European Window

UNDER THE IRON HEEL--Lars Moen--Lippincott ($2.50).

When World War II broke, U. S.-born Lars Moen (pronounced Mo-en), was doing color-film research in Antwerp. He stayed until October 1940, got an Antwerp's-eye view of invasion and occupation. His book is the first window through which daily life in conquered Europe can be clearly glimpsed.

By all odds the most intense concern of plain folk is food: "The verb 'to eat' is conjugated in every possible way whenever two people meet." By 3 on the afternoon of the day Antwerp fell, huge trucks were hauling the city's two-to-four-year stores back to Germany.

Salt is very scarce. Beer is still abundant, but weak. Cheese and tobacco scarcely exist. There are no chemical fertilizers for next summer's crops. Moen lost 25 Ib. during his six months in occupied Antwerp.

Prices have been controlled. But paid in "occupation money"--printed in trucks as needed--German troops have twice the Belgian purchasing power, and use it to the hilt. They made great runs on silk stockings and woolen underwear. When Moen left, two out of three Belgian women were barelegged.

Antwerp is Flemish, and many Flemings have long been more or less pro-German. Despite this, and despite the Nazis' thorough policy of "friendliness" toward civilians, as food thinned out, sentiment turned more & more sharply against Germany. But it was by no means pro-British. The general civilian conviction--and wish--seemed to be that both sides would lose.

As for the German soldiers, officers and privates were generally "human and tolerant." Sergeants, as in the Prussian tradition, were Neanderthal types. The fliers seemed literally insane: not necessarily drugged, but political fanatics, and terrific alcoholics. The tank drivers were much the same.

Plenty of Nazi soldiers rather disliked the Nazi regime, scorned Goering for a capon, spoke of the whole hierarchy as a crowd of racketeers: but there was not one who did not love and adore Adolf Hitler.

As the invasion of England was repeatedly postponed and hopes of a quick peace faded, the soldiers got quieter and quieter. Homesick talk vastly increased, photographs of families were more in evidence. R. A. F. raids on Antwerp and over Germany sandpapered the soldiers' nerves. Against strict orders, they got drunk oftener. By September, soldiers were forbidden to carry sidearms. More & more of them listened to the London broadcasts (penalty, two years in a concentration camp). Such symptoms might never focus in revolt; but it was safe to say that German morale could never regain its high pitch of summer 1940.

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