Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-15
John Accomplish Tells
Of Dramatic Escape
BY HENDRIX BONDE-
HENDRIKSEN


MANY, Dec. l5.-It was De-
cember IL In Berlin. The hour
was 4:52 pm. Behind us was
~the Brandenburg gate. / was
driving slowly towards the West
Berlin customs control post.
=. At my side in the car sat DR..
Otto John. slightly disguised
with glasses and a pipe. He had
my muiticolored scarp tied close
" around his neck and the hat
was deep over his forehead.
1t was bitterly cold and the
freezing customs officers who
recognized my car waved me
through. No scrutinizing glance
was thrown into the car where
the passenger was courageously
putting on the pipe.
CLOSE by the victory column
| stopped. Tears were streaming
down Dr.. Johns cheeks.
Nightmare is Over"
"How wonderful that this
nightmare is over" he said in
a mufied voice. II couldn't stand
1t much longer. If we had been
caught l was just hoping for a
chance to commit suicide"
/ asked DR.. John what actually
happened on July 20, 1854, the
day when he left the West. He
told this story:
Gould any of my friends be-
lieve that I had passed the Sec
tor line voluntarily? Around 8
pm, I visited DR.. Wohlgemuth
at his Uhlandstrasse clinic. He
had promised to obtain a PEN
sion for a widow of one of the
executed men who had resisted
the Nazis. During the war
Wohlgemuth had helped my
brother who was later executed.
IT had tea with 'Wowo,' as we
called him. Later We were to go
to another apartment he had in
West Berlin. On the way he
was to contact a person who
should help this widow.
Given Injections
what happened after that
time l don't know. woke up
two days later in Karlshorst.
There was a woman doctor at
my bed. And there were Soviet
intelligence agents around. I
was given an injection and later
another one. My head was not
clear. think there is Mexican
plant poison -.
After the August II press
conference in East Berlin I did
a thing that / had been told /
must not do. I went down among
the newspapermen and whis-
pered to Seton Delmer Of the
Oondonl Daily Express: 1T
stinks horribly here
AT that time l. honestly be-
lieved that I was free to go back
to West Berlin when the press
conference was over. But Soviet
agents cordoned me of. I was
softly pushed back and immedi-
ately after the conference was
TOWN to- Moscow.
Here / was detained for a
couple of weeks and I was almost
questioned to death. I didn't dis
close any secrets but. naturally,
had to keep talking and telling
things. I have never been good
at remembering names. Fortu-
nately so. Then ! was two
months on the Crimea. Twelve
months ago yesterday was back
in East Berlin and placed under
surveillance of the East German
security service"
Correction Explained
Otto John began to tremble all
over. He asked if We would reach
Tempelhof in time. / told him
that two seats were reserved in
the 5:45 plane, one for DR.,
Fischer lotto john and another
for DR.. Vogel (Bonde- Hendrix
SEM and that we would be in
time.
Let me disclose some facts
about my connection with DR.
John.
On day ! had lunch with DR.
John in the Friedrichstrasse East
German Press Club. The SUBJ
jects we discussed we're the po-
litical situation. the chances OF
German Identification. etc. !
considered his views somewhat
out of proportion and deliber-
ately avoided anything that had
to do with his personal affairs.
had a feeling that something
was wrong. I expected that he
would let me know when he
found the situation ripe fol
whatever he had in mind.
Allowed to Return
At a meeting with State Sec
rotary DR.. Strauss, from the
Federal Ministry of Justice.
asked him what would happen II
DR.. John reappeared in West
Germany. Well aware that
often saw John. DR.. Strauss
said:
Tell him that he can return
without risk. He will probably
not be arrested but, naturally
we shall have questions to ask.
1 passed the message on tc
DR.. John.
1t was about that time thai
I found out that DR.. John wa:
being Swallowed by Communist
agents. One night. when We
had met for a quick drink before
a party to which we both were
invited, ! asked him If / coulc
give him a lift in my car.
Are you crazy" he said. 1--WE
will have to ask the permission
of my bodyguard."
DR.. John took me over to {
black automobile. I asked thu
tUo agents there IL he colllt