Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-09
Sound and Fury
OF Nation in FIux
MuffIed in Berlin
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
least impressed by glib talk Of
ending the ordeal through nego.
tiation with the Russians.
Skeptical Berliners.
From all indications a great
majority of Berliners favor tbs
ratification of the Paris Treatie.
and the rearmament of West
Germany. Even the Socialist
Party here plays a tune quite
different from that of DR.. Erich
Ollenhauer back in Bonn. PEG.
pie who live in the midst Of
Communist rule are strangely
skeptical of the chances Of
reaching any quick and happy
solution of the German prob.
lem. 1t isn't that hope has beer
abandoned. It's rather that the
Berliners, who have survived thu
worst features of co-existencs
with the Communists are com.
ing to the conclusion that theil
present existence is not quite
so intolerable as some politician.
would like them to believe.
For that matter, West Berlir
is enjoying something more like
prosperity than it has known
since the end of the war. Alone
the wide stretch of the Kur-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES combina.
ton Of Broadway and Fifth ave-
nue-the shops are we'll stocked
the theaters and restaurants
crowded. It's a good idea to
reserve hotel room in advance
Berlin'S night clubs and cabarets
which make the city one of the
geat entertainment centers in
Europe. are doing well.
On the more statistical side OF
things. the picture is just as
cheerful. Investments and tax
receipts are showing a healthy
upswing. AS a mark of conf
dence in the city's future. many
West German industries are set
ting up plants in Berlin. A full
f1edged building boom is in prog
ress. Even unemployment-Ber-
Inns chronic problems at an
all-time powstwar low of 10000
for the slack winter season.
Some of 1t Artificial.
There are still, of course, some
artificial aspects to this pros
perity. Berlin continues to re-
ceive substantial financial aid
from the federal republic in the
form of special tax. The av-
erage Berliner undoubtedly has
less money to spend than his
fellow citizen in Hamburg and
Frankfurt. 1t is a question OF
comparison. The average Ber-
liner knows he is better off than
he was, and very much better
off than his brothers across the
sector border in the Soviet zone
Despite a good deal of rumb-
ling from the Communists about
the dire consequences of ratify-
ing the Paris agreements, these
threats don't seem to be taken
too seriously here. There is nc
indication so far that the Reds
plan anything dramatic in the
way of reprisals against Berlin
The East German authorities, tt
be sure, have clamped down or
shipping in their sector by West
Berliners who used to take ad.
vantage Of a four-to-one rate Of
exchange on east marks anc
have stiffened the search of We
hicles passing over the sector
boundaries. But these measures
are explained by food shortages
in the Soviet zone, rather thar
as symptoms of a more sinister
sort.
In fact, from the picture-win-
dow vantage of Berlin. the situa-
ton of the Communist regime
seems pleasantly messed up. Oh.
servers here rate the attempt tt
reorganize East German indus
try as a spectacular failure. The
troubles of the Russians with
their own agricultural program
seem, if anything, to be multi
piled in this satellite. Soviet
directed efforts of collectivizatior
have had the result of turning
East Germany-once rated as
the "breadbaSket" of the nation
into an area of food shortage
requiring substantial imports tc
survive. Throughout the zone
living standards are reported to
have dropped steadily during the
past year, despite the window
dressing that came in with the
new course" of Communist pol
Icy.
Emigration to West Drops.
Balancing this, is evidence Of
apathy of the East Germans to
the Communist regime. Today
there is little talk of repetition
of the 1858 riots that brought
the Red army into action and
shook the Red puppet govern
ment to its feeble foundations
The number of refugees from the
East zone has fallen steadily
since the peak week Of June
1858, when 13,400 people passed
into West Berlin looking for
sanctuary. So far this year, the
monthly average is about $4,000
refugees. most of whom cross
the zonal border into West Ger
many on visitors permits anc
simply forget to return.
Those who come, however
provide an interesting basis on
which to eyaluate Communist
threats to remilitarize their zone
in the face of West German re-
armament. Among the refugees
today, one half are under Is
years old. An additional third
are between the ages of 25 and
As. And sailed into each monthly