Evening star., 1950-10-21
Facing the Red Threat in Germuny-VI
West BerIin's Reuter- Believes
His City Is Safest in Europe

East, leaving only the oldest and
most obsolete. This they were
entitled to as reparations. 1t was
one facet of German punishment
for their sheeplike acceptance of
Hitlerism.
But, as both President Theodor
Heuss and Chancellor Konrad
Adenauer emphatically assured
this reporter, the Germans have
now learned their lesson. Their
statements are borne out in West
Berlin, at least to the extent that
they want nothing of the Russian
brand of totalitarianism.
The net result has been a re-
sistance force that the Russians
have not been able to crack with
out using their own troops, which
would mean eventual atom bomb
ing Of Russian cities. But resist
ance, as Mayor Reuter- points out,
in an exclusive interview with the
North American Newspaper Al
IldIlCe, is not enough.
THE real trouble with the sit
uation In Germany and Europe is
not the Communist Party, Mr..
Reuter- says. I'VE can take care
OF the Communists If we have an
affirmative program, rather than
just negative resistance; if we
make the people see what they will
get by following our system, rather
than theirs"
Differs With West Reich.
Differences between Mr.. Reuter-
and the leaders of Western Ger
many are will known. In fighting
for Berlin, where production is
now only So per cent of prewar
compared with 106 per cent for
Western Germany, and where
there are 100000 unemployed, the
mayor has clashed repeatedly with
men with whom he has no ideol-
ogical difference regarding Com
muniSm.
They say to me, You are a
brave man. You stand up to the
Russians. If everything is all
right, We will come along,'" Mr..
Reuter- declared.
Our real trouble" he empha-
sized, "is not the Communist
Party. Our real trouble is the
weakness Of the West-weakness
OF morale, weakness of spirit
weakness of initiative, weakness of
imagination.
If Western Germany and West
ern Europe will really unite for
freedom-if not just coal and steel
but all our major industries,
strong armed forces. and our basic
political policies are all integrated
for peace, we will have peace and
a good world and the Communists
will not dare to attack us. 81
1T is lack of Imagination and
vision, the insistence of old-line
leaders on thinking in the old alb
solute, statist, nationalistic terms
that is holding us back.
THE people need something to
look forward to. We can give it tc
them by affirmative leadership
The Communists are promising it
We know that their promises are
a fraud but We dare not rest al
merely saying they are fraud
The people must see they art
going forward" -.
American officials here say MIR
Reuters personality has galvanized
the morale of West Berlin. The
well-known tendency of Germans
to follow the leader" has been re-
f1ected here. they assert, in an i'm
presSive example of what might
be done with and for Germany
with inspiring leadership that is
really democratic.
This fat man, with flabby face
and a limp, holds hundreds of
thousands of his people spellbound
when he speaks to them from a
"platz" in Berlin-spellbound not
SO much by his oratory as by his
courage and strength.
They love him." said an Amer
ican officer. IF Reuter- told them
to cross into the Soviet zone and
take the rest Of Berlin, they'd
charge in and try to tear the Rus
slams apart, arms or no arms"
(The merit article in this series
1DiH appear Monday.)