Two drunken American soldiers who attempted to mistreat a group of displaced Jews last night precipitated a minor riot at the Foehrenvald Camp, near the town of Wolfrathausen, about 30 miles from here, it was learned today when military authorities launched an investigation.
According to the UNRRA director of the camp, Henry Cohen, the trouble started when the two soldiers entered a house in which six DP’s were gathered and forced them at gun-point to do calisthenics and to play the harmonica while they jeered at them. Cohen said one soldier tried to shoot a DP, but his gun jammed.
German civil police were called, but they refused to come and the DP’s, growing excited, rushed from the camp and threw up a road block, which forced a car bearing several minor German officials to halt. When the car’s occupants got out, they were assaulted. American troops soon cleared the area and the DP’s returned to the camp in orderly fashion.
The disturbance, according to camp officials, resulted from tension which developed because of a long-standing dispute between the UNRRA director of the camp and the Military Government officer at Wolfrathausan, Major Philip Speers, who is reported to be hostile to the DP’s.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
