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The Council took the stand that it wa carruing out the wishes of the people in making the nominations it had submitted, and it did not dare to submit a new list without consulting the camp. The people finally made it clear that they thought it would be better to submit a list acceptable to Mme. Laborde, and some of them pointed out that it would only be for a few weeks anyway and they would then have complete control.
The following day, Wednesday April 2nd., the Council submitted a list of names which were in most cases the ideal candidates for the job they were to hold and which contained only two of the original names submitted. These names were promptly approved by Mme. Laborde and Mr. Schwartz.
It should be emphasized here that Mme. Laborde took no part in any of the mass meetings other than the one held on March 29th. at which she explained the proposed changes in camp administration. She took no part in the electioneering and she scrupulously refrained from suggesting the names of any candidates for camp administrators, even when the dead-lock cause by her veto of some of the names of the first list seemed likely to wreck the whole experiment. The other team members took an equally correct attitude, it is believed.
Departure of Mme. Laborde
The evening of April 2nd., the whole camp assembled to pay its respects to Mme. Laborde, to express its thanks for her services, and to say good-bye. There were many speeches and much shedding of tears, as Mme. Laborde was loved by many of the people, and all appreciated her untiring devotion to their interests. She was presented with a beautifully inscribed testimonial which read as follows:
| To: | Mrs. Maria N. Laborde, Director of Junkers DP Camp, Kassel-Bettenhausen |
Right honorable Mrs. Director, the representatives of Junkers DP Camp, Kassel-Bettenhausen, various organizations
deeply
