truly honor the Festival of Light. In all likelihood, we will spend Christmas Eve here in the camp. Although thoughts of our suffering homeland will prevent any Christmas joy in the usual sense from arising, we intend to do our utmost to create a fitting setting for that solemn moment on December 24th, when our thoughts unite with those of our loved ones in Germany. We hope that Oregon--rich in fir trees--will supply us abundantly with Christmas trees; that a giant tree in the center of the camp will once again remind us of the most wonderful time of the year; and that, through the cooperation of everyone involved, we might prepare a Christmas setting that transports us, if only for a brief moment, back to the happy years of childhood--years that come alive again whenever December arrives with its snow, silver bells, and the scent of fir.

[illustration of seagull flying over crashing waves and German house]
Where the seagulls cry--
    Among the interested readers of the Oregonian article series about the Camp White prisoner-of-war camp was a woman living in Northern Oregon who had left Germany with her parents and emigrated to America during her early childhood. The impressions and descriptions in the reports prompted her to rummage through the family mementos that her late father had always so carefully preserved. There, she discovered a map of Schleswig-Holstein and a small color print showing the group of travelers who, over forty years earlier, had left the small island of Pellworm--located south of Sylt--to seek a new life across the ocean. Naturally, the memories Mrs. Fred Dethman (the reader in question) holds of her old homeland have grown quite hazy. It was understandable, then, that she sought to obtain more information about the small island and its fate during the war by writing to the camp. Our inquiries proved unsuccessful, a fact Mrs. Dethman regretted deeply. The documents she had sent us were returned to her, including the postcard on which she had inscribed the only sentence she could still read and write in German: "Where the seagulls cry in the roaring storm, there was my homeland, there I was at home…"

ONE YEAR OF THE CAMP NEWSPAPER
    Our next issue will be dedicated entirely to the first anniversary of our newspaper. It is expected to appear during the first week of December. Steps are being taken to ensure that interested readers each receive a copy as a memento.

Publicity Is Publicity
    Naturally, all of America knows Max Schmeling. And New York City, in particular, is well aware of him. Consequently, the management of a New York City cinema that exclusively screens German films decided to help the Bavarian comedy "Grossreinemachen"--starring Anny Ondra and Wolf Albach-Retty--achieve a resounding success. Without hesitation, they announced the film in a newspaper advertisement as: "Grossreinemachen" starring Mrs. Schmeling. If that didn't draw a crowd…

Reflecting the Times
   
Carl Schurz (1829–1906)
A German-American member of the U.S. Senate.
    By the time Carl Schurz decided to go to America, he had already led an eventful life. Born in 1829 in Liblar on the Rhine, he took part in the Revolution of 1848. When the uprising failed, he was forced to flee; after various tribulations, he made his way to London. From there, he sailed to Philadelphia--the "City of Brotherly Love"--arriving in 1852.
    He subsequently made a name for himself as a politician and a fighter who championed freedom and truth without compromise. In 1861, the United States sent him to Spain as an envoy. However, when the Civil War broke out between the North and the South, he returned to America to enlist in the army. Serving as a rank-and-file soldier, he participated in the battles of Chancellorsville, Chattanooga, and Gettysburg. Here, too, he fought for his ideals--for freedom and against slavery. Yet his primary goal remained peace.
    After the war ended, he became an editor in St. Louis, Missouri, where he continued his advocacy. The South was not yet truly free. In 1867, he submitted his famous "Report on the South" to Congress, describing the prevailing conditions and proposing measures to address them. Time proved Schurz right. His abilities as a statesman soon gained widespread recognition. In 1886, he was elected to the Senate as a member of the Republican Party, and under President Hayes, he served as Secretary of the Interior. By the time of his death in 1906, it was clear that Carl Schurz had made a significant contribution during one of the most pivotal moments in American history. He had defended the ideal of freedom and--through both his writings and his active life--had exemplified what would later become known as the "American way of life." His ideals were America's ideals. The words of Carl Schurz--statesman, politician, journalist, champion of justice and liberty, and ardent idealist--which we reproduce today on the front page of this issue, reveal both the man and a spirit that strove unceasingly and self-sacrificingly to help perfect democracy.

Radio Vienna: Ladies and Gentlemen
    For months now, the Vienna station has been greeting listeners with these friendly words. Following the end of the "Anschluss" era, it is naturally broadcasting its own programs--programs that remarkably echo the style that made the Vienna station one of Europe's most popular broadcasters in the years prior to 1938. Let us take a look at what Radio Vienna aired on Sunday, September 16, 1945:
    06:00: Opening, Thought for the Day. 07:00: News. 07:15: Organ music. 07:35: Sunday Morning. 08:25: Morning concert. 09:30: Spiritual hour, sacred music. 10:00: Announcements. 10:15–10:45: Light music; interspersed at 10:20: A Cheerful Word. 10:45: Rural music, rural broadcast. 11:00: Opening concert by the Society of the Friends of Music ("Musikfreunde"). Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Josef Krips. (Broadcast from the Great Hall of the Musikverein). 13:00: News. 13:15: Press review. 13:30: Midday concert. 14:00–16:00: Children's hour: "The Glass Chandelier." 16:25: Interlude music. 16:30: "It Must Be Something Wonderful" (Love songs). 17:00: News and announcements. 17:10: Viennese music. 17:45: Calling the Youth. 16:15: Discussion on the art of acting: Raoul Aslan--The Mission of Acting. 18:30: Musical interlude. 19:00: Announcements. 19:05: Poets' Credo: J.J. David. 19:30: The Sunday Listener's Portrait: "When One Goes on a Journey…" 20:00: News. 20:10: Russian Hour. 22:00: News. 22:15: Sports and Music. 22:30–02:30: Ravag Greetings Program. 02:30: Sign-off.

Questions Posed by Christianity to the Modern World
BY FRIEDRICH GRIESHEIMER, PASTOR
    The way the topic is framed above is perhaps unusual. Typically, the question is posed the other way around. The modern world is accustomed to questioning Christianity. It asks either genuinely--that is, out of the hope that Christianity might still be capable of providing an answer to crucial questions of life--or it asks with scornful irony: "What does this museum-piece version of Christianity have to offer today's world--a world that has long since stood on its own two feet, broken free from ties to the hereafter, and is enjoying the 'joys' of this magnificent earthly life? Achievement, struggle, and love belong to this world alone. The cathedrals and churches of our cities are relics of a bygone era, swallowed up by the modern world; to the person of today, they appear much as the shapes of violins, trumpets, and saxophones do to a deaf person."
    But is the situation not different today? Who is actually at an end--the modern world, or Christianity, which was long thought or declared dead? Do we not find ourselves in the position of a traveler sitting in a train compartment who suddenly believes they are moving, when in fact it is merely a train on the adjacent track that has started to move? Have we not often imagined that we were moving into new realms, leaving behind the stations of our millennia-long sojourn, when in reality the opposite was true? It was we who were standing still, while something else--something we took to be stationary--was setting itself in motion and leaving us behind. It is none other than the Christian message that has set out in this manner, appearing to leave us with a resolute stride, leaving us to ask in fear whether the peoples and nations of the earth will ever again experience a new encounter, or whether they are steering toward their own end. In today's atomic age--with our knowledge of the terrible forces that can be unleashed--we sense that we are no longer the ones asking the questions, but the ones being questioned; that God's message, instead of being the object of our criticism, suddenly takes on a different aspect and regards us with a gaze we never could have imagined.
    The first question to arise between God and man was not "God, where are You?" but rather "Man, where are you?" And this is the same question put to us anew, with great gravity, as we approach the end of 1945. Today, once again, it is God who asks and we who are being asked. The Lord asks the people, nations, and statesmen of the entire earth: Do you wish to live by My commandments, to keep the peace, and to let love reign--or shall the next war spell your destruction? The final moment for reflection has arrived. Let us not stand aside in weary resignation, nor remain in the darkness claiming that the situation is impenetrable. Let us do everything in our power to acquaint humanity with God's eternal message, so that mankind may gain understanding and harness the natural forces bestowed upon it for the common good.

[illustration of ringmaster, dancers, villain]
Film Corner
   
    SHINE ON HARVEST MOON--A great deal can be made of a film when one has at one's disposal the resources the makers of "Shine on Harvest Moon" used so lavishly: music, beautiful women, humor, a touch of melancholy, the glitz of a revue, and a happy ending. Ann Sheridan not only looked beautiful but also sang and acted superbly. Dennis Morgan played her lovestruck partner who, after many disappointments, finally found success on a grand New York revue stage. Jack Carson, the well-known radio comedian, played a magician contending with the troubles (and likely the joys) caused by his assistant--who was pretty but none too bright. An old acquaintance also reappeared: Szoke Szakall, the Viennese performer who once sparked storms of laughter in countless German films. Our audience was absolutely delighted. General view: films like this should be shown more often.
   
    THERE'S MAGIC IN MUSIC--The Interlochen "National Music Camp" is not a cinematic invention but a truly beneficial real-world institution that many talented young music students have come to appreciate. Fortunately, the film highlighted some of these students in supporting roles--compelling proof of the serious educational work being done, work that primarily benefits major symphony orchestras. However, merely showcasing musical prodigies would not have justified a full-length entertainment film. And so, Susanna Foster had to lend her radiant voice to a sleazy suburban variety show, flee from the police alongside an exotic dancer, and finally allow herself to be whisked away to Interlochen in the car of her open-hearted benefactor (Allan Jones). Musically, the film was most impressive during the finale; the juxtaposition of "Carmen" and "Margarethe" demonstrated the skill of the musical direction, and the operatic roles were sung excellently.
   
    SHADOW OF A DOUBT--It is a pity to see the effort and labor wasted on this film. We truly feel sorry for Joseph Cotten--a likable actor--being condemned to such a role. Without wishing to claim he is not a good actor, we must admit that we simply could not believe him capable of the widow-murders the script attributed to him. The film's gloomy, life-negating atmosphere was hardly conducive to stimulating evening entertainment. Most of the audience was relieved when the murder saga finally ended with the words "The End."
   
    LIFE WITH HENRY--The pride and joy of the Aldrich family was undoubtedly their son, Henry. His "Alaska scheme" drove not only him but the rest of the family to the brink of despair. The neighborhood was not spared Henry's pranks, either; a sympathetic soap purchase backfired disastrously, resulting in ruined underwear and irate housewives. The comedy's underlying intent was evidently to portray the life of an average American family. That it did not quite succeed may have been due to the writers' indecision: on one hand, they stripped the film of any distinctive character with grotesque slapstick sequences; on the other, they attempted to exert an edifying influence on the audience by highlighting a range of desirable qualities in young Henry. Ultimately, however, the result was a solid comedy with a thoughtful undertone--one that the audience audibly enjoyed.
   
    HIS BUTLER'S SISTER--We said it back when we first saw the film: she grows on you with every viewing. We are referring, of course, to Deanna Durbin, who took center stage in the cheerful proceedings with her natural charm and silvery voice. Also starring: Franchot Tone and Pat O'Brien. A musical highlight was the aria from Puccini's "Turandot," though its rendition was unfortunately marred by a flawed sound track.--w.b.

OUR SPORTS
   
SPORTS REVIEW / By Erich Becker
    The transfers of many comrades brought about major upheavals for our sports activities as well. True, on Sunday, November 4th, we had witnessed some magnificent matches played by various select teams--games that finally offered the large crowd of spectators a sense of excitement and the simple joy of a Sunday outing. But then, suddenly, we were left all alone--without opponents--and for a brief moment, we were somewhat at a loss. Our thoughts remained with the many athletes who were already well on their way to California, and whose departure we so deeply regretted.
    But then, we began making new plans. We gathered all the players who had remained behind, formed new teams, and in doing so, drafted the outline for our next sports program. Even the weather gods rewarded our efforts; after days of rain, the weekend remained largely dry, and on Sunday morning--November 11th--the sun even made an occasional appearance.
    The footballers were the first to take the field, accompanied by a number of spectators who welcomed our matches as a pleasant break from the sluggish, dragging hours spent in the barracks. We saw many familiar players whose performances had often moved us to applause in the past. There was the fast and dangerous Holubarz, the skillful technician Hartmann, Schroers (now playing as a forward), and the stalwarts of our defense: the indefatigable Hold, Hans Lang, Fischbach, and many others. Fouquet--always ready for action and seemingly ageless--was also in the lineup. The match ended 4–3 in favor of the "Yellow" team.
    Next, twenty-two handball players took the field for the following match. Undeterred by various difficulties, they put on an engaging and hard-fought contest. Here, too, the Yellow team emerged victorious, winning 4–3. Aretz, in goal, once again demonstrated outstanding ability after a long break.
    November 10th brought the rematch in handball. Faster combination play, better wing play, and quick ball distribution were the hallmarks of this match.
    "Weisse Elf," reinforced by Schwedhelm, Schumm, and Grahl (playing in yellow this time), won 13–5. However, we must acknowledge the fine performance of the losing team. They started the match at a significant disadvantage yet remained undeterred, fighting tirelessly until the very end. With a bit more luck, they might have improved the scoreline by a few goals. Among the victors, our senior staff physician particularly impressed with his well-placed shots, as did Hans Hold and "Fast Otto."
    For the afternoon session, our "Old Boys" (veterans' team) took on the 3rd football team. Both sides played with great commitment, and the rain, which poured down incessantly throughout the match, did not faze the players in the slightest. The 1–1 draw was a fair reflection of the match.

TABLE TENNIS
    With the onset of cooler weather, interest in our game with the little white ball has returned. The tables in the recreation hut are packed every evening. The announcement of the upcoming tournament has also drawn more skilled players to preliminary practice sessions.
    Eighteen participants in Class A and sixteen in Class B are set to compete for victory. There are players of considerable ability among them, and the coming weeks promise exciting and excellent matches. We intend to report on the results from time to time.
    When scheduling matches, we naturally take into account classes and other duties, as we have all come to recognize the necessity of ongoing professional training.

OUR SPORTS KIT
is currently in a rather sorry state. The ravages of time and heavy use have taken their toll, resulting in several damaged areas. However, a few helpful comrades have already stepped forward who, with great skill and even greater enthusiasm, intend to fashion something new for us out of old materials. So, we will exercise a little patience for a few days, the better to enjoy the surprise when it arrives.

Did you know?
    Did you know that, during the normal course of play, our soccer and handball balls require constant repairs? And that, furthermore, several hours are needed every week just to maintain, grease, and otherwise treat these balls?
    Perhaps you can then appreciate the dedication and love a ball manager must bring to this voluntary role.
    When such a ball manager also serves as captain of the "Old Boys" team--handling match scheduling, opponents, lineups, and sports gear--the scope of his responsibilities becomes truly apparent. That is why we are especially grateful to him--our Sepp Mueller.

CHESS
is a very old game. It is first mentioned in the literature of Arab and Hebrew writers. However, it is believed to have been known much earlier among the Chinese, who introduced it to India. Traders subsequently brought it to Persia and Europe, where--as everyone knows--it remains one of the most popular games to this day.

A Voice from the Readership
   
A Young Man Writes to Us
    I read the article "More Honesty" with pleasure. It finally provided answers to questions I had often asked myself regarding the "Letters from the Readership" column.
    Those letters kept harping on the defunct National Socialist regime, repeatedly confronting us with the devastating consequences of the Third Reich. Yet--this was not done by people who had fought against the regime, but by those who had gone along with it, just as I had. And not merely gone along with it; in the zeal of youth, most of us had actively championed a cause whose rightness we were convinced of at the time. Yes, convinced. I must admit this if I do not wish to step into the future with a lie, or make myself a liar in the eyes of my relatives who lost their lives in the war--relatives who, over the years, so often pointed out the regime's dishonesty to me; warnings I had dismissed with the heedlessness of an eighteen-year-old.
    Today, I cannot simply wait to see which new direction in political life will yield the best results. Yet if nearly three years of life behind barbed wire in a democratic country are enough to shatter a decade of political indoctrination, then I believe I know the new path to take. I do not share the view of a reader who once wrote, "We do not yet wish to commit to a political opinion…" for I do not count myself among his "we." For the time being, German youth is deciding on only one thing: summoning the courage to rebuild a fatherland that lies utterly in ruins.--Gerhard Becker
    On an American ship in the Pacific, the following words were prominently displayed: "I gave the Navy the best years of my wife."
    How well this saying applies to other areas of life, too!

Publisher and party responsible for content: Heimat editorial staff, Camp White, Recreation Hut. The newspaper is published twice a month. Print run: 300. Artistic contributions: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, Heinz Folter. Design: Erwin Lange. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Entire content approved by the censor.



Heimat January 1946  The cover pictures refugees on the bow of a ship steaming up a German river.

CONVERSATION about the Future
    W.B.--We had a conversation recently. Not about the weather, not about food, and not about other people either. We spoke about the future--or rather, we were questioned about the future. It was somewhat embarrassing that we had to leave certain questions unanswered. We were very honest with one another and often agreed on the role of happy coincidence--which, as is well known, frequently resolves issues without us bewildered souls having to lift a finger. Yet we did not delude ourselves. One should not wait for coincidences. We may have done that too often in the past, and now we are paying a bitter price for it. The future, therefore, must be different. Completely different, we told ourselves. And that is how we arrived at the questions.
    A Hitler Youth member came to see us. We call him that to indicate right away that he did not shy away from acknowledging his former "colors." That made him likable immediately. For nothing is worse these days than the dishonest hedging regarding one's past stance. In a way, we were all implicated. If not as "Gauleiters" or unit leaders, then as fellow travelers or silent acquiescers. Anyone who denies this is a coward displaying a truly sorry state of character. The exceptions are those who experienced the methods of National Socialist "justice" firsthand within the secrecy of the concentration camps. They hold a unique position. They may rightly call themselves anti-Nazis--provided they were actually imprisoned for anti-National Socialist activities. But their numbers are relatively small--indeed, vanishingly small.
    Our friend brought all this up. He often felt under attack, sometimes ashamed, and at other times disappointed. He was in a state of utter confusion.
    "For months now," he said somewhat impatiently, "you've been telling us about everything National Socialism ruined. Yet when one considers the question of what should take its place, no answer can be found. And you haven't been able to give us one either--at least, not clearly enough."
    It sounded almost like an accusation. But he was right. In these months of postwar confusion, it seems no one yet knows where the ultimate path leads--neither the defeated German people nor their victors, who have thus far administered their respective zones almost independently of one another and are only now in a position to consider tackling the planned central administration for the Reich. We made no accusations, for that always betrays weakness. We simply reflected on how easily a distorted picture can emerge from a great distance--one that does not necessarily correspond to reality.
    "But let no one think," the Hitler Youth member then remarked, "that we might wish for the return of the old system. We all--or at least most of us--woke up from that hypnotic propaganda in sheer horror and saw reality for what it was. Anyone who thought rationally suddenly realized that such a thing must never happen again. We took in what was being said about the shattered state of our people, the rebuilding of our lives based on new principles, the blessings of personal and political freedom, and all the other ideals we had meanwhile heard about and come to value in our history lessons. But--be honest now--is it actually intended for us to share in any of that?"
    The press had evidently caused considerable confusion here. We asked our visitor--who speaks and reads English quite well--where he got his news. We then had to try to explain the American press system to him: its diverse leanings, the partisan interests often blatantly displayed, and the extensive freedoms that this country's democratic system neither can nor wishes to curtail. Above all, we warned him against German-language publications of American origin; while their "pity propaganda" might be well-intentioned, it often destroys any hope for a successful reconstruction. It is confusing, we admitted, when one newspaper runs positive-sounding reports from the Russian Zone while another, on the very same day, writes off the territory east of the Elbe as a dead land.
    Our friend was not satisfied.
    "If we are hated to this extent," he remarked, "there is no justification for hoping that conditions will improve. And yet, in Nuremberg, they publicly stated that the German people were not the ones in the dock."
    We had quite a bit to say to him on that score. We spoke of the numerous signs of growing understanding and compassion. Despite the proceedings in Nuremberg--which daily reveal fresh evidence of heinous crimes and are hardly calculated to foster sympathy for the German plight--there are few Americans today who oppose aid to Germany. Contrary to initial decisions, the American army is now supplying the German population with food. There is no mass starvation in Germany, even though conditions can by no means be described as pleasant or even good. But who would have expected otherwise? After the greatest defeat in our history!
    We then recalled a newspaper article in the widely read Life magazine, which perhaps most clearly illustrates the shift in public opinion in this country. We read it aloud to him:
    "Various circles here and in England are protesting against the deeply disturbing and deplorable conditions prevailing in Germany and Japan. The Potsdam agreements call for reducing German rations to the level of other European countries. That is bad enough for the Germans; but the fact that, generally speaking, even the official ration is not being met is far worse. The suffering of the Germans is by no means unique, yet it is inextricably linked to the suffering of the rest of Europe."
    Viewed in the context of the European problem, the prospects for Germany's future appeared to us in a far more favorable light. We reminded ourselves that the recovery of our homeland is inextricably linked to the recovery of Europe. Life in Germany may seem chaotic at the moment, yet we must not doubt that, through German initiative supported by the Allies, all obstacles will be overcome. Certainly, nothing will be handed to us on a platter; we were in full agreement that no easy future awaits us.
    And then came the question we heard time and again: "When are we going home?" In response, we cited the latest reports that had appeared in the press a few days earlier. We told him that, barring unforeseen difficulties with the Provost Marshal's plans in Washington, we should all be on our way to Germany by the end of April. Only then must words turn into deeds, ideals into reality, and our willingness into convincing proof of the good will without which there can be no progress whatsoever in the Germany of the future.
    We postponed further discussion of the future--fully aware of how incomplete our conversation had been--yet we did not fear looking that new future in the face.

OUTLOOK
   
Year of Decision
    W.B.--President Truman has termed 1946 the "Year of Decision." He was referring primarily to the domestic situation in the United States, where labor unrest had significantly complicated the transition from war to peace. Mr. Truman made it clear that winning the war was not enough; all future efforts must be directed toward making 1946 a true year of peace. He spoke out against the pursuit of selfish interests that run counter to the public good and reminded everyone that conflicting views can be resolved through compromise and a willingness to act reasonably.
    This speech was significant not only for America; its fundamental ideas are applicable to the current global situation in almost every respect. We agree with his characterization of 1946 as the year of decision. Looking beyond America, we believe this year must prove whether the nations of the world have learned from the last war how to establish a genuine foundation for lasting peace--or whether, driven by a frenzy of mistrust and fear of a rising power, they will choose to let selfishness prevail, isolate themselves, and steer with deadly certainty toward a new global conflagration. We must acknowledge that the foundations laid for the new peace are still too weak to justify worldwide confidence. Yet, along with countless people across the globe, we hope that the nations of the world--without exception--will learn to set aside their own interests when it comes to fulfilling the mission of peace. World War II was too horrific for its terrible lessons to be forgotten after just a single year.

America and the Soviet Union
    W.B.--According to some commentators in the United States--including the well-known journalist Walter Lippmann--the primary significance of the recent Moscow talks lies in the achievement of a fundamental agreement between America and the Soviet Union.
    The assumption that only the United States acceded to Russian demands, while the Russians made no concessions whatsoever, is undoubtedly incorrect. What actually took place in Moscow was an adjustment of relations regarding the overlapping spheres of interest of the United States and the Soviet Union. Areas where these interests met or intersected were--and remain--North China, Manchuria, and Korea. The representatives of the great powers reached an understanding on all issues concerning these countries.
    The Moscow Conference confirmed that the Russians hold the leading--though not exclusive--influence over the affairs of Finland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia. However, as previously indicated, this does not mean that the Americans are giving the Russians a completely free hand in Eastern Europe. America has clearly reserved the right to be heard and consulted. Yet its role in Eastern Europe is merely advisory rather than decisive; no one would consider this a diplomatic failure when one also considers what the Americans secured in return.
    In the case of Japan, the leading role of the USA has been confirmed. America is establishing the principles by which the defeated island nation is to be governed. However, much like the Russians in Europe, America has agreed to consider the views and advice of the other great powers as well.
    A segment of the American press has made a point of noting that the primary focus was on reconciling differences between Washington and Moscow. They emphasized that all issues involving the British were relegated, more or less, to the background. There was the delicate situation in Iran, Russian territorial demands on Turkey, and the overall state of affairs in the Middle East--all of which necessitated a general agreement between the British Empire and the new global power, Russia. The German problem also remained partially unresolved between London and Moscow--specifically the future of the Ruhr and the Rhineland, regions to which the French continue to lay claim with Russian support.
    In Lippmann's view, the German question is currently the most important issue. He believes the USA should make every effort to mediate between the differing opinions of the European nations. He considers the elimination of German influence in the Ruhr, the Saar, and the Rhineland to be a prerequisite for the permanent demilitarization of the Reich, though he stops short of denying Germany's economic stake in these areas. Once these conditions are met--that is, when the Ruhr and the Saar can no longer serve to build or sustain a new German military machine--the influential journalist believes the time will have come to form a central German government.

Are Block Leaders Also Guilty?
    W.B.--In Nuremberg, the Allied tribunal was addressing the question of how broadly the circle of war criminals should be defined. According to a statement made by American Justice Jackson prior to the proceedings, the German people themselves were not in the dock; however, a significant portion of the following organizations were: the Party leadership corps, SS units, members of the Reich Cabinet, the Gestapo, the High Command of the Wehrmacht, and the General Staff. It fell to the American prosecution to demonstrate the criminal nature of these groups or institutions. According to a Time magazine report dated December 31, 1945, Assistant American Prosecutor Robert G. Story proposed punishing approximately 600,000 Party members belonging to the Nazi leadership corps--ranging from "Reichsleiter" (Reich Leaders) down to "Blockleiter" (Block Leaders)--for their activities.
    However, it became apparent that not all the judges agreed with the scope of the group being targeted. British Judge Sir Geoffrey Lawrence raised the question of what role "Blockleiter" had actually played in determining Party policy. American Judge Francis Biddle also sought similar clarification.
    Since the question of the extent to which the lowest-ranking party leaders bear guilt arose some time ago, we do not wish to sidestep the issue today. We all know that the vast majority of "Blockleiter"--and let us stick strictly to the "Blockleiter" here--saw their primary task as collecting donations for the "One-Pot Meal" ("Eintopf") and Winter Relief ("Winterhilfswerk") campaigns. Otherwise, most of them simply let things slide; as the saying goes, they wouldn't hurt a fly. But--let us not kid ourselves--not all of them were like that. If the "Blockleiter" are indeed to face conviction, then the innocent ones among them may thank those who, acting as neighborhood tyrants, forfeited any claim to sympathy. It must be acknowledged that there were individuals among them who took pleasure in sending decent neighbors to the penitentiary or a concentration camp for years simply because they had listened to a BBC (Radio London) broadcast. They were the nasty types who kept a tally of who hoisted flags on the Movement's holidays and who did not. They kept track of how many times Mr. Müller from across the street forgot to shout "Heil Hitler." They also "supplied" the Party with enough information to feed relevant details into the necessary "political character references." Just how many livelihoods these state-sanctioned informers destroyed is a story in itself. In their heyday, they made sure the ordinary man on the side street would never forget their activities on behalf of the "Volksgemeinschaft" (national community). If they--and they alone--were to be condemned to shovel rubble and rebuild wantonly destroyed private property, the public's sense of justice would hardly be offended--provided, of course, that the process is handled with reason and caution, and the mistake of painting everyone with the same brush is avoided.

COLORFUL WORLD
   
[illustration of cherub and globe presenting calendar to disapproving god]
New Calendar
for NEW WORLD
    W.B.--It may come as a bit of a surprise that a whole host of people around the world have vowed to replace the current calendar with a "reformed" one.
    What they dislike about the Gregorian calendar system is the uneven division of months and quarters, the annual shifting of movable feasts by several weeks, the confusing number of days in February, and the resulting obstacles for industry and commerce, for whom necessary accounting is unnecessarily complicated by the never-consistent number of days in the quarters.
    "There has to be an easier way!" they say, and here is what they want to implement in place of the old calendar:
    The new calendar should, of course, also correspond to the Earth's movement around the sun. According to their calculations, the year will initially have 364 days, divided into four equal quarters. The three months of a quarter, which together comprise 91 days, distribute the days among themselves as follows: 1st month 31 days, 2nd month 30 days, 3rd month 30 days.
    According to the proposed system, each month, excluding Sundays, has exactly 26 working days. Quarters would always begin on a Sunday and end on a Saturday. New Year's Day would always be the first Sunday of the year, and all other dates of importance would always fall on the same day of the week or Sunday. In accordance with the world calendar, there would no longer be any movable feasts. Christmas, for instance, would always be celebrated on a Monday (December 25), while Easter--subject to the churches' approval--would fall on Sunday, April 8. The plan may look simple, but a number of difficulties would have to be overcome before it could be realized. One issue to resolve was what to do with the extra day left over under the new system. Since the solar year consists of 365 days, an additional day had to be devised--one that would not appear on the standard calendar. The reformers found a solution: they proposed a universal "World Holiday" to be added to the end of December. This day would delay the start of the new year by 24 hours, thereby maintaining synchronization with nature.
    Of course, no one knows yet whether this calendar will ever be universally adopted. However, the widespread support for the proposed system is surprising. Fourteen nations--Afghanistan, Brazil, Chile, China, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Peru, Spain, Turkey, and Uruguay--are already prepared to recognize the new calendar, and others will undoubtedly follow suit.
    It has already been proposed to make the switch on January 1, 1950, since that year begins on a Sunday and would therefore align perfectly with the World Calendar until February 28, 1950. In an era striving for international understanding, it is entirely possible that this plan--briefly outlined here--could one day become reality, though resistance is naturally to be expected from conservative circles, which have historically always been suspicious of anything new.
   
[ilustration of sun in bed]
   
    The facts presented here were drawn from the article "Do We Want A New Calendar" by Mark Osborne.

[illustration--portrait of Alexander Fleming]
What is this: The Nobel Prize?
    The Swedish scientist Alfred B. Nobel, inventor of dynamite, left behind a fortune of 9 million dollars upon his death in 1896. The annual interest from this sum was to be distributed to men and women who had rendered the greatest service to humanity during the year in question. The prize covers the following fields: physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. Decisions regarding the awards in physics and chemistry are made by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; for medicine, by the Stockholm medical faculty; for literature, by the Swedish Academy; and the peace prize is awarded by a group of members of the Norwegian Parliament. In his will, Nobel expressly stipulated that the nationality of the recipients was to play no role; his sole concern was that the prizes should go to truly outstanding men or women. In 1935, the value of the Nobel Prize was approximately $40,000.

[illustration of a ship in a storm]
JUST IN CASE--
From the will of an eccentric
    A London eccentric named Cotterton left behind a fortune of 20,000 pounds sterling. The funds were to be used to procure iron chests, which were to be filled with the works of the most distinguished writers and scholars. Once hermetically sealed, these chests were to be sunk at various points in the Atlantic Ocean. He justified this peculiar bequest by noting that, just as parts of the Atlantic Ocean were once dry land and current landmasses were once ocean, this shift could occur again in the future. The flooding of today's civilized nations would, however, result in the loss of many works of literature and science. However, if, after millennia, the iron chests on what had become dry land were occasionally discovered by humans, the literary treasures preserved within them would be saved for future generations.

[illustration of Göring being told to leave, brothel scene, typist]
This and That
   
    This time, the voice of Paris' conscience was Madame Richard, who declared fierce war on the 178 brothels still in operation. Judging by the tone of her accusations, one might almost expect these establishments of pleasure to vanish for good--though not without a bitter counter-struggle from those with a financial stake in the trade, which reportedly generates annual revenues of 20 million dollars. Yet the 6,000 rooms currently occupied by loose women are slated for conversion into housing for decent folk. And who would dare to protest that publicly?
   
    According to Adolf Hitler's will, discovered a few days ago, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler were expelled from the NSDAP. If Hermann no longer even belongs to the Party, one might ask: who ever did?
   
    After World War I, 20 million young women rose up with the cry: "We won't be told what to do!"--only to earn their living as stenotypists a short while later. Ladies--where was the logic in that?
   
    When the crews of the Russian fleet were once severely struck by the flu, the Tsar issued a special order to "get well immediately." The things one can order!
   
    The following individuals appeared on the U.S. Treasury Department's list as the highest-paid people in the United States:
    Louis B. Mayer, Hollywood film mogul. A "lion's share" of $908,070 a year. (His films always begin with a roaring lion--hence: "lion's share.")
    Charles E. Wilson, President of General Motors; annual income: $459,041.
    Thomas J. Watson, manufacturer of business and office machines; annual income: $425,548.
    Deanna Durbin, film singer for Universal; the only woman among the top ten earners. Income: $326,491.
   
    Fiorello LaGuardia, New York's former mayor (his term ended on December 31, 1945), was once again a very busy man. His new duties: 1) radio commentator for Liberty magazine, 2) local radio broadcaster for a milk and butter company, 3) Sunday columnist for the New York newspaper PM. His friends predicted that his future income would exceed what he had earned as mayor. How easy that is to believe!

We laugh--
   
[illustration of swooning nurse with ice pack on her head]
Not to be taken literally --
    Doctor (to the nurse): "So, I'll put the ice pack on your soul and the hot compress on your heart--and then, please remember the foot bath."

Depending on the context--
    
    Housewife to the painter who is supposed to paint the floor: "Tell me, how long will it take you to finish this job?"
    Painter: "I don't know yet. The boss is currently looking for another job. If he gets it, we'll be finished here tomorrow. If not, this will take a whole week."
    
    Mother: "Why are you crying, boy?"
    Boy: "My father dropped a hammer on his foot while hanging a picture."
    Mother: "But you don't need to cry about that, you can laugh about it!"
    Boy: (desperately) "I did that!"

     The wife hadn't spoken to her husband for days and had a frosty expression. One morning, she was laughing again.
    "Good," he said, "so everything's all right again?"
    "What!" she cried angrily, "everything all right again? I'm just resting my face!"
    
    The writer Kipling had a visitor.
    The guest asked the maid:
    "Is Mr. Kipling working right now?"
    "Working?" the woman exclaimed in astonishment, "He never works. He scribbles and scribbles all day long. Heaven knows how he earns his living."

Our Short Story--
   
[illustration of coach on the road]
SCHILLER'S BERLIN
By Hans Brennert
    A beautiful Berlin morning in May 1804--though it is not certain that everyone read the notice in the "Vossische Zeitung" that morning: "Visitors Arrived: Mr. von Schiller from Weimar, via Leipzig."
    Indeed, the von Schiller family had checked into the Hotel de Russie at Unter den Linden 23--where Legation Councilor Dr. Goethe had stayed back in May 1778--at midday yesterday, having arrived from Potsdam. The party consisted of the "Hofrat" (Court Councilor), his wife, and the boys, Karl and Ernst. The "Hofrat" was still quite worn out from the journey. The stagecoach--traveling at a speed of two miles an hour--had set off from Weimar on April 26th. They spent the first night in Weissenfels; the next midday and two nights in Leipzig with the publisher Cotta; the fourth night in Wittenberg; and then, traveling "across the sandy plains," they arrived in Potsdam at midnight. The city gate was locked--and the key had to be fetched from the city commandant, who lived some distance away. Such was the style of Potsdam in 1804: the poor travelers were left waiting outside the gate for a long time on that May night, likely near the Havel River--where, as young Karl von Schiller wrote in his travel essay, "countless frogs treated us to an ear-splitting concert."
    According to Karlchen's account, when the officer on guard duty heard the name Schiller, he struck up a conversation with the boys' father about his work. The father later remarked that he had been pleased and entertained to find himself--in that place and at that hour, amidst the croaking of the Havel frogs--engaged in a discussion about his poems. Eventually, the gate key arrived. By the very next midday, young Karlchen was already dashing out of the hotel and onto the "Linden" boulevard to look around. "My brother, on the other hand, stayed at home for fear of the many dogs…." Berlin, 1804.
    The famous father is staying in Berlin with his family for seventeen days. He intends to negotiate a move from Weimar to Berlin--whether for an extended period or permanently--or perhaps to commute: watching the whirl of life in Berlin while writing plays in Weimar. The Court, the Academy, and his friend Iffland all want to win the great poet over for Prussia. He is deeply attached to Weimar, to Karl August, and to Goethe--and yet, he has long known that he might have to leave his Lotte and the children forever, before they are grown. Berlin--that meant three thousand Reichsthalers and a court carriage, a seat at the Academy and a national theater where Iffland, Fleck, Madame Fleck, and Unzelmann performed…
    During these days in Berlin, he dines with the physician Hufeland at Dorotheenstraße 3 and with Iffland at Tiergartenstraße 29--"A veritable ideal of a garden home, charmingly built, with a wooded hedge to hide the sandy soil." He is received by the elderly Chief Mistress of the Robes, Voss, as well as the King and Queen Luise; Karl and Ernst play with the Crown Prince--the future Emperor Wilhelm I--and Louis Ferdinand invites him to dinner at his palace by the Weidendamm Bridge, having first ascertained the poet's favorite dishes and wines. He serves so much of the poet's preferred white Burgundy that the latter is unable to attend a performance of "The Robbers" that evening and still has a splitting headache the next day when Iffland visits. Yet, during a sleepless night, he reads a play and discovers a poet: Zacharias Werner…
    He is constantly in Iffland's company, visiting the Singakademie and attending performances of "The Magic Flute" and--at the national theater--"The Bride of Messina" (with Iffland himself speaking the part of Bohemund in the chorus), "The Maid of Orleans" (though he finds the coronation procession too ostentatious), and "Wallenstein's Death." He remains silent regarding Madame Fleck's portrayal of Thekla, and says nothing about Berlin itself. Lotte, however, sighs at the prospect of life by the Spree; she misses her beloved mountain peaks and sees only a landscape that drives one to despair.
    Privy Cabinet Councilor von Beyme negotiates the terms of his move to Berlin: three thousand Thalers, a court carriage--everything is to be arranged. The poet intends, for the moment, only to gently untie the bond in Weimar. It never comes to that. Karl August graciously weaves a few golden threads into the bond--yet in May 1805, following a harsh winter, the poet of "Tell" passes away. Iffland had paid him 331 thalers and 12 groschen, plus 80 louis d'or, for the exclusive performance rights for three months when he left Berlin.
    The Royal Cabinet Journal, Minute Volume 117, however, records to this day: "Iffland's letter and memorandum regarding Herr von Schiller's wish to remain permanently in Berlin: filed away…"
[illustration of coins, coach and government building]

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
    It can't be said that the beginning of the year was without surprises. The quiet of the holidays hadn't quite ended when the inquisitive pounced on maps, estimating distances with their fingers: Seattle--Panama Canal--Europe, well, a few weeks, at least! It looks as if the momentous day really isn't too far off. No one knows for sure yet, but the pictures are already gone, and the books and other things that don't fit in the 65-pound bag will probably follow soon. Once the packed dining room resembles a funeral procession returning from a burial (all in black!), it can only be a matter of weeks--
    Meanwhile, the local department stores, especially Becker & Wunderlin, have adapted to the demands of the times. The latest product from Hollywood, a so-called Panama Cream, is demonstrated every evening by the charming Erich. The suggestion to order seasickness medication for the long sea voyage was well received. Those interested in obtaining a remedy to banish seasickness can register their names. A referendum on whether or not to order the medication is not currently planned. Otherwise, we have quite a lot planned--well, well!
   
[illustration of sad, weeping camp fixtures--tent, shovel, gas mask, sack of potatoes, unpruned tree--and men carrying coffin labeled "the prisoner of war"]
   
ON THE SAME TRACK WITH NEW PLANS

Autumn Colors
   
OREGON LANDSCAPE IN PICTURES
    Leonardo da Vinci once said that a young artist should learn only from nature. Arnold Böcklin, on the other hand, held the view that only memory could give rise to good paintings. Van Gogh was a staunch opponent of the cold practice of working "from memory"; for him, the model was the only authority. These fundamental contradictions may well come as a surprise. Yet, for us, they made it easier to follow up on the Camp White annual exhibition with a commentary. We shall take care to avoid making judgments or assertions that could be easily--and perhaps ironically--refuted by a quote from a renowned master (see above). Perhaps there are no guidelines for artistic creation at all. The finest work may emerge only from the freest unfolding of one's own thoughts--a far more likely prospect than the "dictating" of an artistic form, which inevitably leads to factory-like uniformity and the stifling of creative ideas.
    We recalled that, a few months ago, an art enthusiast from within the camp indirectly criticized the method our painters had previously employed--creating works based on memory or incomplete reference material. It was he who suggested striving for progress through life studies of the male figure and who observed that one expects a single style from an artist, rather than borrowings from every conceivable genre of painting. After viewing the annual exhibition, however, we found ourselves questioning whether that enthusiast had been right in all his advice. From a visitor's perspective, the uniformity of the subject matter and the consistent color palette felt somewhat tedious. While the inaugural exhibition the previous year had appealed primarily through the diversity of its subject matter, this time viewers were involuntarily drawn to the execution itself--and, perhaps against their own intentions, became critical. Peter Hofmann, Hermann Doeker, and Hans Adamo--working under the guidance of Georg Fr. Sorg--demonstrated undeniable talent, yet in the technical execution of their paintings, they fell short of the seasoned Sorg. His strength was once again evident in his striking use of color and his apt rendering of the prevailing mood. In this observer's view, his "Rainy Autumn Day" was his finest achievement. Also worth noting is the significant progress Sorg made in the realm of portraiture. The portrait of Hans Tiedemann stood out as his most accomplished work.
    Among the younger talents, special mention should be made of Hermann Doeker. Using delicate colors and calm lines, he created a "Rogue River" that was undoubtedly one of the exhibition's finest paintings. Providing a refreshing contrast to the general autumnal mood were the works of the distinctive Manfred Linzbach; he could easily have found many buyers for his beautiful scenes of the German countryside. His colors were soothing and calming, and his execution was skillful and full of promise.
   
[illustration of art exhibition scene while small group hurls angry lightning bolts]
   
    The special section--featuring pencil drawings, pen-and-ink sketches, and caricatures by Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, and Horst Wilke--showcased truly impressive work. Doeker's scenes from "Faust" demonstrated serious study and solid technical skill; Hofmann's caricatures revealed imagination and inventiveness; and Wilke's work displayed genuine, cultivable talent that should one day bring him well-deserved success. The observation that Wilke occasionally skirted the boundaries of good taste is by no means intended to diminish his overall achievement.
    Georg Hartmann's handcrafted objects were masterpieces that garnered well-deserved acclaim from all quarters. The exhibition was a resounding success--a result that should leave the organizers and their assistants (including Josef Burichter, who worked diligently to finish the numerous picture frames) thoroughly satisfied.

[illustration of steamship on open sea]
News from the Camp School
    The "travel fever" sweeping through the camp has had little to no impact on school activities. More people than expected signed up for the introductory French course, even though there is little prospect of actually completing the curriculum. Experience shows, however, that a grasp of basic grammar or pronunciation rules is often enough to understand at least something of what goes on in the administrative offices of the French occupation zone in Germany. And that is likely what matters most to the majority of those who show up for class on Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:00 p.m.

[illustration of hunchback of Notre Dame]
Upcoming Films
    According to the schedule we have, the following films will soon be shown at the Adlung Palace: "Hold Back the Dawn" (which may have already been screened), "Without Love," "Two Girls and a Sailor," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and "Valley of Decision" (Greer Garson).

ABOUT THE FILM
   
    W.B.--Some fears that only war films would be shown in the future proved unfounded when the musical comedy "Holiday Inn" with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire was announced at the beginning of the week before last. Many of those who had come with high expectations left the theater somewhat disappointed. The foray into history, the use of historical motifs to embellish a jazz revue, wasn't to everyone's taste. But since one shouldn't generally argue about matters of taste, people contented themselves with the occasionally quite witty lyrics, Irving Berlin's catchy melodies, Bing Crosby's pleasant voice, and the dance-like inventiveness of Mr. Astaire, who, as is well known, is now approaching 50 and is seriously considering ending his successful career. The situation is different, however, with Crosby, who is not much younger himself and still stands at the forefront of the "crooners," that particular breed of singer whom some spiteful people accuse of having "bedroom" voices. In Crosby's case, however, this voice is in high demand. The singer has now been sued for refusing to continue his weekly radio show, for which a food corporation has to pay enormous sums of money. In this "holiday" film, he sang the well-known song "White Christmas," the only modern Christmas song that managed to sneak into the circle of familiar ones without being particularly disruptive.
   
    We were once again struck by just how accustomed our ears have become to "American" English when we were introduced to the British production "Suspicion." There is an unmistakable difference between the two sides of the Atlantic! Cary Grant's way of speaking didn't differ significantly from the American style, even though he made an effort to speak with an English accent for this British film. The situation was a bit trickier with Joan Fontaine; she spoke very well, but in a very, very British manner. Incidentally, it was a pleasure to get to know this charming actress. She played the role of the suspicious young woman to perfection. The film's director, Alfred Hitchcock, possesses a rare gift for ratcheting up the suspense, only to make the audience's collective sigh of relief palpable and audible. That was undoubtedly the case when the car turned and the man had no intention of plunging the beautiful woman into the abyss. That's how it goes in the movies: we viewers can demand a happy ending. That is what we pay our admission for--even if it's only 15 cents.
   
    With the film "The White Cliffs of Dover," Hollywood took us back to the era between the two World Wars. Here, the war served as a backdrop rather than the main character, yet its impact on people's lives was too real not to elicit the audience's sympathy. Irene Dunne, that wonderful actress, played the role of Susan Ashwood, looking back over the course of her life. The excellent choice of supporting actors contributed significantly to the film's lasting impression. It is a pity that some in our audience could not follow the dialogue completely; certain parts of the story were simply too fine to be laughed at out of misunderstanding.
   
    For some reason, the announced film "Presenting Lily Mars" is not being shown. This is a pity, as many film enthusiasts had looked forward to seeing Marta Eggerth--the former UFA star of Hungarian origin--on screen again. Instead of "Lily Mars," we are getting (or have already seen--we are often in the dark about these things) a film starring Paulette Goddard, who frequently appears in movie magazines and was recently featured on the cover of Life magazine in a role from the new film "Kitty." Incidentally, that same issue of the magazine contained an amusing conversation between the actress and an inquisitive reporter. He asked her:
    "What year were you actually born? The information varies so much!"
    "Oh, I think it was 1915!" she smiled.
    The journalist relentlessly leafed through his notes.
    "And you married Charlie Chaplin in 1927. That is a matter of official record! So that would have made you twelve years old!"
    Miss Goddard laughed even more heartily:
    "I'm terrible at mental arithmetic, my dear friend; I really don't remember exactly."
    The polite man from Life magazine made no further attempt to pin down the actress's birth year. The film in which we see (or saw) her is titled "Hold Back the Dawn."

MIRROR OF THE TIMES
   
[illustration of professors reading into microphone]
BOSTON'S RADIO UNIVERSITY
    It is common knowledge that American radio companies are profit-oriented enterprises; they subsist on commercial announcements. Unlike their European counterparts, the listening audience pays no fees for this service. Nevertheless, there is a radio station in America that is not run for profit, is dedicated solely to educational purposes, and relies on contributions from organizations or individuals interested in its programming. This station is known as the Radio University. Based in Boston, it has been in operation for ten years. It operates 50,000-watt transmitters and broadcasts its programs far and wide--it can even be clearly heard in Europe. Commercial announcements (advertising) are entirely excluded. The station in question is WRUL in Boston.
    This Radio University--or "World Radio University," as it is sometimes called--was founded in 1935 by the World Wide Broadcasting Foundation, a non-profit organization. The foundation's charter states that the institution's purpose is to foster international understanding and to educate people across the globe. Its broadcasts are dedicated to cultural, artistic, intellectual, and educational objectives. Furthermore, the station facilitates the exchange of radio programs with foreign stations, provided the content is of cultural significance. In general, the aim is to promote radio programming that serves intellectual values ​​and fosters character development. In short, like any other school, the Radio University seeks to contribute to the shaping of character and the intellect.
    It is worth noting that the initial concept for such a radio university emerged during the Paris Peace Conference following World War I. At that time, President Wilson had a young American radio inventor serving as his scientific advisor on radio matters: Walter S. Lemmon. This man championed the idea of ​​a lively exchange of ideas with all other peoples to foster understanding among nations. Wilson was drawn to the concept because he believed that radio could demonstrate the necessity of the League of Nations to American voters more quickly and compellingly than newspaper articles could. Consequently, he wanted to support the idea of ​​a "Radio University." However, his political downfall dashed all plans for the Radio University, and Lemmon had to wait years before finding financial backing for his ideas. Yet, he ultimately succeeded in bringing the World Radio University to fruition. He also found staff members who performed the necessary administrative work without pay, as well as professors who delivered their lectures as a labor of love. These lectures were broadcast daily--in both day and evening sessions--across the United States and reached approximately 30 other countries. Subjects taught included law, history, literature, languages, music, the natural sciences, and the fine arts. Modern languages ​​offered included French, Spanish, and Portuguese. "Basic English" was also broadcast to Latin America. In addition, there were lectures aimed at fostering international understanding, and religious services from several Boston churches were transmitted as well. Renowned scholars and prominent figures took an interest in the station, and major universities also participated; for instance, Harvard University helped conduct the law courses, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology organized the physics courses.
    Listeners wishing to ask questions could write to the lecturers and receive a reply. Listeners were also advised on which reference books to consult for the respective subjects. They prepared their assignments in writing and received them back with corrections from the instructors.
    The war interrupted this work, which had begun so successfully. Postal communication with other countries was severely hampered by the submarine campaign, and many students had to leave their studies for military service.
    It is interesting to note how the entire radio university system was funded. It could not rely on tuition fees; instead, it was supported by small donations that amounted to a specific annual sum. Donors (members of the organization) received the station's magazine, The World Wide Listener, free of charge. This magazine publishes summaries of the lectures given at the RWUL station. It also features articles by well-known writers, as well as information regarding upcoming lectures, studies, and the like. Wealthy philanthropists have contributed substantial donations to support operations, and various charitable foundations have provided significant sums of money. However, the primary hope is that new listeners will join the League, allowing the budget to be funded increasingly through small contributions in the future. There are also plans to establish professorships for faculty members who would be permanently affiliated with the institute.
    Finally, plans have also been considered for the establishment of a "World Wide University Press." It is also believed that many whose schooling was interrupted will be able to continue their education via radio, as they lack the time, means, and inclination for formal classroom attendance. All this suggests that one must exercise some caution when passing judgment on American radio and the degree of idealism found among the American population. There is certainly great potential in the American public's capacity for enthusiasm and determination, and the carnival-like atmosphere of typical radio stations is by no means the final word in American broadcasting.

[illustration of abstract painting]
MODERN ART IN LONDON
    W.B.--According to consistent press reports, art lovers in London have actually asked themselves whether the current art exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum might be an attempt to pull their leg. Few visitors claimed to find any appeal in the works of modernists Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Most of the 60,000 visitors shook their heads, leafed through the exhibition catalogue in despair, and made no secret of the fact that they understood none of it. One honest man declared: "I wouldn't want any of these pictures in my home." When it comes to the kind of paintings--prints of which occasionally appear in major illustrated magazines--we can certainly empathize with the disappointed Londoners. In recent months, we have made a serious effort to penetrate the mysteries (if indeed there are any) of modern painting. In the January issue of This Month, Mrs. Charlotte Ware encouraged us not to be afraid of modern art. She compares modern painting to modern music, speaks of the artists' intention to affect us through color, line, form, and structure, and believes that patient inquiry can unlock the secrets of modern art. Perhaps Mrs. Ware overlooked the fact that appreciating art--and indeed enjoying music--is almost entirely a matter of feeling; most people today prefer to indulge in the emotional reaction of saying "that's beautiful" rather than engaging in the laborious task of searching for the artist's intent--an artist who, to stick with the subject of modern painting, often does not even remain grounded in the natural order of things. A statement made by Picasso's secretary in Paris was telling regarding the attitude of modern painters. He said: "His (Picasso's) art goes beyond their understanding. Although he is a communist, he does not labor under the illusion that every grocer or tailor is sufficiently educated to grasp his works." If Monsieur Picasso means by this that all those who oppose his paintings are stupid, we shall not attempt to convince him otherwise.
[illustration of psychiatric attendants with stretcher chasing artist]

A LETTER FOR THE HOMELAND
THOMAS MANN
1550 SAN REMO DRIVE
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA

    December 1945

Mr. John R. Fahey
Ninth Service Command
1913 SCU HQ Prisoner of War Camp
Camp White, Oregon

Dear Mr. Fahey:

    Through your kind mediation, the editor of the prisoner-of-war periodical Heimat sent me a very friendly letter, along with a copy of his publication, which contained an appealing and well-written article about my book "The Magic Mountain." I read not only that article but also the rest of the contents with the greatest interest, and I was impressed by the high standard the editor (or editors) have established for the publication. Its content is varied, educational, entertaining, and amusing, and thus surely offers the camp inmates a source of most welcome intellectual diversion.
    I would like to ask you, dear Mr. Fahey, to convey my sincere thanks to Mr. Werner Baecker and to tell him that he has given me great pleasure through this connection.

Yours very truly,
[signed]
Thomas Mann


Publisher and party responsible for content: Heimat Working Group. Editor: Werner Baecker, Camp White, Oregon. This newspaper usually appears twice a month. Current circulation: 300. Artistic contributions: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, and Heinz Polter. Design: Erwin Lange. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Entire content approved by censorship.



Heimat February 15, 1946  The cover pictures a man and horse plowing a field.

HARBINGERS of Spring
    W.B.--Winter is only slowly retreating from the local valleys into the still-cold, snow-capped mountains; a gentle south wind has heralded the arrival of a new spring, luring people out of their dark, cold homes and into the warming midday sun. A collective sigh of relief is sweeping through town and country, for this was a winter of anxiety; yet a bright spring and summer--promising to make amends for all--must surely follow, provided the yearnings of millions are fulfilled--millions who, even in the darkest period of their existence, held fast to a ray of hope and confidence. Hardship is not yet over. The housewife in Mannheim knows this just as well as the merchant in Dresden. Newspapers in Germany, too, have reported that the entire world must rise up to banish the looming specter of famine. Last year's harvest, which sustained us through the winter, is exhausted. New supplies must arrive, and they will; for a world that overcame war cannot afford to lose the peace once more.
    Yet there are other concerns. All those people trekking along the roads from the East, seeking a new home somewhere in the West, know this well. They have lost almost everything, and often search in vain for understanding--understanding that is in short supply among those far less affected by the war and its aftermath. And yet, even these wayfarers caught a glimpse of the young spring. The biting cold on the roads and in the trains seemed to have broken; the sight of the scarred land, bathed in warming sunlight, appeared less bleak. There was still hope for a different life--a life most of them longed for, and for which they were ready to make new sacrifices and offer their willing labor.
    In the countryside, however--where the farmer has the sacred duty to wrest from the soil whatever it can yield--the most serious preparations ever to precede a spring sowing are underway. Volunteers have arrived from the cities--workers, civil servants, students; young women, older women, children, and, above all, former soldiers. It is surely a kind of rallying against the feeling of standing before the world as a beggar. In Württemberg, small-scale industries are producing consumer goods intended entirely for export. They want to pay for what the wealthier world supplies; they do not want merely to take or accept charity--for whatever may have happened, they refuse to lose their self-respect. And those who today hold sway over us and pass judgment upon us ought not to misunderstand this.
    In the great cities--where chimneys once smoked day and night, and where looming machines beat in unison with the pulse of our lifeblood--the surging bustle of activity returns far more slowly. It is not yet certain to what extent this "other Germany" will produce, though most foreign experts have long known that indigenous German industry cannot simply be killed off.
    And so, in those regions too, people hope for the work, the livelihood, and the life that were promised to them--and which, therefore, must be granted to them. We, who have ample opportunity to follow public opinion in the United States, can see this picture of spring's harbingers even more clearly. For we know that the proponents of a policy of hatred and revenge are steadily losing ground, and that the voices of reason are ultimately prevailing--voices that, even amidst the horrors Hitler's Germany inflicted upon the world, do not forget that one wrong cannot be undone by another.
    The Germany of today needs trust. It seeks the opportunity, during this period of proving itself, to demonstrate that its values ​​were buried but not destroyed. The first days of the coming spring not only have an enlivening effect but also inspire good will. And that is what we need. On all sides.

OUTLOOK
   
ENGLAND – Russia
    W.B.--The blunt language used by English and Russian representatives at the UN assembly in London came as quite a surprise. While some in the press viewed such incidents as highly unwelcome and disruptive, others believed that these frank words could only bode well for relations between England and Russia. The differences between the two countries are long-standing. Over the past century, the English and the Russians have frequently been rivals. When both nations faced a common enemy--Germany--they stood united until victory was achieved. Now, however, there is peace, and the problems standing between the two great powers have grown rather than diminished. Russia's southward drive cuts across the lifeline of the British Empire at various points. Any push toward the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, or the Indian Ocean is bound to meet with English opposition. This is nothing new. As far back as the days of Peter the Great in the 17th century, the Russians harbored similar ambitions--and the English raised similar objections.
    For many long years, the English and the Russians have regarded one another with undisguised mistrust across the so-called buffer states. These buffer states were--and remain--Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan. Any encroachment upon these regions poses a genuine threat to the British Empire--a fact that explains the fierce determination with which British representatives resist Russian challenges.
    Russian intentions--which are, of course, frequently misinterpreted--are aimed primarily at security. Today, no nation is in greater need of peace than Russia, which suffered perhaps just as severely as Germany during the last war. Consequently, the Soviets seek to surround themselves on all sides with pro-Soviet states that would under no circumstances join a potential anti-Soviet coalition of powers. Furthermore, the Russians ardently desire access to warm waters (the Dardanelles)--access that has thus far remained closed to them.
    In the view of numerous political observers, the Russians are pursuing a policy of weakening the position of the British and their empire in every respect, with the support of the USA. This makes the tone adopted by the British representatives all too understandable, as does the widespread belief that the disputes being discussed so publicly can somehow be resolved without having to contemplate the possibility of armed conflict--something neither the British nor the Russians desire.

Spotlights from Europe
   
    French President Félix Gouin declared before the National Assembly: "The first duty I see is to tell the French people the truth--the whole truth, however harsh it may be. Here are the facts we must face: less grain, less meat, less wine, and fewer potatoes." Gouin had a program to deal with these conditions: 1) budget cuts, 2) wage and price stabilization, 3) combating the black market, and 4) accelerating the distribution of available food and consumer goods. The National Assembly gave the President an overwhelming vote of confidence: 514 votes to 51.
   
    At a mass rally in Berlin attended by the four main German parties (Social Democrats, Communists, Liberal Democrats, and Christian Democrats), KPD spokesman Wilhelm Pieck called for national unity and greater trust in "rank-and-file" Nazis, whom his party wished to welcome as comrades. He declared: "We appeal to the 'rank-and-file' members of the NSDAP who have committed no crimes…" The following day, the "Deutsche Volkszeitung" published an editorial reiterating these same sentiments.
   
    British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin stated in the House of Commons that terror had become an instrument of national policy in Poland. Numerous members of the Peasant Party--which opposes the current Warsaw regime--had been murdered. In some instances, circumstances suggested the involvement of the Polish secret police. The Polish response in London took the form of an accusation against England; it was claimed that the terror was being carried out by agents of General Anders' Polish army-in-exile--a force financed by England. Furthermore, the spokesman added, it was not only members of the Peasant Party who had been killed. The Communists and Socialists, too, had their victims.

Interview with Franco
    W.B.--The efforts Franco has been making for months to gain recognition from the democracies are well known. Here is further proof of these efforts: an interview with a representative of the Associated Press news agency.
    Question: "The American public is fairly certain that Spain was, in reality, an ally of Germany and Italy--a fact that is difficult to excuse. Did you support the policies of the Nazis and Fascists, or even adopt them yourself?"
    Franco: "No. Spain was not influenced by Germany and Italy. It developed according to its own principles. Jews were not persecuted here, and no harm came to other religions either."
    Question: "Did you adopt the political views of Hitler and Mussolini?"
    Franco: "I would ask you to bear in mind that the parliament here has been functioning for three years. The government does not enact laws; it proposes them and sends them to the parliament, which debates and may pass them."
    Question: "Does that mean Spain is on the path to becoming a true democracy--in other words, that it is governed by the people?"
    Franco: "Yes, indeed. But we must proceed slowly--step by step--until our people are truly prepared for the task of governing themselves."

Parties in the Reich
    E.L.--There have recently been reports of elections in Germany--elections held in small municipalities with up to 20,000 inhabitants in the American Zone. These elections offer an interesting insight into the mentality of the German population and their party and domestic political life, which is currently re-emerging.
    The parties that stood for election offer the best reflection in this regard: Superficial observers might assume that the four main parties--the Social Democrats, the Communist Party, the Christian Democratic Union, and the Liberal Democrats--merely intend to pick up where they or their predecessors left off in 1933. This assumption is incorrect.
    The men and women who drive these organizations have recognized one thing, and they emphasize it repeatedly: only through a policy rooted in democracy will it be possible to restore the German people to a genuine position among the community of nations. Aany attempt to establish a new dictatorship would irrevocably undermine the very existence of our people.
    This realization is reflected in the platforms or policy statements of all four parties. They seek to make it clear to the public that Germany can only survive if its citizens are politically independent and free in their thinking, and if they are able to make a living under fair economic conditions.
    The stance these organizations publicly project is, therefore, decidedly social and democratic. Yet, given that these parties exist as distinct organizations under different names, must there not also be profound differences of opinion regarding fundamental issues? We cannot and will not assume that these men and women were driven solely by a personal desire for prominence to create these parties as instruments for advancing their own interests. If we examine these organizations more closely, we do indeed find profound differences of opinion on political and economic matters. At the economic level, we once again encounter the old conflict that has confronted us throughout history for over a century: private ownership of productive forces and the means of production on the one hand, and the abolition of this private ownership--in the sense of socializing these very economic factors--on the other. The Liberal Democrats and the Christian Democratic Union stand on the foundation of the private property described above, whereas the Social Democrats and the Communist Party must be identified as opponents of said private property. However, this division of the parties is further fragmented by various other factors, particularly of a political nature. If the Liberal Democrats--as proponents of private property--are to be regarded as the successors to the former German People's Party and elements of the former German Nationalists, then we characterize them as a party representing the entrepreneurial class--one of a starkly capitalist and, in the political sense, reactionary character. In contrast, we must give the Christian Democratic Union--successor to the former Catholic Centre Party and certain distinct Protestant splinter groups--credit for the fact that, while steadfastly upholding the principle of private property and the capitalist economic order, it advocates in a spirit of humanitarian concern for remedying the system's most severe ills, thereby seeking to afford the broad masses of our people something akin to social justice.
    On the other side stand the Communist Party and the Social Democrats. Both agree on the necessity of abolishing private ownership of the forces and means of production in order to prevent any form of exploitation of the many by the few. Although they share a common origin, the two parties have diverged to such an extent that it will be difficult to reunite them in their current form, a goal frequently pursued. The KPD, which unreservedly follows the Russian lead, seeks Bolshevization and collectivization modeled on the Russian example. This implies--consistent with the party's internal structure--the creation of a new totalitarian system within Germany, the establishment of a different kind of party dictatorship. Despite the Communist Party's assertions that its fundamental outlook is democratic, we cannot help but reach such conclusions. Social Democracy, by contrast, is fundamentally democratic and social in its stance--social not merely in the sense of ensuring social equality for the working masses of our people, but also socialist, insofar as it advocates for the abolition of capitalism and the socialization of key industries, thereby aiming to create a system of economic justice that precludes the concentration of power in the hands of a privileged few. Given developments within the Reich, it is to be expected that Social Democracy, driven by its objectives, will evolve into the Socialist Workers' Party--a party that points the way for our people toward a better future.

COLORFUL WORLD
   
[illustrations of spiders and spider webs]
Aranaina--A Spider's Life Story
Retold by Karl-Heinz Klein
    Her name was Aranaina, and she was as shapely and dapper as a young lady spider could possibly be. Eight tiny eyes gleamed on the front of her plump cephalothorax, and two finely sculpted chelicerae adorned her greedy little mouth like an oversized mustache. Eight slender legs were arranged around her rounded forebody, and several small spinnerets rose from the tip of her gracefully curved abdomen. Aranaina was the very picture of spider beauty.
    Like all her kind, she had been born inside a small silken sac. She spent the first few days of her earthly existence in this sac alongside her many siblings; however, since every one of these young creatures was possessed by an almost insatiable hunger and a lust for killing the moment they hatched from the egg, the dear siblings had served as food for one another with great relish. Aranaina had grown big and strong quite quickly on a diet of her brothers and sisters, and so she was the first among the survivors to manage to carve an exit out of the cramped sac. With a few well-aimed strikes of her fangs, the lovely spider maiden slashed through the sac's narrow neck and nimbly lowered herself to the ground on a thin strand of silk.
    She had barely found her footing when one of her little brothers--suspecting nothing--floated down to the ground beside her. Aranaina could not deny herself--or, above all, her ravenous spider hunger--the chance to immediately tear open the young male's abdomen and suck up his vital fluids with epicurean delight. She did not even feel a pang of conscience over this deed, for her brother would likely have been just as ready to snuff out her life.
    Aranaina spent the next few days making forays across her vast hunting grounds. She feasted heartily on her own kind and other small creatures, growing larger and hungrier by the day. Her consumption of "clothing" was immense--as befitted a female spider who took pride in her appearance. Whenever she outgrew a skin, she would cast it off without a second thought and immediately don a new outfit. Soon, the time came for her to weave her first web. She watched with barely concealed glee as, shortly after its completion, a pompous mosquito became hopelessly entangled in the silky mesh. Aranaina stunned the young dandy with a potent dose of venom from her fangs and then savored the blood--ill-gotten gains the mosquito had acquired anyway. Could anyone blame her if, from then on, she was no longer satisfied with a diet consisting solely of her own kind? Her skill at weaving webs grew ever more refined, and with it, naturally, the quality of her daily catch. Before long, she was ensnaring a loud, buzzing blowfly; soon after, she was binding a furiously thrashing grasshopper. Her prey eventually grew so plentiful that even her colossal appetite could not consume everything she had dispatched. Thus, she began carefully binding her victims to store them for leaner times.
    One of her most wondrous experiences was the first time she took flight through the air. It happened on a warm, sunny summer afternoon. Aranaina climbed a flower, clung fast to it, and spun a gossamer-thin thread from her spinnerets--a thread that a gentle breeze immediately lifted into the air. She continued spinning until the pull of the thread became strong enough and the desired height had been reached. Then she let go of the flower, stepped boldly onto her self-made flying machine, and let herself be carried up into the blue sky, light as air.
   
[illustration of spider flying over foliage]
   
    She may well have traveled several kilometers through the air before landing safe and sound in a flower-filled valley. She left her aircraft--what passersby call gossamer--hanging in the linden tree. In her new surroundings, Aranaina immediately set out to explore. Dduring one of her forays, she came upon a lively, splashing brook. Undeterred by this obstacle, she climbed confidently to the highest crown of an old willow tree and squeezed a silken thread from her spinnerets. The wind carried it across the water, and once it snagged in the branches on the opposite bank, Aranaina quickly pulled it taut and secured it. She did not pause to admire her wondrous bridge but marched fearlessly across the stretched line and swung herself slowly down to the ground at the other end.
    However, she had barely touched the earth when she darted--quick as an arrow--to hide beneath a thick layer of old fallen leaves. Had she been a fraction of a second slower, she would have fallen victim to an ichneumon wasp that was furiously darting toward her. Aranaina knew all too well the gruesome fate she had so narrowly escaped. The wasp would have dragged her off as a slave to its underground tunnels and entrusted one of its eggs to her care. Aranaina would have incubated the egg, only to be devoured alive--mouthful by mouthful--by the hatching wasp larva.
    Some time after this fortunate escape, Aranaina made the acquaintance of a handsome male spider. For a while, the two lived together in peace and affection. However, when Aranaina felt in her swollen body that she would soon become a mother, she deemed her spouse superfluous--he had served his purpose. She promptly did away with him and devoured him, skin and all.
   
[illustrations of spider in prime and decline]
   
    Aranaina now turned her thoughts to finding a quiet spot where she could hang a silken sac for her eggs. This was soon accomplished, and she set about her maternal duties with great zeal. She wove a small square of silk, placed her eggs inside, gathered up the corners, spun the bundle shut, and hung it in a sheltered nook. When Aranaina had finished this task, not a trace of silk thread remained within her. She climbed heavily down to the ground, glancing back a few times--with a critical yet admiring eye--at the work wrought by her legs and spinnerets. Her life's work was complete. She had a vague premonition that, once the snow and ice of the approaching winter had passed, a new Aranaina would spin down from that silken sac on a supple thread to begin her life right where she herself now waited to end hers.

[illustration of Ingrid Bergman in "Spellbound"]
INGRID BERGMAN
    W.B.--No one knew Ingrid Bergman when she arrived in Hollywood in 1939. Film producer David O. Selznick had seen her in the Swedish film "Intermezzo" and managed to prevent the actress--who was very popular in Sweden--from going to Germany, where UFA had been courting her. But Selznick had beaten them to it. And so, Ingrid Bergman left the port of Genoa on the last ocean liner bound for America. Then came the war.
    Ingrid Bergman harbored no illusions. She had known too many actresses who went to America with high hopes only to return deeply disappointed. She was cautious. Once the American version of "Intermezzo" was completed, she intended to return to Sweden. That was what her contract stipulated.
    However, Hollywood quickly realized that Ingrid Bergman was well on her way to overshadowing all the other stars of the film capital. It was by no means easy for her. Her English was still imperfect, and every time she returned from visits with her Swedish husband, her language coach had to spend hours refining her pronunciation--for naturally, only Swedish was spoken during those weekend visits, a circumstance that did little to help Bergman's English skills.
    Both admirers and detractors of Bergman agreed that she was an exceptionally versatile actress capable of portraying almost any female character. She had fought to secure her leading position with "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and subsequently cemented it with "Gaslight," "Saratoga Trunk," and "Spellbound." Today, she is indisputably Hollywood's "First Lady," having won the title of Best Actress twice in a row.
    The shy young woman--at whom quite a few had smiled indulgently when she stood trembling and fearful before the camera during her first few weeks--has become a star who, to quote a critic, "has reduced all other Hollywood ladies to the status of schoolgirls." That may be an exaggeration, for Hollywood boasts many other fine actresses. It is simply that none of them quite measure up to Ingrid Bergman.
    In her latest film, "The Bells of St. Mary's," she plays a nun. The film broke every record within just the first few weeks of its release. No one is happier about this than Ingrid Bergman and her husband, who practices as a specialist in nervous disorders at a Los Angeles hospital. "I want to keep making films until I become a grandmother," says Ingrid Bergman. And everyone who knows her determination and ambition has no doubt that she will achieve this--provided, of course, that there are always enough roles available.

[illustrations of divorcing couple, bomb landing in pile of papers]
Odds and Ends
   
    Throughout history, approximately 6,000 peace treaties have been signed. Their average lifespan was two years.
   
    The privileges accorded to a former U.S. President are not particularly extensive--at least, if a three-line note in Pageant magazine is to be believed. According to it, he receives: 1) the Congressional Record, a publication reporting exclusively on congressional proceedings; and 2) permission to use the congressional barbershop.
   
    During the Civil War, the city of Winchester, Virginia, changed hands 26 times. Every morning, the citizens first had to verify whether they belonged to the Union or the Confederacy.
   
    There are 56 waterfalls higher than the famous Niagara Falls. Twenty of them are located in the United States.
   
    In its March issue--which, due to technical requirements, goes to press six weeks before the publication date--Pageant magazine ran a photo feature on the happy family life of Hedy Lamarr (known as Hedy Kiesler in Germany). Little did they know that by the time the article actually appeared, the marriage would already be in the process of divorce.
   
    One day, Mrs. H. Burghardt of Watseka, Illinois, discovered that her cow had been milked by strangers. Then, the milking stool suddenly went missing, followed a few days later by the salt block that the cow (like all cows) so enjoyed. In her exasperation, the owner placed the following newspaper advertisement: "I ask the party that milked my cow, stole my milking stool, and took away the cow's salt to please come to my home. I am ready to hand over the cow, for those unknown individuals surely need her more than I do."

[illustration of man in rags confronting wife in bed]
Our Short Story--
   
The Knight
By Joseph Maria Lutz
    They say that when Carnival season arrives in Bavaria, even otherwise sensible and staid people go a bit mad. No one knows exactly why--perhaps it is simply the air, which sometimes carries a faint scent of spring--but the fact remains: that is just how it is, and there is no escaping the folly of it all. And so, master baker Schweinslechner decides--albeit while grumbling and only after much urging from his close friends--to attend the Carnival ball of his local club, "Die Zünftigen," in costume: specifically, as a knight. Heissler the bookbinder glued together a suit of armor for him out of cardboard, and Kraneck the leatherworker painted it a magnificent silver. Master Baker Schweinslechner looks truly stately as he sets off for the ball. Even his wife, who had initially grumbled a bit about having to stay home with the children, now admires her handsome knight immensely. However, a suit of armor like that gets hot--since cardboard is, as everyone knows, a poor conductor of heat--and a knight, of course, must also do his duty by engaging heartily in the jovial, boozy spirit of the occasion. And because Master Baker Schweinslechner plays the role of the knight with such authentic commitment in this particular regard, he eventually works up a truly knightly level of intoxication.
    It is only towards morning that he laboriously makes his way home. By now, however, a warm Foehn wind and slushy weather have set in. The knight slips and falls--armor and all--into the wet roadside ditch. There, the beautiful silver paint applied by old Kraneck peels off, and the cardboard from Heissler the bookbinder bursts at the seams. Covered in filth from head to toe--and in a state of dissolution, if not exactly brilliance--Decker Schweinslechner makes his way into the marital bedroom. Judging by the sounds of his approach, the master baker's wife anticipates trouble; she is just about to unleash her resentment over his long absence in carefully chosen words when her knight enters the room. Yet the transformation of her husband is so shocking that the grand words stick in her throat, and she says only, with a mixture of sorrow and disdain: "You left as such a fine knight--and you come home like a pig!"

THIS IS US
(at the camp)
   
[illustration of man carrying stack of mail from truck to rushing horde of PWs]
The Little Joys
    W.B.--In these days of waiting and hoping, it is more important than ever to seek refuge and distraction in the world of little joys. We are so often filled with a sense of emptiness that the daily grind demands almost too much of us. The resulting touchiness is an understandable reaction, to be sure, but by no means a pleasant one. It is those around us who suffer most--bearing the brunt of our moods and temperaments. Yet, if we were to pause now and then to consider that our neighbor might be facing even greater worries than we are, things might feel a little lighter. We know full well how futile it is to offer the well-meaning advice of seeking distraction in "stimulating" conversation. We know perfectly well that most conversations are agitating rather than stimulating. After all, we have heard the stories our friends and acquaintances tell a thousand times over. And those tales about the artillery battery that--somewhere or other--shot down two planes and took out four tanks stand no chance of sounding interesting anymore, no matter how "thrillingly" they are recounted. Even the other famous topics--including, of course, "Number One"--which once made for an entertaining evening among men, have lost their appeal. The joys are indeed small, while the hunger for distraction is great.
    But what is one to do?
    Of course, we don't have a ready-made program. Not everyone is balanced enough to appreciate the rising sun, the first songbirds, or an exceptionally beautiful sunset. But joy has to arise somehow if life isn't to become unbearable in the long run. And so, we have to search for it, make a point of finding a little joy each day. It might be quite insignificant and go completely unnoticed by our neighbors. But we ourselves have to recognize it, this inner elation that sometimes arises quite suddenly and gives us a jolt. The cause is often quite minor. Perhaps an early finish to work, a delicious supper, a successful game of Skat, or a good night's sleep; or a lively handball match, a table tennis game followed by a lively discussion. Of course, we also think of the quiet hour with a good book, which often builds the bridge to that other life we've been waiting for so long.
    The greatest joy that some camp members have experienced in recent weeks was the first good news from Germany. This made a huge worry seem insignificant, and a long-cherished wish--the reunion--seemed immense. The certainty that they are still waiting for us and will not tire of waiting for us is the inner strength we all need. Those who have already experienced it know what we mean. Those who are still waiting should hope and be patient and look forward to the joy. For joy must remain alive!

[illustration of PWs carrying packages from canteen]
A Pleasant Pastime
    The process of deliberating, shopping, and doing the preliminary packing was a truly enjoyable activity. The letter from HQ left a wide range of possibilities open, so most people didn't hesitate to quickly acquire the permitted items, scout around for boxes and crates, and start the initial packing. The news that there was no immediate rush did nothing to dampen the joyful feeling of doing something gratifying for those over there. We keep packing, planning, and shopping. The time will come eventually--and we want to be ready for it.

Change in Camp Leadership
    The current camp commander, Capt. Henry J. Pauls, is expected to leave Camp White on March 1st. He handed over his duties as camp commander to his successor, Capt. Wilbur D. Ginnaven, several days ago. Capt. Ginnaven was most recently stationed at PW Camp Rupert, Idaho.

[illustration of water splashing on ground]
MONDAY EVENING--Very Refreshing
    It used to be: Sunday morning--carefree. We changed that, as the above headline suggests. The reason was two injections and the promise to be pretty much unconcerned about typhus symptoms. Like everything unusual in this camp, the injections were accompanied by all sorts of comments. Many imagined themselves very sick and miserable, others pictured themselves on the water on March 1st. Neither expectation came true. No one got sick, and the water scare was, for the time being, a no-go.

[illustration of men talking on loading dock]
News
    Recently, a police officer and his former "boss" met on the loading dock of a warehouse. The following conversation ensued:
    "Well, you boys are finally going home!"
    "Really? I can't believe it."
    "What? That's for sure!"
    "Really?"
    "Yes. February 28th is your last day of work, and on March 2nd you're leaving for Europe. That's a fact!"
    "Hmm, where did you read that?"
    "Read it? I didn't read it, a police officer told me!"

REFLECTIONS ON THE TIMES
   
[illustration of books behind barbed wire]
Studying Behind Barbed Wire
    Among the initiatives that had a beneficial and stimulating effect on the lives of prisoners of war in the United States, one must mention the correspondence study programs available to any prisoner who had a reasonable grasp of the English language. For most prisoners, any prospect of vocational training had come to an abrupt halt when their captivity began. It was all the more gratifying, then, to receive invitations from American universities to participate in their correspondence courses. Catalogs sent out by the various universities provided extensive information on the opportunities for study behind barbed wire. Fields of study opened up across almost every academic discipline. Many schoolboys and young university students seized the opportunity. They filled out their registration forms and were surprised by how quickly acceptance letters arrived from the educational institutions. Even while hostilities were still raging on all fronts in Europe, American universities offered words of encouragement to their German POW students, who could turn to their instructors for help with any questions regarding their chosen studies.
    Once the textbooks arrived, serious work began for most of the students. Naturally, the challenges facing German participants were greater than those facing their American counterparts. Very few prisoners could claim to have a perfect command of the English language. Yet, the earnest effort to overcome linguistic barriers meant that, in most cases, the primary obstacles had already been cleared.
    The courses generally consisted of 16 topics to be completed over the duration of the program. Each topic constituted a self-contained task--a so-called "assignment." At the start of each assignment, the student was required to read the prescribed text in the coursebooks and answer questions based on it as part of the accompanying written exercises. Completed assignments were submitted, graded, and returned with a mark. After finishing all 16 assignments, the student had to take a written examination supervised by an American officer. This final exam determined whether the student had successfully completed the course or failed.
    Among the subjects covered at this camp, besides languages ​​(French, Spanish, and Russian), the most notable were economic geography, advanced mathematics, history, advanced English, general geography, biology, geology, and journalism. All students who took their final exams at Camp White achieved good to very good results.
    The purpose of this publication is to acknowledge the beneficial work of the universities of the United States, which have effectively helped many German prisoners of war, particularly in the field of correspondence education.

[illustration of Victorian couple walking away from stunned professor]
The Donation
    In 1864, a middle-aged couple entered the office of President Charles Eliot at Harvard University.
    The couple had just returned from a trip to Europe, during which they had lost their only son to a sudden death.
    The renowned educator looked up from his papers with a touch of impatience. "We don't want to keep you long," the woman said. "We simply intend to do something in memory of our son, to help other young people receive a good education."
    "Perhaps you would consider establishing a scholarship for one or two underprivileged students?"
    The couple exchanged glances. No, they agreed, they had a larger donation in mind, perhaps the endowment of a building. "That would be very expensive, though," the president said.
    The woman rose.
    "Tell me, President Eliot, how much did this university cost?"
    Eliot mentioned a large sum.
    "That much?" she replied. "I suppose we can raise a bit more. Come, Leland," she said to her husband, "I have an idea."
    It wasn't long before the president learned who had visited him and the extent of the donation.
    The memorial for the deceased son was built in California: Leland Stanford, Jr., University, for which the parents paid $26 million.

Ludwig van Beethoven
    The almost completely deaf master conducts the premiere of his proudest creation--the Ninth Symphony, a monumental feat of genius. Pin-drop silent, spellbound, and enraptured, the audience listens to the sounds flooding the hall. When the "Ode to Joy" swells--when the words "Be embraced, you millions! This kiss for all the world!" ring out, embodying love and the brotherhood of humanity in art--the audience can no longer contain itself once the final notes fade away. They roar, shout, cheer, and wave; the people are beside themselves with frenzy.
    Yet Beethoven stands with his back to the audience--shaken by his own work, silent and exhausted at his conductor's stand--leafing through his score, hearing nothing. Nearby stands the charming young Karoline Unger, who sang the alto part. Instantly grasping the situation, she rushes toward him, grips the master by the shoulders, turns him around, and--her eyes shining--points to the cheering audience. In that single moment, the whole world understands the immense tragedy, the harrowing reality: a man who created such a masterpiece cannot hear the applause and must instead see it. A storm of emotion sweeps through the hall; not a dry eye remains. A frenzy seizes everyone; they leap onto their chairs, waving and gesticulating--and now Beethoven understands. A radiance, a smile, spreads across his features--and now he himself feels the joy he so divinely celebrated in song.

[illustrations of movie scenes]
ABOUT THE FILM
   
    W.B.--A viewer is always entitled to consider a film "good" only if they have understood what was happening on screen. In "What a Woman," the dialogue was so rapid, voluminous, and loud that one simply had to wait and see how things unfolded. Very little actually happened, and what did occur was implausible--at times even trite. The professor's reason for overcoming his aversion to the proposed film career was flimsy and poorly acted. Indeed, the male actors--whose names we didn't bother to remember--were below average. The only saving grace was Rosalind Russell, who undoubtedly acts well and looks good. However, this particular role didn't suit her very well--especially the feigned affection for that insufferable magazine man, a character who possessed every quality needed to get on a peaceful audience's nerves. His remark near the end found an echo among the spectators: "What a woman," he said; "What a picture," they thought, as they headed home in silence.
   
    We couldn't wait for the film "The Great Waltz" to be shown here; we had to finish writing this section. Judging by the synopsis--which appeared on the bulletin board a bit too early and raised unfounded hopes for a "weekend movie"--Hollywood has this time centered the plot on the figure of Johann Strauss. We have already seen films about Franz Schubert several times, but not yet one about Strauss. Among the announced cast members, only Miliza Korjus is of particular interest. She is a famous coloratura soprano who, in peacetime, frequently performed in Berlin and Vienna. (A concluding note after seeing the film: Musically, it would have been even better had they included more original Strauss compositions and more material from "Die Fledermaus.")
   
    Among the films announced, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" deserves special mention. The camp members who arrived from McAlester have already seen it; they are full of praise. The lead role is played by Maureen O'Hara--the highly talented artist we saw a few weeks ago in "How Green Was My Valley."
   
    Since film and radio share certain features, we would like to mention here that a few minor errors crept into the program schedule we published in the last issue--errors that "diligent" readers have surely already spotted. The "Sunday Night Show" from Canada airs at 7:30 p.m., not at 7:00 p.m. as we had claimed. Incidentally, transmission conditions have been quite poor lately due to sunspot activity; even more powerful receivers had to give up after desperate attempts. However, anyone who manages to catch the broadcast will certainly be pleased. We also need to make a small correction to the Friday evening schedule. Kate Smith's program airs via KOIN (Portland) or KNX (Los Angeles), not KSL (Salt Lake City).
    We have frequently been asked how to identify the stations listed. It is actually incredibly simple! Every 30 minutes--that is, on the hour and the half-hour--the stations announce themselves by their full names. You simply need to note down the corresponding position on the dial!

OUR SPORTS
   
Erich Becker Has Left Us
    W.B.--It was never our intention to single out specific comrades from our midst for special praise; for what we did here was based on friendship, and certainly not driven by a desire to gain cheap popularity. Yet, in dedicating this appreciative article to our camp sports officer--who has since been transferred--we feel certain we are speaking for all the athletes who saw in him a man of constant zeal and absolute integrity.
    Erich Becker was an optimist--a healthy, genuine optimist. For him, there were no obstacles; whenever any arose, he found a solution. Within days of his arrival at Camp White in May 1944, he used great skill and good sense to organize the camp's sports program, which certainly saw many memorable highlights. A sports facility took shape on a messy, overgrown field--a venue that, throughout the many months we spent here, drew spectators Sunday after Sunday. Football and handball were the primary sports, occupying the largest share of our athletic activity, and Erich Becker devoted himself to them with particular dedication. This was especially impressive given the challenge of procuring everything needed--let alone the balls, sportswear, and other equipment. Yet, somehow, the gear was always there--and usually right on time--to the great delight of our sports officer and his loyal assistants.
    When rainy winter evenings called for new forms of entertainment and physical activity, Erich Becker organized popular table tennis tournaments that, for a time, became the centerpiece of our sporting life. Erich Becker lent his influence wherever there was an opportunity to do something positive for the benefit of the camp.
    We at the camp newspaper shared a cordial working relationship with Erich Becker--one that proved invaluable to us, especially during the critical months of the summer of 1945. We frequently sought his counsel and readily acknowledge that his views were often decisive in shaping our editorial direction.
    Erich Becker has left us to embark on the first leg of his journey back to Germany. We are convinced that he will tackle his work there with the same vigor he showed here, and that personal success will surely follow. He carries with him our best wishes for his long journey home.

Sports Continue
    Ed.--Our athletes do not wish to remain idle during the final weeks of their stay at Camp White. An announcement by the new camp sports officer, Manfred Guenther, indicated that the path so successfully pioneered by Erich Becker is to be pursued further--regardless of the "wear and tear on shoe soles." Athletes rightly hold the view that the best way to bridge this waiting period is to find relaxation and diversion in fresh competitions each week. Interest in the camp's sports activities is expected to remain high, despite the shortage of opponents and the opinion held by many athletes that "there is no point to it anyway." There is a point to it--even if it serves merely to break the endless, monotonous cycle of days and weeks.
    The program for this Sunday (February 24) had not yet been finalized when this newspaper went to press. Further details regarding today's sports activities can therefore be found on the bulletin board.

Once Again: Skat Tournament
    Ed.--The great success of the last Skat tournament has prompted the planning of a second Skat evening, which is expected to take place this coming Saturday, March 2, 1946. While the prizes available this time remain a secret for now, it is safe to say they will certainly rival those of the first tournament. The event will again be held in the mess hall; the start time and other details will be announced later. Skat enthusiasts should make sure to check the bulletin board periodically throughout the week for updates.

The West German Football Association
    Ed.--The West German Football Association--an amateur body whose first division comprises 16 clubs--was recently founded in Essen. Its chairman is Dr. Heisterkampf from Duisburg-Hamborn. Well-known clubs currently belonging to the association include: F.C. Schalke 04, Duisburg 48, Borussia Dortmund, VfL Preussen Krefeld, TuS Helene Essen, Rot-Weiss-Oberhausen, Duisburger Spielverein, Schwarz-Weiss-Barmen, and VfL Koeln.

Friendly Match: West vs. South
    Ed.--The South German Football Association has already finalized arrangements for the first friendly match against the West German Football Association. It is scheduled to take place on March 24 at the stadium in Stuttgart.

Max Schmeling in the Ring?
    Ed.--According to a report from Germany, Max Schmeling intends to return to the ranks of active professional boxers. As is well known, the former world champion has been living in Hamburg with his wife, Anny Ondra, since the end of the war. His attempt to play an active role in the re-education of German youth was thwarted by the opposition of British authorities.


Publisher and party responsible for content: Heimat Working Group Editor: Werner Baecker, Camp White, Oregon. The paper generally appears twice a month. Circulation: 300 Artistic contributions: Hermann Doeker, Peter Hofmann, and Heinz Folter. Design: Erwin Lange. We assume no liability for unsolicited manuscripts. Entire content approved by censorship.