LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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" SPYING ON PARENTS "
Snt,—The Duke of Bedford will not believe "the story of German children being encouraged to spy on their parents " until it is confirmed from reliable sources. English and German friends in this country ask me to contribute some of my observations. Nearly in every family I went to see I was asked never to criticise the Government in presence of their children. Once when I asked: "Do you really think it likely that your boy would inform against me? " I got the answer: "May be not against you, as he is very fond of you. But why torture his conscience? He is pledged to inform against anybody who happens to pass a critical remark about the Government, even against his parents." A huge number of cases are known to me in which children did spy on their parents or other relations and frankly confessed that they were made to do so by their Nazi-organisations. Let me confine myself to the report of two typical cases.
(1) My hairdresser told me, crying, in 1937: "They took my husband to a concentration camp. My twelve-year-old boy has denounced him." " For heaven's sake, what has he been doing? " " He came tired home from work the day before yesterday. The wireless was on. The Fuehrer made his speech. Can't you switch off that rubbish?' he said. ' I want to have at least my supper in peace.' Yesterday he was arrested. That's all."
(2) A German officer of high rank spent his seventieth birthday in the family circle. True to old military traditions he gave the first toast to the Kaiser. Next day the Gestapo had him on the carpet. He was told that only his old age, his military rank and his medals had saved him from being sent to a concentration camp immediately. But should it happen again he would get it in the neck. His nephew had informed against him ; challenged, he proved not at all ashamed. On the contrary, he declared, he would' have failed in his duties if he—and this was the expression he used—had not immediately taken steps against an act hostile to the State.
The Duke of Bedford states that he is reluctant to believe these facts, having been impressed by the denial of a Nazi official. I leave it to you to decide what is more convincing—the testimony of a Nazi official or the personal experience of myself and thousands of others who, I am sure, would give like evidence.
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