Evening star., 1961-08-18
BERLIN
West Reported Considering Adding
To Its Garrison in Berlin
Continued From First Page


The messages would reply to
Russian notes of August 8 ex-
pressing willingness for nego-
tiationS aimed at concluding a
German peace treaty. The
Western Big Three, however,
were reported as determined as
ever to reject Premier Khru-
shchev'S demands that West
Berlin be made a disarmed
neutral city and that peace
treaties be signed with East and
West Germany as separate
states.
The East Germans new brick
wall rose on a strategic seq
ment of the 25-mile sector
border through which a trickle
Of East Germans was still
escaping to the West.
From West Berlin Commu-
mist engineers could be seen
erecting the solid new barrier
well-behind the harbed wire,
presumably to aid Red guards
on the border with a no mans
land.
At this stage of construction
is was not possible to determine
If the engineers intended to
cover long stretches Of the bor-
der or only certain spots diff
cult to guard.
Western authorities estimated
about $50 persons daily were
still outwitting the Communists.
Red Guards Desert
Allied sources also said Nbe-
tween 10 and 20 members of
the East German guard force
have deserted to the West this
week with their weapons. They
include members of the peoples
police, members of the workers J
militia and at least one SOL
dfer of the East German Army.
Western officials cloaked the I
details Of the escapes-and c
even the exact number-in Sc
crecy so as to not reveal loop
holes in the Communist bar {
rier. !
Many of the escapes bolted v
through or over the iron and
wire fence flung across the city. t
A number swan the streams (
and canals that criss-cross the q
frontier. i
Mr.. Brandt charged in Bonn \
that the Communists are +
ierecting a "sort of Great Wall
.of China" to keep the East f
Germans in and demanded t
THAT the United Nations deal |,
with the situation as a fla c
grant violation of human I
rights" T
Mr.. Adenauer, who is being l
opposed by Mr.. Brandt in West t
Germany'S September II eIec- /
ton, appealed to the Soviet +
Union to return to realism in +
Berlin and not protect "crea-
lures who are despised by their
own people" ),
Strong Measures Doubted E
The House measure was t.
called to approve counter r
measures against East Ger Il
many for its ban on East Ger S
mans travelling to West Berlin.
But the Western allies refusal t
to take strong counteraction n
made 1t doubtful the West Ger z
mans would act on their own. {
While the East German t
Communists boasted of a vic t
tory in the first round of the I
new Berlin crisis, talk in the
West of tough reprisals tapered G
off. Instead, officials in Wash =
ington and London contended :
that the Reds put themselves =
on the defensive by closing the
border through Berlin and =
that the time is ripe for nego-
tiations.
In new demonstration of
the Western reluctance to force
a showdown, West German i
Defense Minister Franz Joseph
Strauss told a news conference
in Munich that "the time has !
come to be calm and patient b
tand to keep ones head COOL" Il
Things must not be allowed I
to reach point in which the n
alternative is a giant prestige |,
loss or war;" he added.
AS yet there was no public
response from the Russians to
the stiff allied notes yesterday :,
protesting the closing Of the :,
Berlin border and demanding =
Moscow put an end to these :
illegal measures. The Rus :
slams are expected to reject the \
protest. :,
Railway Seizure Urged a
Mr.. Brandt, who has been !
clamoring for reprisals against =
the new Red restrictions, ap-
proved the tone of the protests ',
finally the right language" : :,
he said. But he made plain he =
still expects more action.
One measure advocated by :.
Mr.. Brandt is seizure of the =
West Berlin portion of the Com :
munist-operated city elevated =
railway. He was to discuss this
today with the three allied COM
mandants in West Berlin. but :
they we're expected to throw =
cold water on the proposal.
The East Germans have al
ready threatened to blockade =
West Berlin again if the rail- .
way is seized.
The East German regime
opened a campaign for young
volunteers to swell its army, s
now 10000 strong. At series !
of early morning recruiting 6
meetings youths 10 to % were 8
urged to join the army.