Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-07
East Germans Open Drive
For 300,000-Mon Army

case Of war, the KVP must be
added to the Soviet military po-
tential. It's divisions could be used
elsewhere to relieve Russian or
satellite troops.
The History
The KVP celebrates June /. 1945,
as its founding day. But at that
time it was really only civil po-
lice. It's true beginning goes back
to 1913 when reliable frontier
guards were detached from the po-
lice, organized In 100-man COM
mand platoons and housed in spe-
cial barracks.
No one could qualify who had re-
latives in the West, had been in
allied prison camps. had been in
the police force before l945, or was
a refugee from the Eastern pro-
vinces-unless he could definitely
bring proof Of q Communist past.
The KvP groups cover" the
Baltic coast, the heavy industries
of Saxony. the uranium mines at
Aue. They are stationed away from
their recruiting area, so they can
be used against civilians If need
be. Even so, after the June, 1858.
uprising almost third Of the KVP
had to be mustered out as UNI
reliable.
East German armament was first
mentioned on May Day, 1852. when
President Wilhelm PECK told the
crowds in East Berlin's Marx
Engels Square that they would have
to defend their homeland If Bonn
created an army. When West Ger
many moved toward armament, the
KVP was increased in numbers to
its present 100000. Plans were
drawn UP for full scale conscrip-
ton.
On March IS. 1855. one day after
Theodor Heuss. West German
President, signed the ratification
bills on the Paris agreements,
"Neues Deutschland" chief voice Of
East German Communists. spoke
Of the call to service as a clear
cut answer to the militarists in
West Germany" The paper proph-
esied that East Germany would
be an equal partner in the Soviet
bloc"
Excluded at Worsow
Yet. the military alliance signed
by the Communist nations in War
saw last May did not include East
Germany Maybe the Soviets find it
yet little early to force the Czechs
and Poles to accept Germans as
allies, although they are continually
described as peace lovers and al
though all claims beyond the Oder
Neisse Line and to the Sudetenland
have been formally renounced.
Forty thousand men are due to
leave the KVP this year because
their three years service are up. An
intensive drive is on to get the men
to re-enlist and to find new recruits.
The goal presumably is an army of
100000 by the end Of 1856.
Social registration officers from
the Ministry of the Interior are
drawing up lists Of all males born
between 1910 and 1888 and all fe-
males born between 1914 and 1890.
Women are to replace the men
called to serve from factories Wom-
en- also will work as nurses. The
lists are drawn UP just in case con-
scription is found to be unavoid-
able. For the moment. the accent Is
still on voluntary enlistment.
How voluntary" voluntary is,
shows up in the new wave Of ref
ugees which washed over the bor-
der into West Germany during re-
cent months. OF 1850 refugees in
May, 81 per cent were under Is
years of age.
All Communist Party members
and candidates aged between IS and
% are urged to enlist. Party dis
cipline makes the call virtually
mandatory. Secondary schools try
to find applicants for officers COM
missions and threaten loss Of right
to stay at universities. Some col
leges do not grant scholarships I'M
less students enlist in the ranks
Of the KVP.
At the Medical School Of Griefs-
valid University rioting broke out
recently because undergraduates
were compelled to be members Of
the KvP during their time Of study
and to serve as physicians In the
KVP after graduation. One hun
dred and fifty were arrested.
West German army planners, al
ready harrassed by a host Of head
aches, prefer not to think Of what
they would. do in case Of German
uniflcation. The KVP with It's
well-indoctrinated men would like
" be q subversion threat Of sizable
proportions.