Evening star., 1945-07-05
By THOMAS r. HENRY
starlWar Correspondent.

BERLIN, July 5.-This city of
ashes, rubble and tottering walls is
little like the Reich's proud capital
OF two years ago. have spent most
OF the day riding through ashes
and brick piles which litter side
walks over a 2-square- area OF
the central part of the city.
Many sections are as badly bomb
shattered as Cologne or Aachen. The
first impression on entering the
city is deceptive, for many resi-
dences are intact, and apparently
only fire bombs were used on the
outlying business districts. AS a
result stone walls still stand, al
though the interiors are gutted.
Only as you come within about 8
miles Of Wilhelmplaz do you get a
true picture of the extent of de-
struction of Europe's second largest
city. Hardly building in street
after street is anywhere near hab-
liable, although few stores are
operating In the ruins.
A fine example OF destruction is
in the Wilhelmplatz Square, where
Nazi government activities were
centered. From the rear of the
chancellery, where Hitler addressed
crowds, you can see roofless, gutted
buildings.
Rainsoaked women are digging
in the rubble for firewood. Other
wise the once nerve center of the
Reich is deserted, except for a few
Russian soldiers off duty.
Some streets are fairly cleaned
of rubble, with occasional buses,
streetcars and elevated trains run
ming. Either the bombing failed
10 knock out the utilities or the |
Russians have done quick job of
restoring power. There is no great |
shortage Of either water or elec-
tricity.
Berlin, however, is a city largely
of women and children. The men
seem mostly old or crippled. At
every corner women are organized |
in bucket brigades, laboriously
cleaning rubble from sidewalks to
be dumped inside ruined buildings.
The women claim they were
forced to enter these labor groups,
as the Russians demanded that the
city be cleaned. Most able bodied
men are prisoners of war or are
being used elsewhere on other jobs.
I rode up Unter den Linden and
the continuation of the Bismark-
strasse, past the Adlon Hotel and
through the Tiergarten.
All buildings on both sides were
ruined. The Adlon was little more
than rubble pile surrounded by
four tottering walls. Many of the
Tergarten's trees were moved down
by Russian artillery. In their midst
were crashed planes and burned
tanks. Here some of the hardest
fighting in Berlin took place.
The precision of the Allied bomb
ing was remarkable. Buildings were
knocked down by bombs, but there
were no holes in the broad streets
in front of them and only a few
scars on the great 1870 war memo
rial with its gigantic gilt victory
statue.
Now there is an enormous picture
Of Premier Stain at the head of the
Unter den Linden and along its
sides are portraits of him, Prime
Minister Churchill and President
Truman, painted by Russian soldiers
and artists. President Trumans pic
ture is especially good, although it
was executed in great hurry after
President Roosevelt's death and was
copied from newspaper photographs.
Russian troops are everywhere.
They sing as they march. saw one
in which each soldier was
leading a dog. The officers and men
were cordial in their greeting of
Americans and met no objection
in going anywhere in the Russian
area. Sc
All traffic was handled by Russian
women military police. They were
short, black-booted, broad-shoul-
iered blonds with rifles over their
shoulders and looked thoroughly
to handle any obstreper-
BUS soldier, Russian or American.
They direct traffic with two flags
one red and the other yellow. They
wave the latter as go-ahead
signal.
Their snappy Salutes are an aero
oatic marvel, which they execute
despite the signal flags in their
hands.
Potsdam, just outside Berlin, Of