Show t t 0 Case of the Nazi Reception Or Misleading Propaganda h By BAUK BAUKHAGE AGE News Analyst and Commentator Y WASHINGTON Last Last month there was a memorandum on my desk from the department of the army addressed to all former war correspondents subject Army Day 1948 1918 It suggested that perhaps I had a war story that stood out in my mind that I would like to relate as an Army Day feature The rhe memorandum didn't state which war was preferred if any but I supposed that it didn't matter so long as it wasn't the next one I reported the landing on the Normandy beaches the Battle of the Bulge and many of the other important events of the last war war from from a microphone in Washington my connection with World War I was less vicarious my experiences during earlier conflicts such as San Sm Juan Gettysburg Chapultepec Yorktown 11 m and Hastings are a little hazy I L H 2 I decided that the de department Therefore i mat tuc ut- ut of the army might permit 1 me to relate an ad adventure venture which pro provided vided a little corn com comedy edy relief in 1939 L x in the nervous interlude in interlude known a athe as s the phony war j ti before the r real e a storm broke I 11 I w went e n t something g like this It happened a aI at t I t the h hw e w German air an and d naval base shortly alter after Britain and France had de declared Glared war on Germany America correspondents still had considerable considerable consider consider- able freedom and I had managed to wrangle permission to interview the first British fliers shot down by the Germans I did but that isn't this story For all the careful German preparations preparations prepa prepa- rations for war there was still a certain amount of confusion in the theoffice theoffice office of propaganda under the highly highly high high- ly efficient father of lies Dr Goebbels Goebbels Goeb- Goeb bels but I managed to get the use of a German army transport plane to fly me with a German radioman radio radioman man from Berlin to The war was roaring westward into Poland and the great Tempelhof Tempelhof Tem Tem- airfield in Berlin was all allbut allbut allbut but deserted when we arrived before be be- foro fore dawn and were escorted with alacrity and not a little wonderment wonderment wonderment wonder wonder- ment to our transport which already al already already al- al ready was warming up We had been up all ni night ht and my colleague Immediately fell asleep on a pile of parachute equipment As soon as dawn broke I busied myself watching the anti-aircraft anti batteries in the fields surrounding Berlin gun pits in fields surrounded by complacent cud chewin chewing cows who were like the rest of the bemused bemused be be- mused mosed population unaware of what the Fuehrer was about to bring down on 00 them For some reason we flew low almost almost almost al al- most scratching our wings on the church steeples At last my companion companion companion com com- panion awoke We were approaching approach approach- ing the airfield It was a lively spot As we drew nearer we could see a detachment of marines which came cameto cameto cameto to attention as we approached A half dozen staff cars were drawn up in a semi-circle semi by blue blue- jackets and ground personnel of the theair theair theair air force Were lucky my companion remarked remarked re re- marked some big brass must be becoming becoming becoming coming well we'll see a parade No other plane was visible though as we we circled a couple of times over the docks thick with ships including the lost long-lost Europa back on her dash from Finally we landed a couple of yards from the military formation which by now was drawn up at attention We were a little embarrassed for we were in plain sight of the imposing array and were afraid we might suddenly bump into the visiting dignitary dignitary- and we were hatless and unshaven I let my companion go ah ahead ad There was no place to go however but butin butin butin in the direction of the naval detachment detachment detachment de de- and their commanding of of- It later developed he was the commander of the base a tall slim correct naval officer perhaps a little littIe nervous though we were too nervous ourselves to realize it at t the mo mo- ment We advanced like pups approaching approaching approaching ap ap- a porcupine A command command command com com- mand rang out The troops snapped to present arms the officer saluted sa- sa saluted saluted sa sa- and drew a manuscript from his tunic something new to me in military procedure procedure all all I could think of was a painting of General Washington reading a message to his troops and I always had thought that was a flight of theartist's theartist's the theartist's artists artist's fancy The officer began reading reading reading-it it was wasa a message of welcome all right Finally my companion he was half- half English which may explain his fortitude interrupted There must be some mistake We are arc two radio correspondents The commander bowed looked abashed glanced over our heads toward the plane But where are the other gentlemen gentle gentle- men he wanted to know There are just two of us we replied But the minister of propaganda Who is representing him We were notified by the department a special special special cial plane the truck for the baggage baggage bag bag- gage gage I. I t We explained briefly and waited for Cor the skies to fall They The TIle officer continued his speech without even dropping his monocle just just to be sure sure editing editing it slightly to make it apply as he lie went There was no question that he thought we were going to be certainly 1 OUGHT to be Goebbels The formation melted away the truck which had been requested to transport sound equipment started to load all but one of the stall staff cars slunk awa away There was only one red face the comm commanders commander's and he felt not embarrassment but rage This was a purely purely- military field and andI I had held up the German war effort for half a morning thus contributing my bit to Allied victory even before America was in the war For the rest the only significant memory except for my interview with those British boys was the questioning by the German officers Obviously they didn't share the complacent complacent complacent com com- assurances of victory of the Nazi ups higher ups they they remembered World War I. I Today the greatest danger to the peace is the possibility that the will the purpose the power of the United States will not be understood in time by the Russian command that command that they will fail to recognize the risk of self-annihilation self they are taking in their cold war as the Kaiser and Hitler failed to realize it Roses But Never NeverA A Spray of o Yew There are many good garden books and I for one had about come cometo cometo cometo to the conclusion that the final word on gardening had been written when along came the Womans Woman's Home Companion Companion Companion Com Com- panion Garden Book P. P F. F Collier and Son corporation publisher New York City with many new angles Edited by John C. C Wister director of the Arthur Hoyt Scott horticultural foundation Swarthmore I college collece this book speaks with au au- au- au I It uIt is correct it states on page to Uto speak of narcissus and also correct to use the English term daffodil daffodil daffodil daf daf- for all species and varieties of narcissus There is confusion about this a popular impression being that daffodils are the yellow kind and narcissus the white kinds There also has been confusion about the name jonquil All the daffodils of the jonquil jonquil jonquil jon jon- quil group are distinguished by their narrow like garlic-like foliage and by their characteristic bright yellow color which is the same shade throughout the flower All AIl of this interested me mightily as I had just been studying a photograph of a clump of narcissus in a popular magazines magazine's name this picture contest The leaves on the plant shown were broad though the answer given by the editor was jonquil Obviously even contest editors may err The narcissus discussion is n a sample sample sample sam sam- of Editor Wister's directness in inthis inthis this trus new garden book and there is ismore ismore ismore more like it on every page Not the least interesting writing in this book is the foreward by the well-loved well Liberty Hyde Bailey dean of all gardeners whose accomplishments accomplish accomplish- a accomplishments ments need no eulogy here Another intriguing feature is the discussion and diagramming of oC Various various various va va- rious geographic areas according to their geological and climatic condi condi- Most of oC us have been frostbitten frostbitten frostbitten frost frost- bitten too often for comfort by blindly blindly blindly blind blind- ly following the usual maps Additional data and measuring qualities have been added to long- long established material in making a broader and yet more personal presentation presentation presentation pre pre- of his problems to the gardener in any given section of the United States and Canada The net result is the clarification of oC many vague heretofore statements It It would be unfair to other excellent excellent excellent ex ex- books to say that this is the best garden book yet published In some ways it excels all others but still there are other volumes which may contain more information information a- a tion on specific subjects Perhaps the way to size up this page 1000 volume is to say that regardless regardless regardless re re- of whatever other gardening gardening garden garden- ing books you own you need this one too if you seek fresh angles on your favorite hobby With its fine cover and paper stock its 24 photographic pages in full color its 56 pages of black and white illustrations and more than to it pictures the Woman's Womans Womans Woman's Wom Wom- ans an's Home Companion Garden Book Bookis J I is completely satisfying |