The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-08-27

German people, Mr.. Putnam
] says. Nothing is wasted, no litter
mars the highways. "They have
a use for everything. They even
sell old newspapers"
i The Putnams found the people
congenial and peace loving. THE
| average German had no more to
do with starting the war than
did the average American" says
Mr.. Putnam. ''The thing they
want most now is chance to
raise their families and live their
lives in peace. Occasionally Mr..
Putnam found a German who
carried a grudge, open or cover
ed, against Americans but he
considers that natural. The Ger
mans have a respect for what
Hitler did for them-he elimi-
mated for time the old problem
of the Germans, unemployment
but they realize that he led
them into the devastating war.
Their four years abroad is an
experience the Putnams value
highly. Attending an Army de-
| pendents school with other
American youngsters, Lynwood
Jr. learned to speak German like
a native.
In addition to Germany, the
Putnam's week end and summer
trips carried them to IA coun-
tries. Snooksie, their tortoise
shell cat, pads by with an arro-
gance that lets you know she has
travelled all over Europe!
Of all the countries that they
visited, the Putnams prefer
Scotland and Ireland. Mrs. Put
mans adds a word for sunny
Italy and the rivera. The Ger
man climate they found too cold
and damp. ''In all our four
years." says Mrs. Putnam, Ger.
many had two hot days. And my
son and l were in Italy on those
two days!"
The final trip of their stay was
to Berlin at Easter. Here they
found the nearness of the Rus
slams and the feeling of being
surrounded by them depressing.
Berlin, in eastern German, is
reached only by crossing the
Russian zone. Once inside the
city, the French, British and
American zones are separated
from the surrounding Russian
territory by barbed wire. I'm the
western sectors, say the Put
mans, every road out event
ually comes to a dead end OF
barbed wire"
Once the third largest city in
the world, they describe Berlin
as being gradually smothered by
the Russians. No one may enter
without having his papers in
spected by the Russians and west
Berlin industry is being choked
by the marrying action of the
Russians. They constantly hold
up transportation out of the city
by one ruse or another, says Mr..
Putnam. They will claim that
bridge is out or that it will carry
only a certain tonnage, holding
up, sometimes, hundreds OF
trucks.
The Putnams remark on the
vast ruins of Berlin. Remarkable
amounts of clearing up have
been done in the western sectors.
New store fronts are seen
everywhere on the bombed out
buildings. No comparable work
has been done in the Russian
sector, they say. There the rub
bic from the streets has been
pushed into vacant lots and the
only rebuilding has been done
on Russian government build
ings.
"We went into the Russian
sector on Easter Sunday morn
ing" says Mrs. Putnam. 1--WE saw
no people dressed up or walking
about on the streets, only an ac-
casional Russian soldier"
Despite our closeness to the
Russians-their zone was only
40 miles from where we lived
we felt no fear" Mr.. Putnam
says. eve discussed it less than
people do here"
Probably that was because OF
the nearness of Am er C n
troops" adds his wife. 'We had
the feeling that with so many OF
them near nothing could happen
to US" *
Everywhere, say the Put
mans, "our dominant impression
of the German people was their
fear of the Russians. They have
no desire for accommodating
things; they only want to earn
enough to live and eat. They fee
that should they acquire any
thing the Russian invasion will
come and sweep it all away
Those who are closest to the
Americans have a calm convic-
I n