Evening star., 1948-07-20
Berlin Unemployment
May Take Sharp Jump
due 10 Red Blockade
By John P. Leococos

North American Newspaper Altiupee
Rim. July 20-The Berlin
crisis will grow worse before it gets
better, according to Allied COM
manders in this beleaguered capital
They agree wryly that the Russians
undoubtedly will give the wise an
other twist before they decide sud-
denly to let go-amid great hosan-
nahs. of self-praise at their own
moderation"
Right now the most pressing anx-
iety in the western sectors is the
imminent prospect of sharply rising
unemployment among the 2,2Q0 900
Germans under Allied care. No work
plus little food will need even less
Communist sparkling than usual to
set of real trouble.
Already there are nearly 100000
jobless in the western sectors. This
figure is attributed, first to the nor
NAL pre-blockade lack of work; Sec
ond, to the deflationary effects OF
currency reform; third, to the lay
offs caused by the shutdown of pow
er to factories.
Latest drastic slash in coal i'm
ports, to a minimum of 1,780 tons a
day, just enough to operate sewage,
gas and water facilities, is expected
to triple the jobless figure within a
few weeks.
Public Works Planned.
Allied plans for a public works
program, specifically the most super
fetal of WPA-type made work. may
take the sting out of unemployment
for a certain number.
However, the currency reforms
(both Allied and Russian have
made money tight as never before
Thus, mere relief enthusiastically
so per cent of ordinary wages-can-
not be enough to allow the Berliner
to scrounge in the black market, as
he used to, for that extra slice of
bacon that made life bearable. He
just doesn't have that kin of money
nowadays.
The swift Allied arrangements in
reply to the Russian blockade,
topped by the unprecedented air
lift, also is costing the Russians
real money, it might be noted.
When the Russians shut off the
fresh milk supply to $500 German
babies, they also stopped getting
white flour in payment. In fact,
the Americans are sitting on $4,000
tons of Russian-owned -four found
in the American sector.
Russians Lost Power.
/ Again, when the Russians stopped
power to the western areas, they
also lost in return OBS kilos Ca kilo
is % pounds of coal that the west
gave for every kilowatt hour of
power supplied. The United States
had been supplying half of 250,00o
kilowatts used for the elevated rail-
way. But no longer. The Russians
have to foot the entire bill.
But the Russians have several
ways to skin the Allied-German cat
In their warehouses they have piled
up more than 100000 pieces of Ger
man mail. Berlin is the traditional
clearing house for commercial pay
ments for all Germany. At one
stroke the Russians now have para
lyzed all trade movement between
the Allied and Soviet zones of Ger
many, on which the most elemental
German economic activity depended
Meanwhile, Russian propaganda
never stops. The Soviet puppet
press rubS it In that the Russians
nave the Allies over a barrel. They
point out-and with truth-how
humiliating it must be to be forced
to fly into Berlin, and at a pretty
penny, instead of walking in. The
anti-Hitler Germans rage at the
Russians but the rest are watchfully
waiting or apathetic as usual even
though the precision and might OF
the American air lift does evoke
admiration. And time after time
the Russian controlled press re-
peats: What can the Americans dc
about it? Nothing! Unless they
criminally want to start another war
Red Tricks Continue.
Neither do Russian tricks abate
The latest is to make false fire and
police alarms from the Soviet sector
Apparatus arrives from the western
sectors. The Soviet-appointed safe
ty official apologies, says it was a
test call" The Allies have stopped
answering calls for fear that fire
equipment or police cars will be con-
fscated.
"The technical difficulties" Of the
railroad have been proved non
existent both by British air recon-
naissance and by military intelli-
gence. The repairs on the high
way bridge over the Elbe River at
Magdeburg consist of some torn-up
planks which any Army engineers
in the world could have repaired
in 48 hours.
The next step forseen is check
points within Berlin itself. Rus
sian-spread rumors already hint 1t
may be necessary" Germans liv-
ing in the western sectors but work
ing in the Soviet sector will be
thrown out of work. And that will
bring everybody closer to the shows