Evening star., 1952-09-08
Soviet Recruits German Plane Experts s.
By jones WokefieId Burke

By james Wakefield Burke
ID ERLN-One of the most photo
ID graphed figures In the world un-
doubtedly is the Red Army guard who
stands in front of the Russian Victory
Monument, just inside the British Sec
tor of Berlin. Every day American sight
seeing buses diSgorge dozens Of people
with cameras who make pictures of the
soldier, standing with burp-gun at the
ready, before the gigantic monument.
But, until recently, photographs were
made from long distance.
The guide reminds tourists to 'stay
at least 10 feet from the Russian SOL
der" The guard walks away when
cameras appear, turning his back, or
disappearing behind the column of the
monument Until recently, that is.
Lately there has been a change. The
Red soldier will smile, stand still for
all the pictures you want. On a recent
Sunday. when an unusually large group
of tourists began swapping his picture.
he posed while the crowd moved in.
One bold tourist, carrying his infant
child in his arms. moved in so close
that the baby grabbed the barrel Of
his tommygun. The Russian smiled and
cooed at the baby. It was prize shot.
and made a very favorable impression
on the sightseers. who echoed Good
joel" Hes a good sport. isn't he?" etc.
What is behind this?
There can be no doubt that the Rus
slams have ordered their guards to put
their best feet forward. This corre-
he okf fvN al
sinki. at the Olympic games.
There are indications Of friendly"
attitude on the part of Russians all
over Europe, but it does not mean that
the Reds have come to their senses.
It seems more likely part Of world
wide plan to lull the West into sense
Of false security.
While the friendly" guard is smiling,
posing and cuddling American babies.
and while the Russians are standing on
the platform of the Potsdam agree
ments, which calls for full cooperation
with the other occupying powers. the
Russian Zone national army is feverish-
ly being modified. More recently, the
airplane industry in the Russian zone
was revived. This is the key industry
for which the Potsdam agreement de-
manded complete determination.
The Junkers plant in Dessau, dis
mantled in 1945-46, is buzzing with
activity. Eastern Zone agents are wide
spread in Western Germany hiring eX-
perts and airplane craftsmen for this
new industry. sponsored by the Russian
controlled East German government.
The Junkers plant was founded by
Prof. Hugo Junkers during World War
I. At this early date he developed
the then revolutionary all-metal plane.
the F-13. In 1919 he had readied the
first all-metal passenger plane.
Prof. Junkers is dead. He died an
embittered old man, at odds with Adolph
Hitler, in 1885.
His factories went on. however, pro-
ducing the famous Stuka dive-bombers
which terrorized Poland and the Low
lands, the larger JU SIS and many
other powerful planes. Most important
of all are the thousands of experts
and technicians his plants produced.
This industrial talent the Russians are
trying to foregather in Dessau.
At this time. the Bonn government
afirms that there are more than 1000
airplane specialists living in Germany,
idle. with, no immediate jobs in their
professional field in prospect. The Rus
SLAMS are sending Communists from
|. Eastern Germany to recr0lt these men.
who are eager to put their heads and
hands to their chosen work.
It is known that many Of these men
and women have gone to Eastern Ger
many to work in newly opened airplane
and airplane-related plants.
West German officials, alarmed over
the situation, have begun action to
counteract this movement. So far.
however, all that has been done Is
the creation of a commission to study
the Communist method of getting the
Western experts.
Most of the Eastern ''envoys" are air.
plane experts themselves. They come
into the West posing as refugees from
behind the Iron Curtain. They look
up their old airplane-worker pals, who
usually are unemployed and hungry for
work.
The refugees" tell of the booming
plants in the East and Of special bene-
fits offered for experts from the West.
Also, from their old pals living in the
West, they get acquainted with other
unemployed airplane workers. Soon the
to venture into the East to "take look" I"
Unfortunately, the West German
committee studying the situation can
only send representatives to warn the
unemployed experts. At this time they
cannot offer them employment.
AS in many other fields, the East
seems to be ahead of the West again in
building a better mousetrap for the
Germans. The Russians started build
ing and experimenting with gliders while
the West still banned all such activities.
AS a result, Eastern Germany today is
far ahead in the postwar airplane
business.
The greatest deterrent keeping the
West German airplane people from go
ing over to the East is the intellectual
reluctance of the Germans to work for
the Russians. This barrier was not
implanted in the minds of the Germans
by the American re-educators, but by
the powerful propaganda of man long
dead-Dr. Joseph Goebbels.
Goebbels. following the dictates OF
IT, IT,