Evening star., 1945-04-16
Reds Take Germans
10 Russia 10 Repair
War Damaged Cities
Soviet Policy Launched
With First Transfers
From Balkan Areas
BY JOHN NJ. HIGHTOWER,
Associated Press STAFF Writer

Soviet policy declarations call
ing for transportation of Ger
mans into Russia to help clean
up and rebuild War-Wrecked
cities already have been put into
effect in the Balkans.
This became evident today from
diplomatic information reaching
here 1t disclosed that:
/. About 10000 men and women
out of the 100000 Germans in
Romania-where they fought with
and supported the Nazi armies
have been removed to the Soviet
Union. Originally Moscow wanted
to take virtually the entire 100000,
but American and Allied interven-
tion against such a wholesale trans
fer caused Russia to reconsider.
g An estimated 100000 Germans
have been removed from YugoSlavia.
Presumably they also were sent into
Russia, but Marshall Tito handled
the operation himself and refrained
from reporting on it to the Western
Allies. All that seems reasonably
we'll established is that they have
gone from Yugoslavia.
3. In addition, still another 10000
persons. who originally lived in
Bessarabia, now Russian. have been
sent back to that former Romanian
Province from Romania. They fed
/ from Bessarabia before the Red
Army. The Russian explanation for
returning them is that they are dis
placed peoples being put back into
their homes. This explanation has
been accepted here.
Signs of Shift From Hungary.
There have Deen some signs that
able bodied Germans were being
moved out of Hungary, but little
information has come through on
that. Bulgaria had little German
population to begin with. and the
Russians ran into no problem there
in that regard.
This problem of moving portions
of enemy manpoWer into Russia is
likely to be among the first diplo-
matte headaches besetting President
Truman. 1t may be high on the
agenda of any talks Mr.. Truman
may have with Russian Foreign
Commissar Molotov.
Subject Discussed at Yalta.
There is no doubt among diplo-
mats here that Russia intends to
use such manpower as she finds
desirable.
The subject came up at Yalta but
evidently without agreement. Nor
is it generally known here how
many Germans Russia would like
to import.
Shortly after Yalta the issue was
raised at a White House news con-
ference. President Roosevelt said
that after seeing the destruction of
Crimean cities he thought it might
be good idea to use Germans to
clean them up.
/ Some of Mr.. Truman's advisers
are known to be opposed to the
Russian plan, but the belief among
diplomats is that Moscow will not
be swerved from its purpose by the
Western Allies. The beginning al
ready made in the Balkans may be
taken as evidence that this is the
case.
Part of Reparations Issue.
On the other hand considerable
encouragement is felt here that
arguments presented by American
and other diplomats in the case of
the Romanian Germans evidently
helped to cut the number trans
ported.
The whole issue is part of much
broader question-that of German
Preparations. Despite the imminent
end of the war in Europe virtually
no progress has been made on this.
At last reports Isador Lubin, Pres
ident Roosevelt's choice for Ameri-
can member of the reparations COM
mission to meet in Moscow, had not
left Washington.
Since he still was here when Mr..
Truman took over at the White
House it is a question whether he
ever will get to fulfill the mission.
His assignment is understood to be
among the first and most urgent
which Mr.. Truman might want 10
review. 4