Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-31

one OF Tn egr0upS w0rkin
necessarily limited goals is an
association Of lawyers who live
In this free island Of West Berlin,
but practice" in Communist
Germany.
They call themselves "Freni-
heitlicher Juristen," or Free
Jurists. Their volunteered Job
Is to help the East Germans beat
the rap Of Soviet imposed in
justice and to help assure that
the willing tools of the Russians
don't beat the rap.
The 70-man staff Of the Free
Jurists has q group of offices in
the American sector of, Berlin.
More than 200 clients come there
every day, people who have
crossed from the Soviet zone Of
Germany into the free Western
area Of Berlin. The Free Jur-
lists. Of course. don't dare 60 to
their clients; it would mean i'm
prisonment or death for one of
these lawyers to step into Com
munist Germany.
Examples Of Work
Here's how this unique law
practice works:
A farmer from the East zone,
for instance. can't meet his pro-
duction quota. He goes to West
Berlin to ask the Free Jurists If
he should abandon his farm and
flee to the West or If he should
stay with his farm and face inn
prisonment. The Free Jurists
are in possession Of secret Com
munist directives laying out
new circumstances under which
q farmer may fail ON mis- quota,
but still not be punished. The
farmer is told now to shape his
defense to Mt the new DEGREES,
and he Is sent back to his farm.
A peoples Judge" from the
East zone comes to the Free
Jurists with the information
that the Communist Party has
ordered him to convict a BUSH
nessman illegally and order his
property seized. How can he get
around the party order? The
Free Jurists find an "out" for
the judge. based on the Soviet
zone constitution. Secret de-
crees. knowledge Of weak points
In the character If the ridges
superiors - and all neatly
wrapped up In perfect Commu-
nist-type reasoning.
An East Zone shopkeeper has
been presented with q ruinous
tax bill. He comes to the Free
Jurists with all his records and
they show him how the Commu-
nists' own rules can be used to
cut the bill down to manageable
proportions.
Inc Free JuristS have found
1t logical to branch out in many
directions from this Job Of Civ
ing legal advice.
Keeps File on Crimes
The group maintains an in
formation file on crimes and
criminal officials Of the East
Zone. Some $4,000 names Of Red
Zone functionaries and their
documented crimes against the
people are kept on file.
Private warnings are sent to
officials whom 1t is thought can
be deferred from their illegal
acts. Formal indictments" Of
un-reformable criminals are
made public. and these indict-
ments can be used later as the
starting point for legal prose-
cution Of the malefactor.
Record is kept Of Eastern ON.
cials forced to perform illegal
acts but who Cooperate with the
Free Jurists as much as pos
sible. These records show what
officials can legitimately plead
that they acted under orders
which could not be disobeyed.
Publications summarizing and
Analysing latest Communist de-
crees and advising the people
how TO get around them are cir
culated secretly through the East
Zone.
Several thousand volunteer in
formants. many Of them high
Communist oficials. are organ
lied to channel information to
the Free Jurists.
And the Free Jurists keep the
world informed Of the illegal acts
OF the East German government
and keep the West German gov
eminent informed on attempts
at Communist penetration into
the West Zone.
VIII Have Good Reason
An East German with some
thing TO tell the Free Jurists or.
W h legal questions 10 ask take