Evening star., 1953-09-05
By DonieI De Luce
Assoeioted Press Foreign Correspondent

Oy buHIGU OS Luce
Assoeioted Press Foreign Correspondent
SOMEWHERE IN WEST
GERMANY, Sept. 5.-Here is the
open door for Soviet nationals
who choose freedom. It is a
reception center for defectors.
The center is paid for and op-
Grated by the United States
Government. It produces de-
tailed information about condi-
tions in the Soviet Union. It
turns disillusioned Russians into
free men.
The address is not revealed
for the safety of present and
future defectors.
The reception center was
founded 2l2 years ago after the
Korean war showed how little
the American Government knew
about the Soviet empire. For
years, the United States had
been paying scant attention to
strategic human assets - men
who knew much about Red Rus
sia because they had been born
and reared there. and had worn
the uniforms of it's armed for
ces until, suddenly, they fed
West.
At one point the trickle of So
Wet fugitives nearly dried up.
The reception center set out to
change the trend.
Dozens Have Passed Through.
1t is too much to say that the
trickle is now a large flow. But
dozens have passed through the
center. 1t seems the word is
getting back to Soviet forces on
the other side of the line.
The center occupies a series
OF villas scattered through gar
dens and woods. It's American
personnel wear plain clothes and
are gifted at foreign languages,
human relationships, morale
building.
A score of rooms provide pri-
vate offices where defectors and
staff experts are paired off to
write detailed studies on the So
Wet Union as the defectors know
it.
The topics may range from the
activity at a Siberian factory to
the price of food in Tiflis and
the disposition of Soviet army
formations in Poland. Precise
data on developments inside the
U. S. S. r. are gathered with
especially keen interest. What
the West wants to know about
Russia is: Everything!
The findings are sent to
Washington, London and Paris.
Exchange of information about
the Soviet Union is on a recipro-
cal basis among the countries.
The center's responsibility is
not finished when a Soviet ma
tional exhausts his fund of in
formation. He must be helped
to a new career, protected from
Soviet reprisal, given a fresh
start.
Helped With Visas.
The center enliStS other
United States authorities in
helping him get a visa to a
country in the Americas, pre-
ferably the United States,
though Canada and Brazil are
also favored destinations.
If he had a profession in
civilian life, the center does it's
best to arrange for him to re-
sumo it. A dental officer from
the Soviet army medical corps
emigrated to one of South
Americas fastest growing cities.
If the defector is young, will
ing and single, he can join the
United States Army. Under the
alien enlistment program he
gets American citizenship in five
years. Veteran Soviet officers
of field grade rank may go to
Washington as advisers to
American defense planners.
Nobody says ."deserter" here.
The word is banned.
Any Soviet national who makes
a break for freedom is welcomed
in his own language as "chelovek
ybezhnize"-person seeking ha-
ven.
Despite secrecy. the center has
no cloak and dagger atmosphere.
1t is more like a university grad
uate seminar in the country.
The administrative headquar-
ters and brief1ng officers are in
two spacious villas. Other villas
not far away are "havens"-
temporary homes of Soviet fugi-
tiveS.
There is only one Soviet occu-
pant to a villa. He never sees
another military fugitive. His
associations are with staff per-
sonnel, headed by his case off,
Ger. But if he has brought his
sweetheart. they are not sep
arated. In due course, they visit
the nearest village mayor and
are married.
Screened for Spies.
For the first two weeks the de- |
fector undergoeS questioning to |
establish his true identity and
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