SIX YEARS AFTER THE WALL

West Berlin now a sick c

By TOM MORRIS
T’S been more than six years since
the government of the German De-
mocratic Republic decided enough
was enough and built the Berlin wall.
Construction began in August 1961 to
the sounds of wails and moans, anger
and frustration by the “Free World.”
That Bible of bigots, Time magazine,
outdid itself with a graphic cover
painting of a man hung up on barbed
wire bleeding for freedom. All of the
Western press (with few notable excep-
tions) joined in condemnation, glee-
fully pointing out that the Wall has
conclusively. proven that communism
has failed. :

Ignoring geography, history and the
realities of Cold War provocations by
the German Federal Republic against
the GDR, a clever myth grew up that
the Wall was built to prevent East
Germans from fleeing to glittering
West Berlin. In those days, and since,
it was a rarity for a communist not to
have the question put to him, “Yes, but
what about the Wall?”

The communist press in this country
at that time patiently pointed out the
reasons for the Wall. The right of a
sovereign state, the GDR, to control the
flow of goods, people and currency in
and out of its territory was argued.
The right, indeed the responsibility, to
put a stop to espionage and black
marketeering belonged to the GDR as
to every state.

The intolerable situation, existing
for 16 years, which permitted uncheck-
ed, uncontrolled access into the ter-
ritory of the GDR ended. Imagine Can-
ada, with is tight-fisted immigration
policy, having its capital city open.
The facts, in spite of the Western press,
were clear to anyone with access to a

map: West Berlin, some 110 miles in-
side the borders of the GDR, was be-
ing used as a base of operations for
hostile activities against that state.
More than that, it was openly pro-
claimed by the neo-nazi politicians and
generals in Bonn that their mission in
life was to destroy the German Demo-
cratic Republic in every way.

What has the Wall accomplished in
six years? An amazingly frank story in
the Dec. 4 issue of U.S. News and World
Report gives the effects upon the West

and especially on that ‘showcase of-

democracy,” West Berlin:

“This is a sick city.

“Only a few years ago, West Berlin
was a showplace of Western freedom
and prosperity behind the Iron Curtain

Nazi fails to disrupt meeting

—and the capital of the Cold War.
“The decline dates from the building
of the Berlin Wall by the communists
in 1961. The Wall not only stopped the
manpower drain from East Germany
(it) stabilized the economy .. .
“The Wall must rank as one of the

most successful construction projects ~

in the history of communism. Ever
since the Wall went up, the road has
been all downhill for West Berlin and
all uphill for East Berlin and East Ger-
many.

“West Berlin’s population is declin-
ing at a rate of 20,000 a year.”

The story goes on to lament that in

spite of massive aid given to West
Berlin (9 billion dollars since the war
and a current billion each year) its
economy is sagging, unemployment is
rising and, most important, its value
as a cold war headquarters has vanish-
ed. It describes West Berlin as becom-
ing a city of old people with one out
of five now living on old age pensions
and a campaign to lure young people
from West Germany bogging down.

As if to add to their problems, the
West Berlin authorities cannot any
longer live with the young people
they have. “One trouble spot is the
Free University of Berlin. This institu-
tion was set up in 1948 by the U.S.
government and still gets much of its
support from the United States.” the
article reports. :

“Students at the university once
were militantly anti-communist. Now
the most vocal and militant students
blast in the U.S. instead of Russia. They
demonstrate against the war in Viet-
nam and against continued presence
of U.S. troops in West Berlin.

“A new mayor... is trying to pick
up the pieces of a shattered govern-
ment.”

Not being ones to give up easily the
West German officials, helped along by
the U.S., have come up with some
novel (if you don’t live there) options
to overcome the debacle. With typical
laboratory thoroughness, these propo-
sals are listed neatly as three: :

“1. To drift along in the present

fashion which would mean let-
ting West Berlin turn into a huge
home for the aged.

2. To transform West Berlin into a
kind of Las Vegas — ‘fun town’
replete with gambling casinos
and other tourist attractions.
There is a reluctance to do any-
thing like this to a city still re-
garded wistfully as the capital

A couple of officers of the West German army, z
medals, demonstrate their solidarity with the military traditions of Hitler during 9

parade of “old soidiers” in West Germany.

of Germany.

3. Make West Berlin a turntable
between East and West, a clear-
ing house for trade across he
Iron Curain .. .”

Alternative 3, which is the favored
one, also doesn’t make the West too
happy because “the communists can
hardly be expected to build up West
Berlin again . . .” and why, they ask,
should West Berlin perform that func-
tion when today Western businessmen
can “accomplish the same ends by
dealing directly with representatives
of East European countries?”

What has happened in the past six
years is clear: once the hemorrhage
had been stopped, black marketeering,
sabotage and provocations ended, the
GDR could get on with the job of
building socialism. West Berlin, its pri-
mary purpose over, became a city
which history passed by—a sort of
geographical dinosaur.

Turning West Berlin into a “fun —

city”’,.a giant roulette wheel or over-
sized brothel is not an answer. Nor
will it revert again to its former role
as a center for Western operations
against the GDR.

The German Democratic Republic
has proposed that West Berlin be given

complete with old and new

the status of a free, demilitarized city.
This would mean it should become” 4
independent political unit and its .
ternal affairs shall be free from inte
ferrence by all states—including ©" |
two German states.

4

It shall have its own constitutio®
taxation system, banking and curr Ke
regulation. The occupation forces 5} f
be withdrawn and establishment Ail
military bases there be prohibitee: iesil
espionage and ‘subversive 8 eee
shall cease to operate. '

een the

Communication services betw'
Free City of West Berlin with all par |
of the GDR be guaranteed on the ie |
of agreements worked out with iin
GDR. The special status of West ne =
shall be guaranteed by the big pore
signing such an agreement and, or od
tually, by cooperatioon with the Uni
Nations. 8 for

These are the realistic solutions | i
normalizing the situation in Berlin sik
reducing tensions in Europe. ©. ij
years just past have proven, and ca
continue to prove, that nothing the
stop the advance of socialism world
GDR. As the U.S. News and
Report story shows, the chickens
coming home to roost.

ae —

‘Morton Sobel |

pee

By DAN HAMMOND
TTEMPTS' BY. Canadian
Nazi leader John Beattie to
bust up a slide lecture on
the Soviet Union in Oakville,
Ontario, were calmly foiled. by
members of local 707, United
Automobile Workers and friends
attending the meeting. Jim
Bridgewood, chairman of the
local’s Human Rights Commit-

tee had been asked by his fellow -

workers to speak on his recent
21 day trip to the USSR. Some
of the Ford workers felt so
strongly about the need for the
meeting that they circulated a
petition saying that “We the
undersigned, hearing of Brother
Jim Bridgewood’s trip: to the
Soviet Union are interested in
hearing and discussing with him
_of what he saw during his jour-
ney.

“We are of the opinion that if
the use of the Union Hall on a
given evening could be donated
free of charge by the Executive
of Local 707, a succesful and in-
formative public meeting could

be held so that we may hear
from and ask questions of Bro-
ther Bridgewood.”

“There were 46 signatures on
the draft requesting the meet-
ing,” said Bridgewood, “and the
union’s executive sanctioned it.

“But a swastika appeared on
one of the notices posted on bul-
letin boards around the plant.
We knew something was in the
wind. But not the presence of
Beattie. He came as a shock.”

Shortly after the meeting had
started, Beattie jumped up from
the audience and began his at-
tack on Bridgewood. He scream-
ed at Bridgewood: “You are
nothing but a butcher and mur-
derer and should be hung from
the neck.

“I do not see why we should
have to listen in to Communism.
I came in here to break up the
meeting. You all make me sick.”

When Bridgewood calmly re-
plied that the police were on the
way, Beattie accompanied by his
security man, Jack Prince, a
Ford worker, quickly made his

DECEMBER 22, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 6

‘contained

exit, possibly remembering his

recent six month jail sentence
which was linked with his poli-
tical activities.

Before leaving Beattie said,
“We are going to rid Canada’s
trade unions of communists by
exposure.”

Forgetting the many millions
who died at the hands of Hitler’s
Nazi Party, Beattie said, “Com-
munism is murder. We shall be
present when anyone speaks on
communism.”

Bridgewood went on to des-
cribe his trip and answer ques-
tions for the audience which
several Polish and
Hungarian immigrants who are
now workers at the Ford Oak-
ville plant.

He also described in his talk,
the great monument located at
Volgagrad, to the men and wo-
men who held the city (Stalin-
grad) against the German
troops; one of many memorials

to the millions who died in the .

defeat of Hitler and his nazis.

now in
18th year
in prison

Morton Sobell is now in his 18th year of impriso””
ment. The above picture, with his wife Helen, shows Y
as he is today. d

Proof of Morton Sobell’s innocence and the frau i
forgery of the prosecutors in the Rosenberg-Sobell con
are now before the Supreme Court awaiting a decisir
At the time of the execution of Ethel and Julius Rov
berg, United States Supreme Court Justice Black seo
“This Court has never reviewed the record and has nev :
affirmed the fairness of the trial below.” This continue

to be a fact. an
Morton Sobell is due for mandatory release,
April 3rd 1970. To save him from this last and cruelty
period of imprisonment, all the help you can poss!
give is necessary.
You can write to Attorney General Ramsey
Justice Department, Washington, D.C. 20530, askin

to support the request that the Supreme Court taxe

this

matter into its jurisdiction. Help to free Morton Sobe™