Gallery- 21 -
DP administration and Organization
Miss Tabard reported on September 19th. that:
"Each nationality group in the camp is directly under a leader whose chief function is to represent his people and in some way be the official advisor to his people. The larger groups have formed themselves into Relief Committee Groups with a view to advising and helping all persons in questions relative to Education. Religion, Relief, etc...... DP Leaders are selected by their own nationality group by vote. This applies chiefly to the larger groups. However in the very small groups the leaders have been chosen by the Camp Commander........ Cooperation of DP Leadersin in this camp is 100 per cent, their efficiency and the efficiency with which they organize and run their respective groups is excellent."
Latvian Administration
Although a Latvian Committee of five members had been elected on June 26th for a term for six months, new elections were held at the end of August because the Latvians had increased from about three hundred to over six hundred and it was believed that the first committee was not representative. The five former members were reelected along with three new members, one of whom, Prof. R. Markus, was appointed chairman or Leader.
Estonian Administration
The first Estonians to arrive in Junkers Camp were nineteen who came all the way from Thuringia the latter part of June to escape their Russian liberators. Others came from the British Zone attracted by stories of plentiful food in Junkers, and by July 16th., when they held their first election, they numbered forty-odd. A committee of five members was elected by written ballot and they chose Mr. Ratsep as their leader. These elections were confirmed by Military Government in August.
Schools
A Latvian elementary school was established on August 1st. and a high school was added a month later. The Poles had set up a school of their own somewhat earlier, and later seven Turkish children were taught in a room in one of the barracks in the morning and twelve Estonian children in the same room in the afternoon. At the end of December there
were
