Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-24

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leaving the cordial hospitality
of the Soviet Union, 1t seemed
logical to ask the people of
Berlin, both East and West,
whether they agreed with your
ideas and welcomed your pro-
posals.
This is a report to you, our
host in Moscow, as well as to
our newspaper readers in Amer
lea, on what we hesrd-and
saw.
Talked With People
First, let it be emphasized
that we did not talk with Mayor
Willy Brandt nor any off,
Gals of West Berlin. Nor did
we talk with Herr Ulbricht or
any officials of East Berlin or
East Germany. But for the
better part Of two days we
roamed the streets of both
West and East Berlin, ranging
both sides of the wall that has
been erected to divide this great
city, and talked with Germans
willing to talk.
Using several different in
terpreters, we talked with peo-
pie Of such varied occupations
as manual workers, clerks,
students, lawyers, secretaries,
businessmen. border guards,
nurses, housewives, and of
course taxi drivers who seem
to be the common denomination
Of public opinion in all coun-
tries whatever the social sys-
tenn.
For these conversations we
took along the official Soviet
Union transcript Of our Krem-
lin interview on July Is, and
we read from that document
the statements and suggestions
you made.
Summary Of Views
We told these people that
we believe an accurate sum-
mary of your ideas and pro-
poSals can be expressed this
way.
l. The last vestiges Of the
war which ended II years ago
should be wiped out by q peace
treaty.
2. The Soviet Union proposes
to sign such a treaty with the
government Of East Germany
and you are hopeful that il
will be signed or acquiesced to
by the United States, Great
Britain, and France.
3. Such a treaty should
establish what Is now known
as West Berlin as what you
call a Free City"
4. Such a solution must, in
your view, include the with
drawal Of United States, U. K.
(BritiSh). and French troops
from West Berlin,
5. The people Of Berlin would
then feel more secure, more
confident Of the future, and be
happier.
6. Unless all this occurs, West
Berlin will "wither on the vine !"
Expressions Of Opinion
Mr.. Chairman, we hope you
will be interested In the opin-
ions Of the people with whom
we talked. We were.
In America, actions Of gov
ernmentS are dictated by judg-
mentS Of the people.
When we read your state
ment that the Germans Of Ber-
lin would be much more at
ease" and enjoy prospects fol
further development" if a peace
treaty were signed and West
ern troops withdrawn, we
could hardly finish before the
person being interviewed would
exclaim "nein".
When we asked If they would
sleep easier If Allied troops
withdrew from Berlin, they
said:
"Nein. In 80 days Russia
would gobble up Berlin"
When we asked II q peace
treaty would reasSure them, q
West Berlin policeman at the
wall said, You Americans OF
all people should know how
little is the meaning Of such
promises"
Berliners, with the bitter
firSt-hand experience Of two
relationships - Hitler's and
Stalin's-behind them say they
are not fooled by propositions
for a Soviet-style peace"
Can See for Selves
They say they can see for
themselves what this peace
means for their own relatives
just a few blocks away in East
Berlin. In their conversations
with us they left no doubt that
they fear the same fate If the
American soldiers and their al
hes quit the city. These are
no longer occupation" troops
in the minds of the Berliners
with whom we talked but rather
"our protectors"
We talked with a Lutheran
nun, standing on the West side
of the wall waving at a window
a block away from which she
hoped a friend on the East