The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-06-18


to West Berlin police rumors -
entirely unconfirmed-that Red po-
lice also had shot and killed q
rioters in Magdeburg yesterday,
and that similar riot strikes
against the Communist govern
ment erupted in Dresden, Chemnitz
Dessau and Brandenburg.
Ten thousand Soviet armored
troops encircled Berlin's Russian
occupied sector, some pointing
their guns westward, others direct
ing their ominous attention toward
the East Germans.
The Communists Radio Berlin
repeated over and over that the
cyclonic outburst yesterday of 50,-
900 workers against the Red re-
gime-put down only by Soviet in
tervention-was steamed up by
western agents"
The same charge was hurled by
Mosccw's Communist party news
paper Pravda and Red organs
elsewhere.
Western anti Communist reaction
to the riots also was generally uni
form. In Washington, Bonn and
other Western capitals the outbreak
was viewed generally as a damag-
ing blow to Soviet claims of Great
ing a workers paradise, monkey
wrench in the new Red peace
offensive, and a powerful spur to
pressure for unification of Ger
many.
Washington sources, citing re-
ports of similar recent unrest in
CzechosIovakia and Bulgaria, said
it looked like Russia's hold on East
Europe may be slipping even more
than the West had hoped.
The Red Berlin radio announced
the names of IS youngsters under
20 who it said had been arrested
in connection with the wild dem
onstrations. The broadcast identi-
fled the youths as Western agents
and listed all but two as Soviet
zone residents.
The Reds also commended that
the general strike which paralyzed
the Eastern sector Of the city yes
terday had ended. IAN patriotic
workers are back on their jobs, I"
it declared.
Gunfire that ripped along the
East-West zonal frontier in the
heart of the city from yesterday
noon into last night died down
early today.
| Apparently Russian riflemen shot
down several hundred Germans,
but the exact casualty toll was
impossible to pin down. The Ger
man Red Cross identified Is bodies
in West Berlin hospitals as riot gun
shot victims. There, also, we're 119
wounded, some In serious condi-
ton.
How many lay dead or wounded
! in the Soviet rome could not be
| determined.
The heavy hand Of Soviet martial
law gripped the city's Eastern
sector. Uneomprom.sing Russian
sentries blocked every main from
tier point. Behind them stood tanks,
armored cars and mobile guns.
The Russians rushed a full tank
division into the sector. with the
last elements biyOuaeking in East
Berlin about 1 a. IN. today. Soviet
officials clamped a blockade co the
highway linking West Berlin with
West Germany 10 keep the roads
clear for the fsSt.m0ving Soviet
division. The blockade was lifted
at 5 q. m. and all transit traffic
on the West Berlin lifeline again
rolled normally.
The Russians booted into ohscur-
lty the East Berlin Communist
police who so sigaalIy failed TO
keep order yesterday. Soviet az
thorlgles hlanketed the Eastern sec
tor wi1h their own ewauers. teamed
up wsth Red German armed units
hroagst u from @etp Ia the East
zone.
In tee Western seetnrs AZ the
city, American. BRUSH ard Erpnea
troops were held 1t top alert la Else
background, ready to jump into
aAy eGneFssncy tso big for the West
Esfsla police to hAn@le. TIE latter
raashtslaes TIER eossoas a the
lSISsoE hofeser 10 keep the4r pss4.e