Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-02
Reds ROUNDUP
Poznan Rebels
For Big Purge
East German Border
Sealed Off,; Dead
May Reach 1000

OEINLA1Ns July VI - 1 lit
Red Polish army today sealed
of the East German border to
intercept rebel workers fleeing
from a massive police roundup in
the city of Poznan.
West German travellers arriv-
ing from Poznan, where work.
ers staged a bloody three-day
revolt last week, said the Com
munlst army has heavily rein
forced Its frontier garrisons and
Red tanks for the first time are
patrolling the Oder River.
A compilation of eyewitness
estimates received by Western
diplomatic sources in Vienna
far outstripped all previous re-
ports of casualties in Poznan.
This compilation said the dead
probably totaled CLOSE to 1000"
The Polish government has
announced that 48 we're killed
and go wounded. But Western
businessmen arriving here and
in West Germany from Poznan
estimated the deaths all the way
from 200 to 600.
24O Tanks Used
The Vienna sources said 24O
tanks were used to restore order
in Poznan.
Thousands of steel-helmeted
troops were reported blocking
highways leading west and re-
moving Polish suspects from
cars and trains.
Arrivals from the East said
closely screened automobiles and
trains are being allowed to cross
the frontier but the unprece-
; denied security precautions have
upset formal Polish traffic west
ward.
The travellers, who refused to
be quoted because of their con-
facts in the East. said a giant
purge was under way in Poznan.
Estimates of those arrested ran
as high as $500 men and women.
They have sealed off the bor-
der to catch all who might be
trying to flee westward, one
responsible woman traveller said.
Gigantic Purge Seen
Another, subStantiating the
woman's account, said The
purge seems to be taking a
gigantic size. The population
is terrorized because secret police
are haunting the streets. In
formers are everywhere. Nobody
trusts even his close neighbor. !"
The jittery Polish regime.
meanwhile. pushed a nationwide
propaganda drive in an effort
to douse any other uprisings in
advance
The Warsaw regimes propa-
ganda machine also appeared to
be preparing the Poles for a
mass purge trial of PoZnan rebel
leaders.
Adm the official East German
news agency, sand
Workers and employees Of sew
eral factories and plants in Poz-
nan staged rallies Saturday TO
express their Indignation at the
: provocation and demanded Sc
we're punishment of the gang
leaders I
The Western travellers. who
had been in PoZnan attending
the industrial fair when the re-
volt exploded Thursday morn
ing, said police questioning of
rebel suspects in the city APP
pears to be going on might and
day
They said that the death toll
from last weeks bitter fighting
is still soaring because many Of
the severely wounded are dying
IN hospitals.
The Polish radio said the
dusk to-dawn curfew has been
lifted in Poznan, but the city
apparently remained under mar
tial law.
L. $. Financing Charged
In radio broadcasts and news
papers and at factory mass
meetings, Communist officials
demanded loyalty from the
workers and promised better
living conditions.
They blamed last week S bloody
three day revolt by thousands of
Poznan workers on a United
States financed bandit under
ground
Western businessmen arriving
here from the industrial fair re-
ported Communist troops and
See REVOLT, Page AS