REPRESENTATIONS FOR RELEASE

Chronicle (Levin), 24 August 1946, Page 5

REPRESENTATIONS FOR RELEASE

(Special ( "ui'i espondent.)

GERMAN PRISONF.RS IN BRITAIN

Received Friday, 7 p.m. LONDON, August 2:;. Headed Lv the signatures of tlie Arehbishop.s oi" Ganii'rburv, York tuni \\ ales, and nnduding tliose of Lss Goni nioners, 55 bishops, 7(i fellows of tlie Royal Society and 7(i leadiug personalities of rniversities together with 125 people eminent in arts, a memorial eau-

ing tor the release of dennan prisoners in Britain has been sent to .Mr, Altlee. It states that some Germatis have been {irisojiers for niany veurs, but they are still told nothing about the date when they may expect to be repatriated. it adds: " There coiues a point at whu-a man eannot live without hope." The memorial asks the Government to dravv up a detinite scheme for release, and announce it with tlie minimum delay. TJie Daily. Herald, in a leader, whoieheartedly endorse.y tlie appeal and adds Uieye i§,nO:£hing' illegal i.n the'-pfe.s-errt-sit nation as uiyl'er the Intenfittional GonVentidn Britain is entitled to keep prisoners until the peace treaty witn Gennany is sigued. "But,'' asks the Herald, "are we justified in imprisoning hundreds of thousands of Germans indefinitelv We are not — and if we continue to do so we slmll be imitating on a sniall scale, the sigus of Hitler himself. Referring to Air. Xoel Baker's state ment that there are still important deeisions to be taken on releasing the (iermans, the Herald says: "We hope to heur very soon that the (iovernmenl has been able to take tliose decisions, * ' The Manchester Guardian's Pariiamentary eorrespondent says nobody 111 authoritv can give the faintest indication when the (iovernment may be expect ed to say what it intends to do. There is reason to doubt that the niatter came before Cabinet reeently. He reniarks that in view of tlie public con-c-ern, the Governmeut eannot alford to

wait seronely until Parliament meets and then produce, at leisure, a repatnation plan to be conventionaUy disclosed over the table in answer to a private notice question. Public feeling won't tolerate it. "