Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-06
Reds Gestapo
JaiIs Germans.
Calling for Vote
Secret Police Sent
Into Action; MoIotov
Plan Sparks Trouble
BY III. A.seeie,.d Pres.

BERLIN, Feb. Cutlery Red
,GeStapo agents moved into
major industrial plants in the
Russian zone today with orders
to grab any German who de-
mands free elections and clap
him into jail.
Chief Ernest Wollweber issued
the decree to his secret police
to smash a wave of unrest that
started as soon as Soviet Foreign
Minister v. M. Molotov stalled
the Big Four parley on German
unif1cation.
In one area scores were re-
ported arrested, bringing to 200
the estimated total of those
seized recently.
Fearful Of another June II,
the East German Communist
regime girded its forces to avoid
the embarrassment Of an out
break at this critical time. 1t
was clear the Russians were
leaving this policing job to their
zonal underlings.
Troop Moves Discounted.
RumorS sped thick and fast
that the Soviet army, which
shattered last June'S workers
uprising. had moved again as a
precautionary measure. Thorough
checking by Western agencies
in position to make such checks
indicated the rumorS were false.
It was learned that several
Red army housekeeping units
have been shifted around on the
Berlin perimeter in the past
week, particularly in the Potsdam
and Babelsberg areas. This was
described by Western informants
as purely routine maneuver
which did not bring one Red
army soldier closer to East Bel
lin than he was a week before.
There were no tanks involved.
The impression was given that
the Russians trust the $50, 900
East German Communist regu-
lar police. militarized police, and
security agents to handle any
ruckus for the moment. Mr..
Molotov told the Big Four yester-
day measures had been taken
to prevent another June II,
which he blamed on Outside
powers reference to charges
that American and other West
ern agents had steamed UP the
rebellion.
The Wollweber order came
after disturbances were reported
in factories at Gera, Dresden.
Chemnitz. the Leuna chemical
works at Merseburg and the coal
mines at Oelsnitz. Only yester-
day. German informants said. a
Communist rally at Leuna was
shouted down by workers who
stamped. whistled and shouted:
"Freie Wahlen" Gree cleo
tionS).
AgitatOrs Get Orders.
Thereupon. the ruling Social
ist Unity (Communist) Party
distributed a memorandum to all
its agitation groups, which con-
tanned two directiveS:
/. Continue with the factory
rallies to line up signatures for
German unification on Mr..
Molotov's plan, which would en-
trench communism.
z. AS soon as any worker
shouts for free elections. he is
to be arrested Immediately or
reported for prosecution as a
"saboteur, warmonger and en-
envy of the state"
Reliable German informants
said Eastern secret police
swooped into the big radio trans
mltter area of KoenigSwuster-
hansen outside Berlin and Jailed
scores Of persons who had turned
Communist rallies into wrangles
by aSSaillng Mr.. Molotov's block
ade Of free German unification
in the Big Four conference.
Together with previous arrests.
the total number jailed is now
estimated at 200.
Border Guards Stricter.
Communist frontier guards.
where the Soviet sector of Ber-
lin and the West sectors touch.
have adopted slightly stricter
measures in the past "a hours.
The guards now halt Western
press automobiles to check on
identity cards. Until yesterday
these peoples police gave only
curSory glances and waved
through vehicles bearing press
stickers on the windshield. Their
attitude is not as friendly or
courteous as it had been, but
is still more or less correct.