Shall We Educate German War Prisoners for Democracy?
Karse, Dr. Fritz
Shall We Educate German War Prisoners for Democracy? By Dr. Fritz Karse <tmnlu Priflilir at l>..... THERE are three possible attitudes toward the problem of dealing with war prisoners....
...What sort of program should be srranged for these schools...
...Henry Smith Leiper, Federal Council of ths Churches of Christ...
...Through some of these letters I hsve discovered that there are among the prisoners former students of mine...
...First of all, it can be said that they possess a quite unusual amount of courage...
...There is nothing which we sad our Allies eaa de which will carry as mere directly toward our goal than to encourage this im peine emeag oar German prisoners...
...William E. Bohn, Editor of The New Leader...
...Properly qualified persons, at least in the beginning, will not be found among the prisoners...
...Congressman Howard J. McMurray (Democrat, Wisconsin...
...Louis P. Lorhner, NBC commentator in Hollywod...
...Pedagogical attempts have shown us that it is comparatively easy to change an individual by moving him to a new environment...
...Chester Rowell, Editor, Ssn Francisco Chronicle...
...The social background and motives of the vsrious individuals can be determined only by a special investigation...
...Books by Jews and Refugees Denied to American War Prisoners PoHTMASTER ALBERT GOLDMAN has announced new rules governing the mailing of letters and parcels to American prisoners-of-wsr in Japan and Germany...
...The men in th* anti-Nasi camps are the moat suitable ma tens I to All this need...
...For these men have for years been cut off from any extensive information about the world situation...
...Among them there must be some who hav* had previous training...
...Monroe E. Deutsch, Vice-President of the University of California...
...The question is: will the American authorities take the second step—atari to train these men for a new world order...
...AkTER the last war the republican regime in Germany gave me the task of transforming the Gross-I.ichterfelde Cadet Schools into a civilian educational institution...
...One thing in true of all of thess...
...A further question remains: If American prisoners in Germany are subject to such "Aryan" regulations, what about German military prisoners in Americs...
...I know that two of.fhe prisoners suffered in the German prisons and concentration camps...
...Others, skilled workers or buti-nessmen, will understand the need and will be able to At themselves for a teaching job...
...It would, on the other hand, serve as, a valuable means of increasing international understanding...
...Americana will ask in Iastonishment, why is any official distinction among ( sathors according to race or nationality forced upon American soldiers...
...George N. Shuster...
...At the end of the war Russia will naturally expect them to continue their services...
...The problems connected with such an attempt to educate prisoners are extraordinarily difficult...
...Such teachers can be found...
...First come* the formally correct method: the military authoritie* carefully observe all international agreement* and guard against any attempt to influence the prisoners...
...The membership of the Free German Committee is largely made up of German prisoners-of-war...
...This is, in general, the American way...
...I believe that these two men are typical...
...But a third way of dealing with military prisoners Is possible...
...Dorothy Thompson, columnist, and Walter Wanger, movie producer and chairman, Free World in Los Angeles...
...Whst the Nszis fesr is that some of their people will be exposed to the truth...
...Without pretending to know what will happen, I would like to take for granted that the number of those confessing that they are anti-Nazis will gradually Increase...
...They can be trained with the purpose of preventing, as far as possible, another war and increasing the hope of a peaceful reconstruction of the world...
...Her* are these people with a proved anti-Nasi attitude who can be fitted for this most important task in a short training course...
...The committee will dr*ft a complete program for ths reeducation of the German prisoners of war in the IT...
...It consists of the following members: Dr...
...The object is not to Americanize them by a friendly approach...
...Professional training as teachers will not be enough...
...In this way it would serve as an effective antidote to totalitarian indoctrination...
...Sober study of the world »itnation is what has been denied to these young men in the past, and this is what they need...
...It is to be taken for granted that through their training they have been convinced that in acting thus they are serving the interests of their country...
...They are being used to carry on Russian propaganda...
...How much greater will th* need be when a large percentage of the teachers are discharged for political reasons...
...Some of them have sent letters to relatives in this country...
...tratort...
...John Smith will feel nonplassed if, for example, having enjoyed Werfel's Sony at Bernmdette, he tie* it ap into a parcel and then learns that the Post Office censor returns the volume with the remark thst the author does not come ap to the msrk set by the Nasis, because he ia both s Jew and sn emigre...
...Next come* th* following regulation: "Books by Jewish authors or by German exiles or exiles of the occupied Eure-penn countries nre not accepted for mailing...
...I ana constantly being asked...
...0...
...Only this sort of realistic knowledge can reknit the torn fabric of international life, AH the German prisoners in these and Nazi camps should receive political education...
...Dorothy Thompson showed in a recent article that in accordance with this policy, it is the practice to overlook minor disdemeanorj...
...David D. Henry, Executive Vice-President of Wayne University, Detroit, Mich...
...Why should friends sad relatives of American prisoners-of-war hsve to decide whether Bathers sstisfy all of the racial qualifications set up by the^Natis...
...As especially gifted young people, they were brought at the expense of the Republic to be trained at the state schools of which I was the head at Berlin-Neukoelln...
...One of them, in a letter from a prison camp, sent me word that I should be proud of all the former students of these institutions...
...Against the esprit de corps of the cadets, supported by the old officers inside and outside the institution, the influence of the new republican society was ineffective...
...Even the best of them must begin by learning rather than teaching...
...This method we formerly used with good effect in adult education in the Neukoelln workers' courses and in the best public schools in Germany...
...George N. Shuster, President of Hunter College, and Gerhart H. Seger, Editor of Neue Volkszeitung, a national committee has been formed to draft a plan for thg reeducation of the German prisoners of war in the United States...
...Nothing weald iaspire them with mere enthusiasm lhaa U he able aew I* the prjeea -ramps to prepare themselves far this task...
...CaRE must be devoted to the selection of teachers for these schools...
...A large, unified group, especially one with a great power like Get many behind it, can hold every individual member up to the mark set by group opinion...
...I know that these men formerly belonged to the Social Democratic Youth movement...
...It appears that we have given in to a special sort of pressure by the Nazis...
...The Nszis sre not supposed to discover what Jewish or other exiled authors hsve to ssy ia America...
...But a great mass of military prisoners in a strange land remains isolated and is not at sll forced to adapt itself to the surrounding way of life...
...In America it is well known and has, in fact, been theoretically better developed than in Germany...
...Gerhart H. Seger...
...S-and present it to th* War Department, to the members of th* Military Affairs Committees of both Houses, and to the press...
...There will be a* great a lack of reliable admin it...
...They are determined to work, in the postwsr world, for a new Germany la which a* trace of Nashua wlN be tolerated...
...There must be an understanding of these particular men and of the requirements of this situation...
...I AM here proposing that th* American government go as far as it can iu the direction of establishing special schools in camps set up for anti-Nazi prisoners of wsr...
...The second attitude is exemplified in Russia...
...Who are these anti-Nazis...
...This solution of the problem would not be in the service of4he selfish national interests of any one country in which the prisoners happen to be held...
...Guy Talhott, Director, International Center, San Francisco...
...What will be needed will be group discussions in which opinions are clarified and relevant material from all available sources is freely introduced...
...But it is necessary, also, that the persons selected shall be such as have a deep know ledge and a sympathetic understanding of European life...
...No doubt they are being trained for this activity...
...Perhsps they were not much concerned whether or not the American prisoners of Jewish fsith resd Jewish books...
...resisting any temptation to change their views or their ways...
...To serve the needs of the situation, we want no college course with its mote or less fixed curriculum...
...Must We Preserve Nazis...
...They will gladly benefit by the suggestions which this country ran make in this field, and international good-will is certain to result...
...If possible, it will b« well to secure men who as teachers have had similar tasks in the past and who have lived in this country long enough to assimilate American ways and to secure the benefit of American teaching experience...
...A future world will not be won with Irrational beliefs nor with revolutionary slogsns...
...The parcels must, of course, pass the German censor...
...UpON the initiative of Dr...
...Such prisoners sre free to receive all sorts of books, without censorship...
...They know thai their confession will bring down on their relatives in Germany the most terrible reprisals...
...It is indoctrination...
...H* was of the opinion that even during the time of Nazi domination they had not changed their views...
...Thomas Mann...
...This was against my will and an act of sabotage carried out by the ministerial bureaucracy against the Minister of Education...
...Other professions need not be'considered at this moment...
...Acts of oppression and violence by the Naxi prisoners against anti-Nazis, we may suppose, will now cease...
...On this account oar own American boys in Germany must be kept in the dark as long s* they remain in Germany...
...But they lack clarity about the positive side, the possibilities and purposes of democracy...
...No step that we could take would yield better results...
...It I* on this *cc*unt that th* Nasi* took refuge in a variety of teletype, courses...
...From the start the mistake was made of keeping the cadets together...
...Th* results of such an attempt would be very doubtful...
...When sections of Germany are occupied by the Russian forces, these men will be prepared to act as interpreters and propagandists for the occupational authorities...
...In order to understand Germany, to see it in the framework of the world, they must devote their time to an intensive study of economic, social, and political problems...
...Books (up to 5 pounds) msy be sent once a month...
...Clark Eichelberger, Director, Commission to Study the Organization of Peace...
...Naturally, the American government will appoint only persons in whose loyalty and devotion to democracy it has complete confidence...
...The American administrators of prison camps have recently determined to separate Nazis from anti-Nazis...
...Every teacher kaews that he aceem-pllshes his heat results who* he trains young persons to achieve ends which sr* their owe...
...It would have been better to distribute* the young men among various Institutions or, at least, to separate the ones more favorably disposed toward the new regime and train them by themselves...
...Such prisoners will take pride ir...
...In extreme cases it is done by force and, as experience has taught us, even by the ruthless enforcement of the death sentence...
...Where shall we get th* future teachers for Germs* youth?—It is known that there is already in Germany a terrible lack of teachers of all grades from th* elementary schools to th* university...
...Should the teachers be Americans...
...In these schools urgent problems will be taken up...
...If Herr Schultz or Herr Mueller were' to find a volame by Thomas Mann or Konrad Heiden or Stephen Zweig, he might grab it up with too much eagerness, snd perhaps pass it en to s trusted friend...
...For from this base the start must be made if the prisoners are to be led to any sort of a world view...
...And according to the new regulation the spirftuil needs of American Jews must be neglected...
...What would be the objectives of such a school T All of these young Germans are clear about one thing: what they reject...
...But besides this, • good many should be given a specialized training for professions which will be most needed in the period of German reconstruction...
...They can be educated...
...The best teachers will be those who have gone through the European experience, who understand the entire background...
...Naturally, at present only Naxi books com* from Germany to these prisoners, since the literature of the free and democratic German authors waa thrown to the fames in Germany and its authors were sent into exile...
...It should, in the first place, not be prearranged by a government bureau of educators and then rigidly followed...
...It is s dsnger which they dsre not risk...
...Shipments mast in clnde only aew publications and mast go directly from the publisher...
...Besides these, there are probably in our camps Communists and young men who are opposed to the Nasis on religious grounds...
...In the end the substitute teachers for elementary school* had only a quarter of a year of pro-fesfional training, followed by practice teaching during the rest of th* school year...
Vol. 27 • June 1944 • No. 25
