Evening star., 1950-05-06
Russians Could Profit
By Bad u. 5. Move in
Berlin on Whitsuntide
5000 Allied Troops
AIerted, Given Arms
To Suppress Disorder
By Dorothy Thompson

-
Allies are taking in anticipation
of the Whitsuntide demonstrations
planned by the East German gov
ernment for Berlin at the end of
this month are conventional meas
ures of military force. Arms have
been passed out to 5000 American,
British and French troops alerted
to suppress any disorder that may
arise during the giant Communist
and Communist demonstra-
tions. The troops will reinforce
West German police in repelling
any possible Communist raid into
the West German sector. A high
United States official has stated.
american troops will resist any
Red forced entry with machine
guns and cannon if necessary"
We are not sure what the Com
muniSt-led youth may do. The
East German press has shifted it's
ground, from predicting a real
invasion to speaking merely of
demonstrations apparently con-
fined to the Russian part of the
city.
OF course, to a Berliner, this
division is as absurd as a frontier
down Fifth avenue would be to a
New Yorker.
Demonstrate for What?
. There are no more actual Com
muniSts east of the dividing line
than west of it. Even the Free
German Youth, called on to
demonstrate, are not Communist.
This movement, originally or
ganized as non-partisan body,
included many who joined to pre-
vent its becoming all-Communist.
Then membership was made COM
pulsory. But you don't make
fanatical Communists thus.
Among them, also, are the SEN
sation-loving, adventurous and
nihilistic.
When you get 100000 youth to-
gether it is difficult to prevent
their becoming a mob.
But what will they demonstrate
for-and against?
Not for communism or Russia.
They will demonstrate against the
war preparations of the Anglo
American imperialists; for a free
united Germany; for Berlin as the
restored German capital.
Maybe they will be guarded by
the new East German Peoples
Police, uniformed German army.
Maybe Russian troops will be kept
altogether in the background. For
1t has all been organized by the
German Communists-of course,
with Russian collaboration.
Russian Aim Explained.
What is the Russian aim?
Isn't 1t clear that the aim is
to put the Western forces in the
position Of violently barring young
Germans from their own city; of
requiring the visible presence of
thousands of foreign troops to
lend color to charges of Anglo
American war preparations: and
of melting these troops to fire
upon unatmed young Germans?
submit that this is precisely
what Western troops cannot do.
All this high talk of repelling any
Red forced entry with machine
guns and cannon shows lack of
imagination. Soldiers can no more
use machine guns or cannon
against unarmed youth than the
New York police could use them
against New York students, re-
Gently demonstrating in a hood
lum manner around City Hall. Nor
can they repel with machine guns
the invasion of a mass of young
people entering another part of
their own city. to join fellow Ger
mans. some of whom will welcome
them!
:, When one shoots, one shoots a
person, not notion. Let there
be young Germans killed by allied
cannon and machine guns and
the Communist Whitsuntide cele-
bration will have been an over
whelming success. Many common
folk assisted by Communist radio
propaganda will overlook that the
Russians provoked the fracas.
They will be told that Western
occupation forces have murdered
young Germans demonstrating for
unity and against war!
e We should inform the Soviet
occupation forces that we protest
sboth the Communist and anti
Communist demonstrations in be-
rhalf of the peace of the city and
1.-The avoidance of bloodshed. The
German people should be thor
oughly informed Of our attitude.
If, nevertheless, the demonstra-
ton occurs, let it not. under any
circumstances, be guarded by
trigger-happy allied troops. Well
disciplined police forces can repel
unarmed mobs by other measures
than cannon. If anyone on either
side commits violence, he should,
OF course. be promptly taken into
custody. But strength should be
accompanied by the utmost re-
straint or we will do just what
the Russians hope.