Till Noon

By Thomas R. Brooks

Critical comment on Thomas R. Brooks previous book:
The War North of Rome, June 1944-May 1945

Brookshas written a splendid C
serious, solid and engaging Caccount of a grinding and unglamorous battle of attrition, dirty and savage . . . His touch is sure and intensely human.
Martin Blumenson
Noted Military
Historian


. . . a lucid account . . . Of what it was like in that grim year after Rome fell. 88th Division Association Newsletter

All in all, this is a well-told story of brave men who endured a great deal in an almost forgotten campaign.
Frederick N. Smith, Conservative Review

.A significant book . . . a solid, well-written campaign history. . .
Vnce Murray, Ocala, Florida, Star-Banner




Get rich, boy. Then sleep till noon and screw em all.
Max Shulman
Sleep Till Noon

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 23, 2009
• ISBN: 9781477167113

Thomas R. Brooks

Thomas R. Brooks is a leadership and human resources expert with nearly five decades of experience in the military and civilian arenas. He is Gertrude McCarty Smith’s son-in-law and was chosen by her family to write the personal essay about her life.

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Copyright © 2009 by Thomas R. Brooks.

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Contents

ATTACK

China Turns To Slave Labor

The Terrible Triangle Fire

New Life For The Ski Business

Mrs. Astor’s Dinners

‘The Pony’ Gallops On

A Passion Torn To Tatters

The Reign of the Drummer

NEW SHAPE-UP ON BUSH FOUR

GHOSTS’ GROWTH

ANOTHER BREED OF COP

ADAM CLAYTON POWELL

LINDSAY, QUILL & THE TRANSIT STRIKE

A Quiet Night in the 24th

A. PHILIP RANDOLPH A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

THE NIGHT WALL STREET BURNED

THE CASEWORKER AND THE CLIENT

NUMBERS: The Game That Only The Mobsters Win

A Strategist Without A Movement

NEWARK

SUBWAY ROULETTE: The Game Is Getting Dangerous

A Steelworkers’ Local in New England

Breakdown in Newark

A County of Hope

REMEMBRANCE

Back to School

How I Got into the Ski Troops

90 POUNDS OF RUCKSACK

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

GAVINANA

Merano

FICTION

Ski Patrol

Keep the Dog Far Hence

Angus

The Mountain

TO FRIENDS AND RELATIONS

INTRODUCTION

For long as I can remember, I have wanted to write. In my miss-spent youth, I dreamed of becoming a free-lance writer. One could write whatever one pleased and sleep until noon—a most attractive idea after nearly three years of Army reveille.

Well, I never did get to sleep till noon. And the need to earn a living, bring up a family, precluded writing whatever one wanted. Samuel Johnson got it right, No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.

However, over the years, free-lancing since 1962, I have been fortunate in the assignments I have been given. Most have been interesting, many entertaining, though few ever paid what one would have liked.

I have made a selection that I hope will edify and entertain. Have a good read.

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ATTACK

Foreword

On 14 April, 1945, the 2nd Battalion, 85th Mt. Infantry, in conjunction with, and to the right of, the 3rd Battalion of the 85th, attacked the German positions covering the ridges of Hills 913, 909 and 915, which lay north of, and across the valley from Mt. Della Spe.

These two Battalions had a final limited objective of the second high ridge line lying approximately 4,000 yards to the north of the initial objective. In capturing these positions, our troops would have overrun any hostile mortars able to deliver fire on the Castel d’Aiano-Vergato road. This was an extremely important mission in that this road was the principal supply axis for the 10th Mt. Division’s main effort. The success of the Division was imperative because by taking the heights to the north of Vergato and the west of Bologna, and parts of Highway 66, release of the 1st Armored and the 88th" and 85th Infantry Divisions from deadly German artillery observation was accomplished.

In a way, some of the success of the final all out effort of the Fifth Army hinged on the initial success of the 2nd Battalion in making a deep penetration at this point.

SEISS E. WAGNER

Lt. Col., 85th Infantry

Commanding.

Hill 909

On the 14th of April, 1945, at 0920 hours, Company G of the 85th Mountain Infantry moved along a narrow mountain trail around Mt. Della Spe, Italy, into the first phase of the attack which was to ultimately destroy the German military machine in Italy. Morale was exceedingly high despite the past weeks of nerve-wracking existence occupying defensive positions on high, steep, heavily shelled Mt. Della Spe. This position had been a salient protruding far out towards enemy held territory. Its strategic position had made it the hottest spot" on the whole Tenth Mountain Division sector. Fourteen days of living under almost constant artillery, mortar, long-range machine-gun and nearby sniper fire had left the men feeling nervous, but with perhaps a sense of relief that now, at last, they were moving out to engage the enemy in his stronghold.

Due to the densely wooded, mountainous terrain, Company G was deployed in double file down the forward slope of Mt. Della Spe. The order of march was: first platoon, company headquarters, second, third, and fourth platoons, and the first heavy machine gun platoon of Company H.

The immediate interest of every man was to reach the Line of Departure, a road at the base of Mt. Della Spe, as soon as possible. Each man knew that the entire company was exposed to enemy observation as soon as the crest of the hill was passed. As if verifying this knowledge, enemy mortar fire fell on most of the company as they descended. The first and second platoons moved quickly into position along the LD and escaped from the area of the barrage. However, the third platoon suffered three casualties and the fourth became temporarily separated from the rest of the company.

Lts. Clark and Clayton immediately moved their platoons across the LD into the attack. The leading scouts had no more than set foot across the LD when they were met by long range machine-gun and other small arms fire. Knowing that to stop meant artillery fire, the men did not need Capt. Halverson’s encouragement to move forward. The first platoon paused only long enough to knock out a sniper that was nearby. They then moved up to a stone wall that was some 200 yards past the LD. Here they were temporarily slowed up by a second sniper housed in a stone milk-house. As they prepared to move forward again, machine-gun fire raked across the front of the platoon and held them up. The second platoon crossed the LD and moved up on the left of the first, where sniper fire momentarily halted them.

Moving forward again they encountered heavy machine-gun and small arms fire that seemed to come from the left flank. Lt. Clayton dispatched S/Sgt. Aluisy to clear a group of houses on the left. The third platoon followed the first and found themselves unable to advance because the first and second were pinned down. Almost immediately the whole company began receiving a heavy barrage of mortar fire. The first of the large number of Company G casualties began piling up.

Because of intense mortar fire and due to the terrain difficulties, the machine gun section was able to advance only one squad across the LD. This squad immediately went into action and put fire on a partially destroyed building that housed a well dug in Kraut machine-gun. This action enabled S/Sgt. Swinesburg to move up his other squad and put them in action also.

The first platoon of Company H had put their guns in action on the front face of Mt. Della Spe to give support to Company G. One gun was put out of action by artillery fire. In order to keep in position to deliver effective fire for the company they were supporting, they were forced to go out of action and move forward nearer the objective.

Company G proceeded to reorganize. Capt. Halverson was killed while making a reconnaissance preparatory to continuing the attack. Lt. Beck took command of the company at this time. Despite heavy casualties in all the platoons, the men were ready to move on to the objective. The first platoon moved from the creek bed into the draw on the left face of the objective, Hill 909. The second platoon moved quickly across a fire-swept slope into positions to the left of the first and the attack continued.

Working up the slope under fire, the first platoon cleared out several enemy positions. In the fire fight that ensued, two enemy were killed and eight were taken prisoner. The second platoon captured two more. These two platoons took the objective, immediately reorganized, and prepared to set up a temporary defensive position. During this time the third platoon moved up onto the objective. The fourth, advancing up a draw behind the attacking platoons, was caught in a prepared mortar barrage. Two men were killed and others wounded before the remainder of the platoon reached the objective. While digging in under an increasing shower of mortar and artillery fire, the casualties continued to mount. In the space of an hour, five men were killed. Among 10 men wounded was the platoon leader of the second platoon. At this time, T/Sgt. Lopez of the second platoon discovered an enemy position on the crest of 909. With S/Sgt. Alexandrowitz he went up to destroy it. Lt. Clark and Pfc. Magrath joined them, and in clearing out the Kraut position, took 30 prisoners. Then Pfc. Magrath moved down onto the forward slope where he wiped out another enemy position. Although it meant continuously exposing himself to enemy fire, he calmly changed barrels and set into action a jammed German machine-gun. With this, he dispatched the occupants of three other enemy fortifications. For this action in clearing the top and forward slopes of 909, Magrath has been recommended for the Medal of Honor posthumously. His was one of the many acts of heroism performed by the men of Company G that day.

Because of Pfc. Magrath’s actions, the company was able to move to the forward slope of Hills 909 and 915. The company went into the defense with the second platoon on the left, first on the right, third on the extreme right, mortars in the rear and the machine-guns covering the flanks. Reorganization completed, the men dug in pending an order to continue the attack. The third platoon was the farthest out followed by the first platoon and a section of heavy machine-guns. Hardly had the men taken their positions when they were subjected to direct fire by self-propelled 88’s and 75’s. Some men were forced to take cover in German dug-outs and trenches in spite of the ever-present danger of booby traps. Almost immediately, the Germans launched a counter-attack in company strength. Using the direct fire of their artillery to cover the left flank, they hit Company G on the right flank with machine-guns, machine-pistols, rifle grenades and hand grenades. Deployed in small groups, they threatened to retake the hill that had been won at the cost of so many American lives. So fierce was this attack that elements of Company G were forced to fall back. Five men remained as a covering force and caught the full force of the attack. Reformed, and led by Lt. Clark and Lt. Tenenbaum, the company was able to assist the covering force in time to repulse the determined effort of the enemy to regain the hill. Lt. Clark, platoon leader of the first platoon, was one of the casualties that the company suffered in holding their ground.

The men of Company G could later take great pride that in spite of stubborn resistance, difficult mountainous terrain and intense mortar fire, theirs was the first company to reach and hold their initial objective. As darkness set in, the defensive set-up was tightened. Outposts were established, and the company prepared to sweat out the night. A sense of security was felt when Company F moved on to the right reverse slope of Hill 909 and relieved the men stationed there. The company counted heads and found that about half of the outfit remained. A few replacements came up from below, and all wondered what the next day would bring. Few men closed their eyes that night.

Early the next morning, after a sleepless night marked by intermittent mortar fire, the Krauts launched another counter-attack at our left flank. This attack was of a light nature, and was quickly beaten off.

Shortly after this Company G was ordered into battalion reserve. Companies E and F moved forward to continue the attack along the ridge. They occupied Hills 915 and 898, and slowly fought their way to Hill 810. For five hours Company G was subjected to a terrific concentration of mortar fire. Early in the afternoon, the first platoon was ordered to mop up by passed enemy positions to the rear of Hill 898. Three times they were met with mortar and sniper fire. Twice they were driven back with severe casualties. The third attempt was successful, and they completed their mission and returned to the company. At 1400 hours, Sunday, the 15th of April, Company G had suffered a total of 92 casualties.

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HILL 762

Get ready, we’re moving out. The word was passed from fox-hole to foxhole. The men were silent. What chance had they, with squads down to three and four men each, and platoons reduced to 12 to 14 men? Lt. Beck called for his platoon leaders at 153 0 hours and asked for a final strength report. One by one they came into the C.P. Company headquarters had one officer and six men. S/Sgt. Watson’s first platoon had 17 men. T/Sgt. Lopez’ second platoon had 12 men., Lt. Tenenbaum’s third platoon had 15 men and Lt. Kuhl’s weapons platoon had 16 men. The company’s total strength was three officers and 64 men. There were four BAR’s, one assault and one standard 60 mm. mortars, and two A-6 light machine-guns.

Due to the fact that E and F Companies were unable to move at the moment, the division push was threatened with at least a temporary stalemate—so vital was the sector in which the battalion was fighting. General Duff ordered the battalion commander to send Company G to aid in cracking the enemy defenses in this sector. Lt. Beck passed on the order to his platoon leaders.

The objective is Hill 762, some 1,200 yards to our left front. Enemy disposition is unknown. The third battalion is supposed to have advanced 800 yards out on our left flank and has units in Cappole which will protect us on that side. The information about the third battalion’s position later proved to be incorrect. The order of march was given first on the right, second on the left, fourth follow the first and the third follow the second. There will be priority on artillery fire. Be prepared to move out by 1600 hours.

The order was passed on to the men and was received in silence. After final preparations were made, the men sat in their holes waiting. It was a mission to sober a full strength company; to a mere 67 men it seemed to be almost suicidal. Then came an order that the attack was delayed until 1630. It seemed like a reprieve from a hanging.

At 1630 the company began its advance over the left shoulder of Hill 909. They moved across a flat crater on the crest of the hill and on down the forward slope. The sun was unusually hot. The men broke out in a sweat moving downhill. Everything seemed exceptionally quiet. The oppressive silence was broken only by the sound of feet crunching along the leaf covered slope. Before them spread the valley with the rounded outline of Hill 762 rising in the middle distance. Between lay rolling, green hills tree studded, and dotted with starkly outlined houses. It seemed an incredible distance away. There was no sign of life, but every man could feel the eyes of the enemy upon him. A lone shell landed high and to the rear of the advancing company. The German artillery was zeroing in. Soon the main barrages would come.

The terrain was deceiving. A deep draw forced the company to converge in one place to pass through it. They climbed out and over a small hill and out on to a sloping field that lay beyond. Suddenly all hell broke loose. From three sides machine gun and rifle fire plowed into the company. One of the first men hit was the radio operator. Another man, who knew nothing about procedure, took his place. The day’s call sign for battalion could not be found. The company was out of contact. *

Urged on by Lt. Beck, no man faltered but quickly rushed into firing position. After setting a fine example in leadership, Lt. Beck was one of the first hit. A squad of the first platoon set up a base of fire along a hedgerow and the rest of the platoon dashed down the hill, across a small draw, and into cover along another hedgerow that bordered a road leading in the direction of Hill 762. The second platoon moved into a wooded draw on the left. The ensuing barrage of mortar fire from the enemy made them make a dash for the road from which the first platoon was laying down rifle fire. They were then joined by the third platoon. Mortar fire made the field on the left untenable. Enemy small-arms fire made the field on the right impossible to cross. So devastating was the fire that all formation vanished. However, control still existed and the company advanced toward a group of houses some 300 yards from the objective by moving a few men at a time along the road. Wounded men dotted the grassy slope to the rear. A few more lay along the road, receiving first aid from the two remaining company medics, Ulrich and, Koshinski, whose complete disregard of the enemy and his fire as they moved about doing their job with calm efficiency, was an inspiring sight to all.

As the company infiltrated towards the farm, it was divided into two groups. The first group was to move across the fields and on to the objective. The second group was given the mission of clearing the buildings to the left. This latter was a job of no small proportions because the building seemed to be full of Krauts who were well supplied with arms and ammunition.

Led by Lt. Tenenbaum, the first group moved across the open field toward the objective. They had gone about halfway across when two more machine guns opened up. One was on the right flank and one on the left flank where our own third battalion was supposed to be. Twenty men made it to the foot of the objective where they reorganized in a gully. As planned, they then awaited the rest of the company before moving on to the objective. The remaining group engaged the enemy positions that were by-passed by the leading element. One section of the weapons platoon had covered the approaches to the buildings and the dash of the leading element of riflemen. T/Sgt. Barrett and Sgt. Baxter, alternating rifle fire with fire from the knee mortar, covered the riflemen as they made their way to the blind side of the buildings. A perimeter of defense was immediately formed around the buildings after dislodging the enemy with grenades and well aimed rifle fire.

Lt. Kuhl, after receiving maps and orders from Lt. Beck, had moved up and taken charge of the company. He also gave the correct call sign to the radioman and thus reestablished radio contact with Battalion for the first time since the attack began. Lt. Kuhl and Sgt. Watson took stock of the situation. The C.P. was temporarily set up in the kitchen of one of the houses. S/Sgt. Brockman collected all the prisoners into one room in the upstairs of the same building. T/Sgt. Barrett was sent out to check on the defensive set-up. He found that the men had placed themselves about the buildings and were engaging the enemy in a brisk fire fight. A hole had to be knocked in the wall of the C.P. in order to contact the defenders of the other side of the house. The two LMG’s were covering the front of the houses with crossed fire. There was no ammo for the mortars. The men were engaging the enemy on our left and right flanks and to the right rear as well as to the front. Medics were taking care of what wounded they could reach. There was no contact with the forward group. The number of prisoners grew to approximately 15.

Then, at about 1800 hours, Pfc. Nickerson came into the C.P. after making his way back through heavy fire to report on the forward group. There were only 20 men left in the draw at the foot of Hill 762. Here they had reorganized, and dug in for protection. The hill was subjected to terrific barrages of high explosive shells. One round falling into the draw had killed four men and wounded seven others. After this, Pfc. Nickerson volunteered to return back across the open fields, to establish contact with the rest of the company.

This information was relayed to battalion, which ordered the company to remain where it was and hold on. The third battalion was to give support to enable them to continue on to the objective. The men around the houses continued to fight, and slowly but surely courageously knocked out the German positions that had them hemmed in. Pfc. Gogolin volunteered to return to the battalion aid station, procure litters, and litter teams, and guide them forward.

After lying out in the open field under almost continuous barrages of mortar. and artillery, Lt. Beck, although seriously wounded, managed to drag himself over the 300 yards separating him from the C.P. As darkness fell, the medics went out and brought in Pfc. Holland, who was also seriously wounded

Finally the order came from battalion to consolidate the company, evacuate all wounded, and withdraw under cover of darkness to our lines atop Hill 909. Pfc. Sutton and Pfc. Nickerson volunteered to return to the forward group and guide them back. When they successfully returned with 16 men of the forward group, the company prepared to move out. The seriously wounded were carried on litters by German prisoners, the walking wounded fell in behind them and the rest of the company brought up the rear of the column.

It was a difficult and slow hike back to Hill 909. The men carrying the litters had to be replaced with fresh men at frequent intervals to give a more comfortable ride to the wounded. When our lines were finally reached, the 15 prisoners, their guards, and the wounded went down to the aid station. The rest of the company returned to their old positions on Hill 909. It was then a little after 0100 hours, 16 April, 1945. The company was surprised to find that Company A had relieved them. The men dropped into foxholes, and for the first time in nearly 48 hours of fighting, the 36 remaining men of Company G were able to sleep, and were thankful that in the morning they at least would wake up.*

In two days Company G had lost 119 men. Twenty-three were killed, 95 wounded and one was missing in action. In spite of their heavy casualties and heavier opposition, these men drove forward with the spirit in the truest traditions of the United States Army. They took their objective before any other company in the division. The next day they went on to break through the rest of the enemy lines in that sector, and enable the rest of the division to start the move that was to terminate at the head of Lake Garda, and in victory for the Allied Armies in Italy.

In Retrospect

The 112 replacements joining us at Mt. Pingna on the 18th of April… The night attack of Fornace the last hill barrier before the flat plains of the Po Valley… Watching the whole division moving out of the hills the morning of the 20th to start its mad dash across the Po… Overhead bursts tearing the night sky as we crossed the Po River… the crazy march of 16 miles in four and one half hours along the shores of beautiful Largo di Garda when G Company led the whole division in the attack…

Then… peace in Italy…

Malecesine and roses on the terrace… Trecesimo and the Osoppo and the Garibaldi… rain and pup tents staked in rivers of mud… Castcnedolo and German beer in Brescia… Trieste and the Adriatic…

Arrividerci! . . .

ATTACK, Udine, Italy. July, 1945

Note: I can not claim ATTACK as my own work. Fred Aluisy and I worked on the first draft. Ed Currie edited and emended it for publication.

China Turns To Slave Labor

Stalin sent armaments to China to hold the lines in Korea. A lesser known export has been even more significant. The Air Force’s Operation Strangle that was intended to end the war came to nothing when the Chinese employed up to 2,000 transcript laborers to repair each mile of bombed out railroad tracks. Within China the Soviet slave labor system has had an even greater impact.

China is next to the Soviet Union as far as the number of slave laborers is concerned, Matthew Wold testified before the UN on behalf of the International Confederation ‘of Free Trade Unions. He estimated the number at well above one million. Mrs. Pandit, Nehru’s sister, returned from India’s cultural mission to Peking to report that two million men had been conscripted from their lands to work on one dam alone. They received no pay, she reported, but were supposed to be given land acreage later on as a reward.

Where does slavery begin and where does it end? Mrs. Pandit’s figures are of conscript labor; those of the ICFTU, painstakingly gathered from every possible source, are of forced labor alone, that is of men condemned to hard labor because of crimes against the state. It is compiled from facts, such as these, taken from Chinese Communist sources:

*On the Ch’ingho Farm, run by the Peiping Bureau of Public Safety and located along ‘the Peiping-Shanhaikwan Railroad, there are now some 5,000 slave laborers according to a news story by Wang Ta-jen, in Kuanguing Iih Pao (The Light Daily) of Peiping, October 18, 1951.

*There are, in addition, nine large or small hard labor prisons in the suburbs of Peiping with more than 80,000 offenders.

A dispatch from Tientsin in North China in the pro Communist Hongkong, Ta Kun Pao, September 4, 1951, reports: The Tientsin Municipal Prison has altogether four cotton knitting factories for the reform of offenders by hard labor… . In the last two years almost a thousand offenders have been through this process of reform.

*Ku Tachun, Deputy Chairman of the Kwangtung People’s Provincial Government, reports in the Nangfang Jih Pao (Northern Daily), September 18, 1951: During the past 10 months, the authorities dealt with 1,571 cases of counter revolutionaries, arresting a total of 89,701 persons. Among them 28,332 persons were executed. Allowing for a reported six percent of the total placed on house arrest released on bail to labor under the supervision of the village governments and the masses, the ICFTU estimates that some 60,000 are assigned to labor so as to lessen the burdens of the people and to indoctrinate their political thinking.

*The Hongkong Times; June 6, 1951 reported that beginning from 1950, for a period of one year, there was concentrated in the Kung-Tzeyang section a total of more than 200,000 forced laborers.

*In Shanghai Communist figures show that at least 6,849 offenders have been subjected to compulsory labor in the period from August to November, 1951.

*Deputy Police Commissioner Sun Lo Yi of Canton testified before the Commission for Suppression of Counter revolutionaries on August 29, 1951 that: Regarding the reform of offenders by compulsory labor, 3,798 offenders have now taken part in productive hard labor.

*A Reuters dispatch from Hongkong dated June 18, 1952 reports that General Y6 Chien Ying, governor of Kwuangtung province, has ordered between 200,000 and 250,000 convicts in the province to work. in the tungsten mines in southern Kiangsi province.

When the Communists first came to power over two and one-half years ago suppression of the counter-revolution elements meant death for so-called bandits, rascals, secret agents, reactionary par-ties or groups, arid reactionary associations and clans. However, in accordance with the directive of Mao Tse tung as spelled out in a statement of policy by Chou En Lai, Premier of Communist China, it was decided that, "in the meting out of punishment, the following principles should be followed:

To those leading counter-revolutionary elements who owe us a debt in blood, who are so bitterly hated by the people that they must be executed, who have seriously hurt the interests of the state, the death sentence must be imposed and must forth with be executed. To those other elements, who deserve the death penalty, but who do not owe us a debt in blood, who, are not so bitterly hated by the people, who have hurt national interests but not most seriously, the policy is to impose upon them the death sentence, but to postpone its execution for two years, to send them to forced labor, and to see how they come out.

The reason for this modification of the policy of suppression is revealed in a statement by Lo Yiu-ching, Minister of Public Security (the equivalent to the NKVD head.) These men [for], whom we have postponed execution are also a sizeable source of manpower from the economic point of view. We are now organizing them to labor for the state. We are giving them a chance to reform themselves. At the same time, they will have a definite effect upon certain state production enterprises.

This effect can be seen in the example of the New Man Village of the North Kiangsu Land Reclamation Area established in 1950. Shin Tao Daily, October 18, 1951, a pro-Communist Hongkong paper reported:

After a little more than a year, this vast expanse of waste land has been completely transformed into a large community. Numerous spiritless souls have been animated into active human beings by hard labor.

While undergoing this transubstantiation, these slave laborers developed 10,000 mows of arable land ( a mow is one sixth of an acre); built some large buildings (with blue bricks and red tile), wide highways, waterways and various small factories for iron work, carpentry work and bamboo work, stocking knitting and sewing.

Physical conditions do not make life easier for slave labor camp in-mates. Each plow was fixed with four reins to be pulled by four fellow prisoners, Chung Chi, a former prisoner, related. The guard, who held the handle of the plow would whip us whenever the slightest displeasure was incurred.

Food for the inmates is bad and often has to be foraged from the surrounding countryside. Dysentery and other stomach troubles are common illnesses. Discipline is severe. Prisoners in one camp were marched to work by fours, hand in hand, one row following the other. No one was allowed to get out of place nor allowed to glance to the right or left. If a prisoner managed to break out of the line, his neighbors to the right, left, front and, back would be held responsible. In another camp weary prisoners were warned by the guard that he would not hesitate to shoot anyone who fell behind—this he regarded as an attempt to escape.

Punishment in the slave labor camps combines the physical with brain-washing. Depending upon his infraction the inmate may: Confess to the small group of which he is a part; apologize to a larger meeting; be hand-and-leg cuffed, isolated and imprisoned; or be tried and executed. The prisoners themselves sit in judgment of their fellow. But their role is to exhibit the proper enthusiasm over whatever the sentence may be and to give semblance to the pretense that the sentence originates with inmates of the camp.

The experience of a former slave laborer, Ting Yao-tsung, shows what this can mean. While cutting some wood, Ting was careless and skinned his hand. At a mutual criticism meeting they all considered that I had deliberately injured myself in order to avoid work. I was punished by being made to stand facing the wall. (This meant standing with both eyes facing a white wall.) After a certain period of time, you become so dizzy… you collapse and fall down.

This was a mild form of punishment. Ting was also warned, along with fellow inmates : Don’t prove yourself as hopeless beyond reform. If You continue to think and act like an ulcer of this society, you will soon be removed.

NEW REPUBLIC, August 11, 1953

The Terrible Triangle Fire

Most fires start small; few are chosen to make an impact on history. The tragic Triangle Waist Company fire, which consumed 146 lives, most of them young girls, on March