SEPTEMBER 24. I943

GRINNELL SCARLET AND BLACK

PAGE THREE

 

A.S.T. Prol: Reeounts Experience in Nazi Hands

Anthony Reiner
Served As Czech
VArmy Officer ‘

By Barbara Brnnn

When he was able to get‘
out of Nazi—held Czecho-
slovakia, his luggage was
one suit, two. shirts, two!
pairs of socks, and a few
handkerchiefs. But of all
the personal property the
Nazis confiscated, they could

not take away his intellect,
He still had his Doctrate Cum:
Laude from the University at}
Prague. He could still speak, lie-l
sides his native Czech, French,
Italian, German, Spanish, Pol-Cu»
gese, Slovak, Hungarian, and!
English. He knew Greek and
Latin And America received him.
Now Anthony Stephen Relner is
‘teaching geography at Griniiell,
for the Area and Language inch’
in the ASTP.

One of the difficulties the col-
lege authorities faced when the
army took over was getting the
right men to teach the subjects.
They needed men with wide ex-
perience. They needed men who
knew Europe. And now they have
them. One of these men is Mr.
Rainer. Any man who fulfills
these requirements must have al
story. So I decided to see him in‘
person.

Hospitahle

Mr. Remer answered the door-
bell himself. At first impression,
he was a tall, dark yoqu man in
his thirties whose wholeheartcd
European hospitality seemed to

overpower iny assumed sophisti—

cation. But I soon tound out that ‘

although outwardly he's jovial and
happy, inwardly he's extremely'
serious and thoughtful, But that's
the story.

It's a long one 50 I‘ll start from
the beginning and go through it
very briefly. He was born in Bus
hernia “some thirty odd years
ago." Both his parents were inedi-
Cal doctors, And is the last Wi’ll‘
his tether served as an army docs
tor. Hih mother also did her part.
She was with a military hospital.
.knd while tendering the Sick, She
herself was taken in and died
shortly after. Reiner, at this time,
was but so: years old.

Then he was sent to a sinali'
French school at Sens. Upon Come 1
pletion he returned to Prague to
Continue his studies Where he re-
celved his Bachelor‘s in literature,
He had also obtained French andi
English teaching certificates and]
he was bent on teaching. But all
uncle who was a, teacher himself,j'
heatedly objected and suggested‘
Heinei- prepare himself for For
eign Service. And soon he found
himself at the Juridical and Poli-
tical Science school at Charles
University in Prague. There hE‘
received h l 5 Doctorate Cum

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tftﬁﬁfréiflQ{k{iQQflCtQﬂﬁﬁﬁﬁﬁt’rﬁﬁﬁ'ﬁﬁﬁﬁﬁﬁﬁixﬁﬂ—ﬁgﬁ

Laude. And tlus all took pldcel
before he had reached his 22ndl
bll‘thdayr

European Study
He could not find openings in

lowed a long train of study at:
Paris, Madrid, Oxford, and Lon-
don. His spccidlities now were my
tcrnational law, political science,
and criminology, He also [ound‘
time between these studies to
teach sociology.

l
I
“Conn ssinn’etl" [
IL was while he was studying:
at London, that he received his
hrst call to service in the Czecho-
slovakian cavalry. For 11 months
out of his two years' service, he
attended ocs. On graduating he
was “commissionct” a corporal.
After he finished his period of
service, he started to work for
the Skodo Works, and in
months was appointed executive
secretary of the export departs
lnenti
However, the Nazis needed Le-
bensraiim and Czechoslovakia ino-
bilizea. Reiner returned to thcg
colors immediately.

six

The Wehr~ l
niacht overran Czechoslovakia . .
but here Mr. Reiner suddenly he-
came quiet.

this part at his story. He lit a
cigarette. “What does it matter?
if I say what I feel, you will
think it is propaganda."

But I soon found out what had
happened. The Nazis came in

' Nths

He stopped and tried to omit‘

and all pci-soiial property. He had
recently obtained the internation-
zil Exchange Fellowship, and the
also conliscatcd his work
on arbitration in International re
lotions. And then the Gestapo suh
ectcd him to a hearing-X

Injured

"Voluntarily" he signed a paper
saying he had been treated well.
And then they carried him out to
the hospital. He suffered a brokcnl
jaw. His ribs weie a littlc out ori
place and he was internally iii-l
jured. The Gestapo was still look-
ing tor him when he managed :o_
leave Czechoslovaklai‘br what
was left of it."

with his Exchange Fellowship,‘,
he attended the University ct'
Chicago having arrived in Amcr i
ca in 1939. Only halt the Fellm
ship had been paid by the Na;
and the money was not enough to:
cover his living expenses. AS a;
result, Reiner had to find pat’tr'
tirne work. Yes, he found it, He
worked as platform laborer, lifte
nig- heavy luggage. The work was,
hard, Reiner was still weak froml

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1938. They conﬁscated his books

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his “adventure" with thc Nazis.
chcrtholess, ‘lt‘, staycd on at Clu-
cago University, and in three
Science in geography. His thss.
dealt with air transportation iii
the United States.

New I saw why 1 iinhicdiatcly

was impressed with Remer's sens

ousness. He has been through
much. He has suffered a great
deal and no matter how gay he
seems to hc, his past seer; Lo
pour lrom his sobci- eyes.

But on with the story. Rciiier
now found himself teaching in
Aurora College in Illinois, He i -
maincd there but a. year, leaving
to teach at Mills college in Gale
land, Calif. There he also prepared

,5 .

ian English course [or the Spanish
land Poitugucse students. After
Mills he went to the University oi
Calitornie in Berkeley Raincl-
'taught them in the Spanish and
lPortugucsc department And the,“
lilie ASTP came into being al‘l
lReinci- moved to Griiinell.

Thel his story. It’s a stoiy
that starts in Tabor, Bohemia,
goes all over Europe atd ends
here at Grinneli. And the “l'ollin
stone" has not ended his travels,
Yes, Reiner is here at Grinnell.
1Hut the war will not last forever
iAnd what will he do when tll
nccd for ASTP ends? i . .
want to be an American, and a
‘good one.”

 

 

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