Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-22
Reds Let 5000 Through Berlin Wall to Visit Kin;
Reunions Beyond Jan. 5 DeadIine Are Hinted

BERLIN, Dec. % CAP)-I
Thousands Of West Berliners
returned sadly home early to-
day after emotional reunions
with their relatives In East
Berlin on the other side Of the
Communist Wall that had
parted them for more than two
years.
About 5000 West Berliners.
granted only day passes by Red
authorities, were Solaced by
hints they may be able to make
regular visits in the future.
Egon Bahr. press spokesman
for West Berlin's Mayor, Willy
Brandt. dropped such a hint in
a broadcast.
The present Christmas ar
rangement - passes for three
visits of one day each-runs
out January 5. But Mr.. Bahr
said If the experiment succeed
ed there was no reason why
what was possible before Janu-
airy 5 should not be possible
afterward.
Propaganda Efforts
The Red propaganda ma
chine has been making much
Of the Communists allowing
the Christmas visits, saying
that only good could come
from negotiating with their
East German regime.
1t was evident that the Com
munists were plugging for ne
gotiationS on a broader basis.
Their object was clearly to win
more prestige for their Soviet
puppet regime which is not rec
ognized by the West.
On both sides Of the Wall
there were indications that the
experiment of opening a tenn
porary crack in the Wall was
being closely watched to see If
1t possibly could be prolonged,
or even made permanent.
A lot depends upon how
things go during the big rush
Of people during the actual
Christmas holidays.
The first two days have
shown that much emotion is
unleashed by the visits. The
full effect of this outpouring of
sentiment within the East po-
lice state has yet to be seen.
Families Reunited
Husbands and wives who had
not seen each other for more
than two years were forced by
the regulation TO tear them
selves apart once again.
Some visitors went over to
hear the sorrowful details of
the death Of a loved one.
But for others, marriages
and births have brought new
members to the family circle.
at was wonderful but the
farewell was terrible" said a
young woman with a baby in
her arms. She had shown her
son to his grandparents for the
first time.
Some 100000 West Berliners
have obtained permits in the
four days the issuing offices
have been open.
Methods Resented
There Is resentment in West
Berlin at the methods of the
Communists in issuing the per-
mitS. People have had to line
UP in freezing weather for ap-
plication forms, line up to
hand them in and line UP
again to collect them the next
day.
There are also complaints
that the Communist authorities
woefully underestimate the
demand for permits. Permit
offices ran out Of application
forms from time to time.
After a certain point Satur-
day, police warned people it
was no use coming to the per-
init offices because they were
still busy dealing with people
who began lining up Friday.
Shortly before closing for the
week end there were about 49,
900 persons still waiting.
Earn Holiday Cash
West Berlin police said they
arrested two youths for black
marketing application forms.
Students earned holiday cash
by standing in line for 10
marks ($2.50) an hour.
The East German guards on
the Wall, hated because they |,
have followed orders to shoot
refugees, have gone out of their
way to be polite. The officaial
East German News agency,
ADM, described today how a
colonel Of the East German
army helped a crippled old
lady from West Berlin through
the controls.
LOST
AIREDALE, male, VIC Wisconsin and