INSIDE STORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 114, 24 January 1940, Page 6

INSIDE STORY

THE REAL GERMANY PROBLEM OF FOOD Important and reliable evidence of the true shite of mind of Germany is furnished by the publication in Paris of the first -war-time edition of the "Deutschlandberichtc," or "Reports from Germany." These reports are compiled by the banned German Social Democratic party, which has for years maintained underground connections inside Germany with correspondents in various social strata, though main ly among the working population. The trained observers, who pur-1 i sue no propagandist purpose, unless the reconstruction of their own democratic party may be so described, give a sober and balanced picture, untinged by any sensationalism. They warn their readers against accepting Hit* accounts in certain newspapers suggesting that Germany is already at tiic end of her tether. They point to the unbroken strength of the political and police machinery. As one of them expresses it: "Unless there is bloodshed on the Western Front the masses are Hardly likely to think things out for themselves. There is no immediate prospect that the strength of the regime will be shaken." There i;:, however, a good deal of "grousing." Though the soldiers say that their food is a good deal better than any forking family can manage to obtain, they complain about brutal treatment by N.C.O.'s. Officers show somewhat more consideration to the men. Listening-in Despite Ban. Despite I,lie el Tor is of the police, the broadcasts in German from foreign stations arc widely received. As might be expected, Nazi party i ... ; I 'Continued at loot of next column)

to consider the main problem of life at the moment to be that of obtaining sufficient nourishment for themselves and their families. Scenes which had become common in Germany towards the end of the Great War already are being enacted now. In particular., the trains leaving larger centres on Sundays for the countiw are overcrowded with carrying rucksacks who go out to the villages in the hope of being able to buy what they can no longer obtain in the towns. Amongst these are many in the uniforms of the Nazi organisations. So far as can be seen, there has been little industrial sabot agv, though a few cases arc reported. What arc described as militarism and terrorism in t'.— vtid-s'jrv'.. are •\\as to mnfco any g'xal ;n;T/as? u' .sabotage unlikely.