Evening star., 1945-06-03
Reds Surprise Germans
By 'KidGl0ve' Treatment
Help and Kindness, in Marked Contrast to Hard.
boiled American Attitude, Turns Tide of
Refugees Back Toward Berlin
Bv Constantine Br0zpn

expected to be set up in Berlin soon
in accordance with the Yalta agree
ments
This committee will not represent
government of the Reich, as was gener-
ally believed. It's role will be to CO.
ordinate the various actions of the
armies of occupation so that there will
be some semblance of unity in the treat
ment of the defeated enemy. At present
the deputy military governor of the
area occupied by the American forces
is dealing with the civil population ac-
cording to the instructions set up in
Washington 18 months ago, while the
Russian governor of the area east of
the Elbe River is handling the Germans
on instructions from Moscow which are
much more lenient
When and if this central committee
will be established, depends on the de-
cision of the Big Three. But even if it
is formed in the near future, it will not
interfere with plans Moscow is reported
to have concerning the setting up of a
government in Berlin by the Free Ger
many Committee which was organized
in Moscow in August, l943.
The handling of the German popu-
lation by the Russian army with kid
gloves" is considered by American and
British observers as preliminary prep
aration for the acceptance of the Free
Germany Committee by all the Ger
nf nj
occupation they happen to reside at
present.
Russian Policies Changed.
While the German armies were still
fighting in the east, their forces in the
west had surrendered to the Americans
and the British. The fighting in and
around Berlin was considered by many
as holding operation" to permit as
many German soldiers and civilians as
possible to flee the Russians and sur
render to the Western Allies. There
was a panic among all the Germans
at the thought that they would be
placed under Russian orders. The
Goebbels propaganda led them to be-
lieve that all able-bodied men and
women would be deported to Siberia.
This belief was shared by many highly
placed Americans and British who
thought after the Yalta Conference that
Premier Stain intended to make the
Germans not the collaborators but the
slaves of the U. S. S. r. The fact that the
Russian Premier insisted that so many
millions should be placed at his dis
posal to reconstruct in Russia, confirmed
this belief. The Allies, in order to dove
tail their policies with the policy they
thought would be followed by Russia
issued orders to treat the people in
Western Germany harshly.
But the Russians apparently changed
their plan. Instead of treating the
enemy severely they became kind and
humane within 4S hours after the sur
render of Berlin.
1t. Gen. Berzarin, the Russian COM
mander of the Berlin area, went out
of his way to show the German people
that Russia was the enemy of Hitler
and his personal adherents but had no
hostile feeling toward the rank and
file of the good German "burghers."
People Treated Kindly
Soon after the last Nazi soldier sur
rendered, Berlin was divided into 20
military zones, each under the COM
mand of Russian officer. The dazed
citizens who came out of the cellars
needed food, clothing and place to live.
They approached the Russian military
"commandants" timidly, but to their
surprise, found that they were kind and
helpful. Because of the large number
of civilians who desired assistance and
advice, Gen. Berzarin issued orders that
the Offices of the 20 zones remain open
to the public for "a hours each day.
When several carloads of real coffee
arrived to be distributed to the civilian
populations luxury which only the
top-fight Nazis had enjoyed in the last
six years-Gen. Berzarin stated that as
far back as April 25, Premier Stain
showed such solicitude for the German
people that he had taken steps to have
food and even such luxury as coffee
rushed into Berlin as soon as Hitler was
destroyed.
The general added that one of the
chief concerns of the Premier was the
welfare of the Berliners and other Ger
mans in the Russian area of occupation
and that he had ordered daily reports
sent to Moscow to keep him posted about
reconstruction work which has already
started as result of close collabora-
ton between the civilians and the Rus
sian authorities.
Radio Sets Being Rushed.
Within "a hours after the fall of Ber-
lin a newspaper was published in Ber-
lin, and today there are several which
are printing news stories about the past
fighting and other items of general in
terest.
In order to propagandize the German
people, tens of thousands of cheap radio
sets are now being manufactured in
Leningrad and rushed to Germany. The
paper shortage has not yet been over
come, but the Russian Politbureau is
anxious to have the Germans hear all
the news of the world as transmitted
from the Moscow and other Soviet
broadcasting stations. BY means of
loud speakers installed in many of the
main thoroughfares of Berlin and other
cities in the Russian zone of occupa-
ton, the Germans are already listening
to reports which tell the story of the
Russian efforts to bring Germany back
voted against the extension of Service
Act in August, 1941.
The Anderson record was far from be.