Evening star., 1948-11-30
Reds Set Up Berlin Government
In Soviet Sector> Claiming Rule Of
Entire City; Ebert's Son Is Mayor
Action Completes
Eost-West Split
Of Former Capital
By the kssoeioied Press

BERLIN, Nov. 30.-The Com
munists set up a hand-picked
puppet government for Berlin
today, completing the city's
East-WeSt division.
Unwilling to risk the results of a
popular election, the Communists
called meeting of carefully selected
leaders. This meeting by a show OF
hands elected a Mayor and a
Magistrat executive administra-
tom claiming jurisdiction over the
whole city.
This action by the Russian-backed
Communists came as the United
Nations considered a compromise
proposal on currency which could
lead to lifting of the Soviet blockade
of Western Berlin.
The Communist move in the Soviet
sector made it virtually Impossible
for any agreement on currency to be
carried out. The currency dispute
is a key to the Berlin crisis. The
Soviet Union now is in the position
of making gesture in Paris toward
settling the Berlin crisis while spon-
soring actions in Berlin which would
make any agreement reached in
Paris impossible of achievement.
Ebert Elected Mayor.
The Communists named Friedrich
Ebert, namesake son of the first
Weimar Republic president, as
mayor" of all Berlin.
Ebert promptly declared that the
elections set for Sunday in the
Western sectors were null and void.
The Communists have refused to-
take part in the regularly scheduled
elections for all Berlin, remember
ing their defeat in 1916, and have
ordered their followers to boycott
the voting in the Western sectors.
After the meeting proclaimed
new city government, the demon
stration spilled out into the Soviet
sector of the city. Some 100000 per-
sons from factories and stores
which were shut down-marched
along Unter Den Linden, where Hit
ler's troops once paraded.
The regularly elected anti-Com-
munist city government, driven
from City Hall in the Soveit sector
by Communist demonstrators, has
been sitting in Western Berlin.
Acting Mayor to Keep Office.
Ferdinand Friedensburg, Chris
tan Democrat who is the acting
mayor of the elected anti-Commun-
ist government, said of the Com
munist meeting:
That was no election, but a pri-
vate action by irresponsible ele-
ments. I have no intention OF Civ
ing UP my Office. as doing SO would
be a violation of my constitutional
oath. These men (the Communists)
are making themselves guilty OF IL
legally assuming Offices and should
be tried under - the penal
code"
Kurt Mattick, deputy chairman of
the Berlin Social Democrats, saio
"The people of Berlin will give their
answer to this peoples democracy
operetta' in next Sundays election.
The officials picked by the Commu-
nists are of no consequence and in
capable of filling such positions.
That so-called government will be
able to function only where it is
supported by foreign bayonets."
Red Stops Friedensburg.
AS Mayor Friedensburg tried to
leave his Office in the City Hall,
which is in the Russian sector, a
German Communist policeman
barred his way and insisted on
searching his briefcase. The police
said he wanted to be sure the mayor
was not removing any city records" j"
Mr.. Friedensburg refused to sub
init to search. He invited the police
man to come into his private office
to talk it over. When the mayor
emerged, he said he had not been
searched and was permitted to leave.
The big Communist outdoor DEM
onstration heard speeches from lead
ers who came over from the rump
government meeting. Large sections
of the chilled crowd dispersed be-
fore the speeches endeo. Inc croWo
appeared to have been in low spirits
from the start.
"Rump Government" Clay Says.
Gen. Lucius D. Clay, American
military governor, called the Com
munist slate "rump government" t."
Gen. Clay made the comment at
Frankfurt, where he was hoping to
leave tonight for Berlin despite the
heavy fog which halted all flying
during the day.
The American commander said,
"It is amazing that this new Com
munist) government should be
creating itself to replace an elected
government when it has an oppor-
tunity to vote on December So
Regarding Ebert, Gen. Clay said:
"I think Ebert is doing an awful