DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
N. Six
Life Among the Danish Refugees in Sweden
By JULIUS MORITZEN
When Otto Gelsted, one of Den-
mark's outstanding writers, found
it expedient to leave his country
because the Gestapo were about
to arrest him either for intern-
ment, deportation or to suffer
such other harsher fate charac-
teristic of Nazi brutality, seeking
refuge in Sweden Mr. Gelsted em-
braced the opportunity to learn
how his Jewish compatriots were
faring in the hospitable land
across the Oresound that sepa-
rates the two Scandinavian na-
tions.
Nothing was more natural, then,
than that this gifted Danish writ-
er should make a record of his
observations in this haven of ref-
uge. In a book that he calls "The
Jews in Husabv," but typical of
what is found in many other
Swedish towns and cities with the
inrush of thousands fleeing Nazi
persecution, Mr. Gelsted is using
facts in fiction-form to convey
to his readers scenes of panoramic
color and intensity. Although the
majority of the refugees in Swe-
den are Danish Jews, and their
correligionists from eastern Eur-
ope, others are included. Written
in the Danish language, and trans-
lated into Swedish, the present
writer is using this translation in
order to show what is transpiring
among these people so fortunately
beyond the grasp of Nazi oppres-
sion and brutality.
As a preliminary to what Mr.
Gelsted writes about the situation
in Sweden he has some interesting
and heartrending chapters dealing
with Denmark under Nazi rule.
In the character of Edvard Ting-
sted, that is Otto Gelsted him-
self, he recounts, what the world
already knows, how arrests and
murders of innocent Danish citi-
zens have become daily occur-
ences in the fair land of Den-
mark. As identified with the
underground movement the au-
thor is not safe in any place, and
it is finally decided that it is nec-
essary that he leaves to avoid ap-
prehension by the Nazis.
How He Escaped
Edvard Tingsted is one among
a great many who finally ar-
ranged to get across the Oere-
sound. He tells of the aggregation
of people of all kinds and ages
assembled one night awaiting on
the pier for one of a number of
row boats to take them to a
large fishing vessel further out in
the Sound.
"First among those to be rowed
out to the vessel are women, old
people and families with chil-
dren," we read. "Tingsted gets
on board the 'Juliane.' He finds
the ship crowded to the railings.
"Lookout!" someone cries from
one of the row boats. "Here is a
blind person." . .
"After that, other are hauled
on board. The skipper, Jens Storm
on board. The s k i p p e r, Jens
Storm, circulates among the crowd
bidding his passengers welcome.
"'Tonight,' he says, 'we shall
play the swine a nice trick. Last
night there was a raid at Dragoer,
and there was much shooting so
that I couldn't get away. But this
time we will fool them. Here on-
board we don't call them Ger-
mans„ but swine.'
"But what about the German
patrol boats?" inquires Tingsted.
"We have had fishing boats
cruising along the coast the entire
day, to keep an eye on them"
Skipper Storm replies. "They are
far away, and at night they prefer
to keep close to land."
" 'But is it not difficult with
this full moon?' asks Tingsted.
" 'It might be better without,
but I think we shall have some
fog during the night. Here, you,
'he cries down at a boat coming
alongside. 'You had better row
over to the 'Hadsund' for here
we have room for no more. That
is the other vessel, he explains
to Tingsted.
Wandering Jews
"Jens Storm takes the wheel.
The motor begins to work. It
ounds as if all the bells in the
?illage churches of South Sealand
were ringing farewell to those in
'light.
"The 'Juliano' moves ahead. As
Tingsted leans over the railing he
;s thinking pf another shin, filled
with eastern Jews fleeing from the
Nazis pogrom, seeking port after
loft without a single shore offer-
ing them hospitality. He also
thinks of the liner 'Donau' that
left Oslo with t h e Norwegian
Jews, and of the mother who with
her child sprang overboard, pre-
ferring death to having herself
and her child fall into the hands
9f the Nazis.
Tingsted thinks of the Water-
land' which carried the Danish
Jews to Germany. On that ship
the wandering Jew must have
been an unwilling passenger.
And was not the wandering
Jew onboard the ship with Span-
ish Jews that fled from pogroms.
and with Columbus, when he left
Palos on his first voyage, mused
Tingsted. Perhaps he was on the
'Santa Maria' and among those
first to see the new world that
became a refuge for millions of
his race. And is not the wandering
Jew even here on 'Juliane' which
is transporting its bee hive of
humanity in a new exile?
"Tingsted continues staring
into the darkness. A voice at his
side says: 'Isn't that Malmoe out
there where a light gleams on the
Swedish coast?
"I think it is," answers Ting-
sted.
"The last time I was there I
flew over on my wedding trip.
We had our breakfast at the Blue
Grane, with Smorgaarsboard.'
"Tingsted recognizes him as a
young man who looked sadly to-
ward the Danish coast they had
left behind.
For His Wife's Sake
" 'Is your wife with you this
time?" he asks.
" 'Yes, she is down below. It
Is for her sake we are fleeing.
She is a Jewess. She is not feeling
well. We met for the first time
in Berlin where her father was a
physician. So this is the second
time she takes flight. He father
committed suicide when the Nazis
started persecuting the Jews. He
was one of those German Jews
who loved Germany beyond all
else, German science, German
classical literature and music. And
now her sister has also committed
suicide, by throwing herself under
e street car. Do you wonder that
I my wife's nervous.' "
"The 'Juliane' is slowing down.
A penetrating signal reached out
into the darkness. A Swedish pa-
,,
'First Things First"
Is Campaign Slogan
Of James D. Friel
James D. Friel, Chairman of
the Wayne County Board of Au-
ditors and candidate for mayor,
declared in campaign speeches this
week that his primary ambition,
as mayor, would be to establish
"progress, prosperity and peace"
in Detroit.
"Peace and good will," he said,
"must be restored, or there can-
not be progress and prosperity."
No special favors, but a square
deal for all, will bring about
peace and good will, Mr. Friel
said.
Mr. Friel served in the last
war in the 19th Engineers over-
seas. He has since served as Com-
mander of the Century Post,
American Legion; and is a mem-
ber of the Grand River Post,
V FW.
Mr. Friel also said that, as
mayor, he would do "FIRST
things FIRST."
rol ship approaches.
"Where are you from?" some-
me calls out.
" 'From Denmark.' answers
tens Storm.
"From Denmark!" cry the ref-
ugees.
"The officer on the Swedish ship
extends his arms as if he wants
.o embrace everyone. "Welcome!"
le cries.
The air resounds with grateful
response from the refugees who
have reached the land of freedom.
The place where the "Juliane"
anchored with her Danish fugi-
ives was designed as intermediate
refuge before their distribution
further inland. Along the shore
are armed soldiers but they are
not enemies. No need here to fear
sadistic terrorists. Here one may
walk about in peace.
Stay in Barracks
Friday, July 27, 1945
Filderman Not Under 200,000 Jews Left
Arrest, Says Grew
In Poland, Says
WASHINGTON (WNS) —Act-
Polish Offici al
ing Secretary of State Joseph C.
Grew declared here this week that
reports of the arrest of Dr. Wil-
liam Filderman, president of the
Union of Rumanian Jewish Com-
munities, are incorrect.
Mr. Grew made the disclosure
in a letter to the American Jew-
:A Conference, in which he sug-
gested that the report of the ar-
rest might have arisen from
"earlier erroneus new items"
which were subsesuently proven
as false.
.ome that make it uncomfortable
for others. In Husaby this is
markedly so. Not even the fact
'hat they are the guests of the
Swedish government keeps some
from complaining of the food, the
inconveniences that are unavoid-
able, etc.
Edvard Tingsted takes note of
the Jiddisch that is spoken by a
great many of the refugees and
feels they should be grateful to
King Gustaf for not only granting
them an asylum from Nazi per-
secution, but allowing them to
express themselves in whatever
language they desire. He considers
Jiddisch quite a picturesque
tongue, what with its mixture of
current speech with the Hebrew.
As many of the fugitives have
come to Sweden without any
money, the Swedish Government
has created a fund where three
times a month ten kroner can be
had to pay for essentials. Oppor-
tunities are also offered for such
employment as may fall in within
former occupations in Denmark.
In writing "the Jews in Hu-
saby" Otto Gelsted is paying de-
served tribute to Sweden for fur-
nishing a refuge to the many
who otherwise would have suf-
fered further indignities at the
hands of the Nazi in Denmark.
LONDON (WNS) -- The J ew.
ish population in Polatul now to-
tals 200,000 and its number may
be considerably augmented by re-
turnees from concentration
camps and from Soviet-incorpo-
rated Polish area, it wa: disclosed
here by Count Jan Drohojowski,
technical adviser to Stanislav,' Mi.
kolajozyk, vice-premier of the
new Polish Government of na•
tional unity.
Count Drohojowski, who recent.
ly returned here from Warsaw,
said his statement wit: based on
information given him by the Pol-
ish Foreign Ministry on July 13
He said Warsaw now.has a Jewish
population of 5,000 and that Lodz
has about 11,000.
He said an investigation by
governmental authorities disclos-
ed that the Germans had killed
6,500,000 Jews in Poland during
the five years they Occupied the
country. Of these 3,000,000 were
Polish Jews. The others were
Jews who had been deported. to
Poland from all other German-
occupied and German - controlled
countries of Europe.
Whether or not Swedish neutrality
in its application is open for de-
bate, the fact cannot be denied
that without this neutrality Scan.
dinavia would have been complet•
ly controlled by Hitler and his
henchmen.
And now, for the first time in
four years the Jewish refugees in
Sweden can observe the holidays
in accordance with their religious
desires and unhampered by Nazi
indignities, assured that the sere
ice will not be interrupted, as so
often happened in Copenhagen
and other Danish cities.
Our Soldiers Fight—You should
buy Bonds to help them come
home sooner.
Furnished with food and drinks
the new arrivals are put up for
the night in barracks provided for
SCENE IN "THE URAL FRONT"
that purpose, and the next morn-
ing they are sent on to Malmoe
from where they are distributed
further. Husaby is such a place.
And it is here that Edvard Ting-
sted—Otto Gelsted that is—cen-
ters his observations of the, to
him, unusual gathering from Den-
mark.
Tingsted through his literary
and journalistic career in Copen-
hagen, had• among his friends and
associates in the capital many
Jews of prominence. In Husaby,
however, he is brought in contact
with other Jewish elements of
which he has had little knowledge.
Since World War I, many Jews
from Poland and the Balkans
have found a refuge in Denmark.
Their traditional religious observ-
ances lie somewhat apart from
what is the custom among Danish
Jewry which has generations be-
hind their Danish citizenship.
Tingsted is somewhat critical of
the relationship between the two The Cinema Theater is now presenting the first Detroit showing of the
groups. He finds it gives occasion full length feature film, "The Ural Front," starring Tamara Makarova sup•
for many differences of opinion. ported by Mark Bernes.
Refugees in Hotels
Husaby is a renowned summer
resort. and the Danish refugees
are distributed in the three large
hotels. Tingsted is quartered in
the Grand Hotel where he shares
his room with another. As the
panorama continues to unroll be-
fore him his instinctive journalis-
tic accumen classifies his fellow
refugees in groups where their
idionsyncracies are given un-
bridled expression. As always
when a large number of people
are thrown together there will be
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MO.1
What About FRIEL?
JAMES D. FRIEL
JAMES D. FRIEL
is Chairman of the County Board
of Auditors. He has impro•:eri
County services and cut County
costs. (The County's tax rate is
the lowest in history—the City's
the highest.)
worked at Cadillac Motor r
before entering the army.
JAMES D. FRIEL.
19th
served over-seas with ii
Engineers in the First war' ' War.
was in the Real Estate I .,iness
with Caspar J. Lingeman later
JAMES D. FRIEL
Installed the present County Pur-
chasing Department—saving 5100,000
in one year alone at Eloise.
Learning to dance is easy and
fun at Arthur Murray's. Busi-
ness tycoons come here regularly
as a release from tension. And
youngsters come to learn the
snazziest new steps. Dancing is
as easy as breathing once our
experts take you in hand. You
can relax and have a grand time
in any group once you're confi-
dent you're a good partner. En-
roll today. Arthur Murray, 1200
Washington Blvd. at State St.,
CA. 3377.
1917,
■
formed his own company.
JAMES D. FRIEL
JAMES D. FRIES •
abolished the old 'plunder regime"
in County government—brought it
out into the open.
served as Deputy County
JAMES D. FRIEL
JAMES D. FRIEL
established the County Board of
Ilealth.
taosr,wosrokiderie,
n l eaagre nre, d. a 11-1
soldier,
things done.
under Mr. Lingeman.
clerk
Elect FRIEL MAYOR
VOTE TUESDAY, AUGUST 7th
-
ge t