Evening star., 1948-07-02
Russian Use Of Cabs
Curbed in Leipzig 10
Reduce Desertions
Second OF a Series.)
By Curt Riess
,rth American Newspaper Alliones

railroad as often as possible. In
the first place, conditions on Ger
man railroads in the eastern zone
are nearly impossible. Into an old
fashioned compartment, where eight
people are supposed to sit, between
20 and 80 are crammed and stand
there for hours on end. Often
enough, I wondered whether Il
would come out of such COM
partment alive. I did-but a few
hours Of this almost finish you for
the rest of the day.
Since the Russians have taken
away and presumably transported
to Russia every double track, trips
which used to take two hours now
lake FIVE and six as trains stop at
every station to wait for another
train to pass.
Special Permit Needed.
In order to travel in the Red
zone, you have to get a special
permit. Such a permit can only
be had from the proper authorities
after standing in line for hours
and after proving to them that
your trip is really necessary. This
involves time and great number
of papers which I could not always
furnish. Even il you get your per.
nit, you have to stand in line for
another hour or so in order to get
your ticket-if you get it--because
often trains are simply sold out
'meaning that they are filled to
three times their capacity.
Whenever it was possible, I ar
ranged to ride a truck from one
city to the next. This could be
usually done with the help of few
cigarettes. incidentally, while I did
not dare carry an American-made
pencil or an American-manufac-
tured handkerchief with me, I was
amply provided with American Gig
arettes. They are the best money
In Russian occupied territory, too.
The truck driver I took trip with
through the greater part Of Thu
ringia-let us call him Schwartz
was about so years of age. For the
first 10 miles he was unwilling to
talk to me because. How the hell
do I know who you are?" Later the
ice began to melt.
Former Taxi Driver.
Schwartz told me that for many
years he had been a taxi driver,
owning his own car. He and others
like him pooled their resources about
a year after the end of the war and
formed the Autoruf (taxi call sta
tom in Leipzig. This institution
is provided by military government
with gasoline in order to furnish
necessary transport to Russian off,
GERS and to German businessmen in
/whose affairs the Russians have an
.interest.
; Things used to be pretty bad"
Schwartz told me. During the first
year, five of our chauffeurs disap-
peared. They were probably mur-
sdered. And many Of us lost our
> cars. I am one of them. The Rus
slams are not so bad. But when they
are drunk. they are terrible. You
have no idea what they can do
then
He told me that the Russian kom-
mandatura in Leipzig had decided
that no Russian-no matter of what
rank-was allowed to leave town in
n taxi. except with a travel order
countersigned by the military COM
mander of Leipzig. Evidently they
hoped to stop or at least render more
difficult the wholesale deSertionS.
Reds Threats Recalled.
But what are you to do when
they stick their guns into your
back?" Schwartz asked. "Inci-
dentally, it is not only us they
threaten. 1t has happened many
times that I had high-ranking
officer in my taxi and that two
drunken soldiers opened the door
and threw the officer out and
ordered me to drive them some
place or other"
He told me how he lost his taxi.
Il was driving with two Russian
officers. They were nice they talked
to me; they gave me to eat and to
drink Then suddenly they had
guns in their hands. They forced
me to get out of the car and walk
to a nearby wood. I thought they
were going to shoot me, but they
just drove away.
"A few days later, I recognized
one OF them in the streets OF Leip-
zig. I reported him to the kom-
mandatura. The next day was
called in and I saw my man hand
cuffed. his head shaven. I was
told that he would get Is years In
Siberia. When I asked If I could
get nv car back, the officer became
impatient. You should have known
that this man is a crook he said.
! did not get my car back"
We were driving over the almost
deserted autobahn. Right and left
here were fields and the driver COM
mented on the fully ripening grain
Innkeepers and their help looked
Just as haggard as the city people.
They shrugged. explaining over and
over again that they did not have
anything to eat themselves.
Expects War Again Soon.
One innkeeper, an old man with
twinkling eyes behind thick glasses,
told me with a straight face: There
is an old saying in these parts that
the east wind Is a wind Of hunger
Well. I always say, there is moth
ing like the good old wisdom of
our forefathers"
When one reads the newspa pers
thoroughly" the innkeeper said, Il
mean, If one reads between the
lines, you cannot help feeling that
but let my wife tell you
what I said to her this morning."
He said. It's going to start
again." the wife remarked dryly.