The British Interned in SwitzerlandPicot, Henry Philip
History
The British Interned in Switzerland
Picot, Henry Philip
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, Swiss
To begin with the most popular form of artistic propaganda, the cinemas
presented films of the war in an ever increasing number, the Germans
making great use of this means of impressing the public, but sometimes
with a result the reverse of that which they had intended. In this
connection the _Moewe_ film, given all over Switzerland, and portraying
the exploits of that pirate ship in sinking numbers of British and
Allied vessels, may be mentioned. This was one long succession of views
of merchantment and beautiful sailing vessels riding the waves, to be
seen the next moment struck, and slowly disappearing beneath the
surface. The most revolting part, however, of an altogether revolting
film, was the brutality and delight evinced by the crew of the _Moewe_,
who continued their sports and dancing in sight of their drowning
victims. If the Germans hoped to impress the Swiss by their prowess and
merciless inhumanity, or by showing them how easy a thing it was to
accomplish the starvation of the Allies, and especially Great Britain,
they utterly failed in their aim, for the public in general, mostly
Swiss, was horrified at the sight of the destruction of so much
constructive human endeavour, and, above all, at the brutality and
disregard evinced towards the unfortunate crews of the doomed or sunken
vessels. All over Switzerland the impression conveyed in the main by
this film was one of disgust and horror, and comment bore more than all
else on the entire absence of anything to indicate so much as the
slightest endeavour to save human life. In a word, the Germans could not
have chosen a subject more unfavourable to themselves, or done better
propaganda work in favour of the Allies, than by exhibiting their
_Moewe_ film.
When, later, the British _Battle of the Somme_ film was given in Berne,
in 1916, in the huge Concert Hall of the Casino, the contrast in the
spirit of the whole performance was all the more noticeable when the
feelings of horror evoked by the _Moewe_ performance are recalled to
mind. Amongst other films, the remembrance of which stands out, the
_Champagne_, the Italian _Izonzo_, the _Tank_, and _England's Effort_,
all of which were very fine productions, may be noted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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