M
ASTONISHING, THIS TREK BACK BEHIND
THE
IRON CURTAIN
BY
RENE MacCOLL
THE tremendous loss of population from
Eastern Germany to Adenouer's West: Germany -between 2,500,000
and 3,000,000 people have fled West in the past few years is increasingly in the
news.
J
Hat d Image rush by
Jw represents a net loss to
the Rust. For there exists at the same Line considerable tradle the other way.
In one year alone- -1939--about 50,900 men, women, and children went from West to East, saying That they meant to stay when they pel there.
Some ween teaving AdenERP- und for the drst time in order
to chance their lick behind the Curtain. But a substantial pro- pri pertings two-thirds- of these refuges from the joys uted ameniti of life in the West
"redeleclors" —
were
meaning that they had uriginal- ly fed from the East and were now returning there.
'Work is so hard'
10ax
↓
Why do ther go? This astonish you, baif one reason heard frequently quoteri was that "In
The Wret WP
were
ut
THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1961.
UNCLE MAC
WE PAY HIGHEST PRICES
THE FUTURE
OF BRITAIN
REPORTER MARK WILSON IN EAST BERLIN
I go shopping behind
the Iron Curtain
YOU CAN EAT
WELL-IF YOU
HAVE MONEY
East Berlin. THE great bulk of the people in this divid- and flashpoint city
which
is the State-owned department store.
From the outside it might
have been Selfridges, only it was easy to park the car. It is a motorist's paradise here with only 14,000 vehicles In the whole city.
Vast quantity
I wanted with just three excep- tions; butter, potatoes and sune fresh fruit.
where they kept the oranges she When I asked a girl assistant burst out laughing. So I said I would settle for bananus. "Too Jale," she said. we had those in last week,“
Rationed
anywhere
distempered walls inadequate lighting.
and
SCHOOL CLOSED
vickly
Losdon Zipress Sarvios.
-QUOTE-
Motor
the by Agents' Association: The signs ure that there is 1 great future ahead for the horse.
Tricklebank,
The
vanishing American
Where the tourists ought to be-rows of empty seats
FOR years Britain has welcomed a growing stream of camera-carrying, free-spending, big-tipping Americans.
Suddenly this summer the American tourist, highly sensi- tive to International trouble, is displaying a telnite reluctance to hullday in Britalu.
Transatlantic shipping lines are about 10 per cent down on last year's igūres,
The aircraft companies, now fying the biggest, best and most expensive jets, have rown of empty seats where tourists ought to be,
pured with last year, cent to 10 per cent down coin-
Our own Cunard Lines say: "Passenger carrying in the <zucons has been slightly lower, owing to the general drop re- cently in the number of Amerl-
cans
crossing the Atlantle," And, Cumardh ndded, the drop is "pretty general all round" antong shipplog Hnes.
Gloumy predictions of the worst your for Atlantic trips
FOUR REASONS since The 1930'e have been
The great hotels of London, long accustomed to turning peo- ple away, aduit they are turn- ing away fewer applicants than et the same time last year.
A famous chain of West End restaurants reports that it has 15 per cent less in. Travellers' ehequrs in the till, compared with 12 months ago.
Travel agents say there are 10 per cent fewer Transatlantic tourists in London than is
---by Mr w. a. chairman of Burton (Stafford-customary at this time of year. Car-hire companies are feeling [shire), Iteferees' Association,
the dollar drought. rough. appealing for new football re- and most
Why? British Overseas Air- ferves:--
four good reasons ways gave LL thi is needed is reason, good
for the dip in dollar spending!--
They are:- Food that needed wrapping able intelligence, a was
of the laws of the wrapped--but only just.
Fungs powerful Mostly plan cardboard boxes with no rimming.
Waiting list
knowledre SADIC. and
enough to blow a whistle. 11
*
by Arthur Lester, Nolting- hamshire county councillor and former racing driver:-
LLOWING newly qualified Moving on from the grocery drivers to drive high-power- store I came across magnificent- looking radios and televisioned vehicles is like ziving whisky
I could to a baby instead of milk. have bought and taken away.
matte to work so hard
Life in East Germany is full irksame frtrations and cop- strictions. But there are suit people who can tolerate all these fitings ing The ke family.
For the sike material gains.
There was plenty of butter on
sels on show. A radio I took my wire show but I could not have any. Turve is the pull of family Bluse arbitrary division of busied themselves today mesh basket to tour the For this you have to register at Germany at the end of the last with a single humdrum self-service grocery depart- a shop which rations it out But the allowance is liberal; half-p- problem for removed ment.
pound per person each week.
war meant the splitting up of thousands of families,
ed
There is the lure of the East's } from the international very good social services and situation-the weekend excellent five educational sys
And there are guaranteed shopping. lens. jobs for all, with glitteringly high salaries usd
So for a glimpse of life Special privileges for the experts. behind the Iron Curtain
Whatever the reasons, it cer- joined them and, like a good some Germans do not value fe comrade I walked my pay Handels oyment packel to
tally serons to be the case that
In the West, or the
the
Inside
frozen half-a
Some West German pro- Prices varied greatly the paganda I had been fed bo- butter is about Da, a pound but b fore crossing the border sug- ginnt-sized packet of Lhan costs gested shortages, but the peas
crown though, all round, my immediate thing that struck came to no more than it me was the vast quantity would have done in London, and variety of food dis- played.
During an hour's intensive
of democracy as we understand Organisation Warenhans, shopping I was able to find sil
11, sufficiently to stay.
k
The present divided city Berlin is, in fact, un extremely busy two-way streel.
Apart
fron the refugers fleeing West, and the "redefec- tors" drifting back East. the sizable Total of 50,000 Eust Berliners travels into West Ber- lin to work every day, and up- words of 10,000 West Berliners have jobs in the Eastern sector, both lots going hunt agala at Light.
Among these workers are those who, whatever the per- Eonal sacrifice, eventually de- cide to change for good,
Men and women vil West Berlin carrying their belongings with them in suitcases, attle at a time. When they have get everything portable to safety, they make the Anal Journey. House and furniture have to be sacriferd.
almost
"Redefectors"
are never interfered with by the Western authorities.
But there are periodical spot] checks by the Volpos," the East German police in people! travelling West, particularly
ut
*}
the border between East Ger-
many and East Herlin, unel certain number of would-be re- fugees are intercepted and boul- 'ed home.
Probably to jail.
-(Limutan Erpress Service).
POCKET CARTOON by FRIELL
PANZERS TO
HLAND ON
"Fantase above that, sh, DON
bach "
London Anpresa Aarnion.
The big drawback was the store itself and the presentation of the goods on Wed floors. There was not a yard of carpet
16
But for a TV I would have had go on a waiting list, 10 months for a 17-inch or 30 months for a 24-inch,
Television sels appear to cost twice 45 much as those int Britain And that is true for mest luxuries. They are here but you have to pay dearly for themand wat.
31y verdiet: East Berlinera can ve well providing they have the money which is true the world over,
london Express Service).
by Mr Phillips Powell, Here-
ford euroIMT-
PEOPLE who buy secondhand einciric Irons should have them tested.
*
by Mr J. T. Christies principal of Jesus College, Oxford, at the Modern Churchmen's Conference at Oxford:
TODAY moral standards have dropped na never before. It Is not so much that men fall to live up to them: they openly doubt whelber they exist.
President Kennedy's appeal to Americans to save dok lars by spending their holidays at hane;
The Berlin crisis:
Those tanks by the streets of Paris during the Algeria
troubles:
The rluts in Belgium.
(Nobody said it, but Mr Selwyn Lloyd's crisis Budget is Conic-in-
likely to make a
Britain poster, either.)
Although there was a slight increase in the first five months of the year in B.O.A.C, trafic went from America, down in June, and down dis- astrously for July, when strikes hit London Airport.
Agurra
And remember that 1.0.A.C. catered for an estimated 50 per cent fercase this year.
frms Among the shipping United States Lines are per
OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF A' MAJOR
INDUSTRIAL CRISIS IN BRITAIN
made.
Inst year the total was only 100,000 compared with more then a million in 1057. If the present trend continues it could be below 750,000 this year.
On to the big London hotels. The Savoy said: "We are certainly turning less callers away then in previous years.”
The Dorchester agreed; the Westbury (one of the top American-owned hotels) de- clared "There are fewer do luxe parties than usual, and the pressure for rooms is not so great.”
SIGNALS
figures of the Hotels
U.S. The official
០៥ visitors from
showed an Travel Association increase for
the Arst five months of the year, but a sharp in May from 40.813 In 1900 to 42,284 this year.
• drop
And this is in the year when American Rources said we should expect the greatest in- flux ever!
For everyone's sake, for the hoteliers and waiters, for the ship's stewards and their bosses, for the bl: Jets and their crews, for everyone in show business, I hope things pick up.
And on
purely personal note, I hope those human bero-
meters, the American tourists, wrong in their assessment of the world storm-signals.
DONALD SEAMAN
-(London Express Service),
Six men the TUC sacked
FRANK FOULKES
Communiai. Born
Rochdale la 1809, Entered E,T,U, polities in 1025 as district secretary. Be- came president in 1945,
Is a light, well-dressed man. Once he told E.T.U. members: "Who wants to work anyway? We do not care if they sack the tot of you, as long as they pay you the same wages as when you are working."
But he hurts easity, ils cry after the exposure of the ballot- rigging: "Lion's cruelly me any
more."
FRANK HAXELL
ад
Communist.
friends call him "The Organisation Man," ETIH
The Fixer," ogponenta ile ban not worked as electrician for the last 18 years, "But though I say it myself, I was a good electrician," he said after Mr Justice Winn, in the High Couri, deprived him of hẫn reneral secretaryship of the E.T.U. for his part n ballot-
rizzing.
Is Immediate forecast:
That
he would get back bla job again by 1904.
JAMES HUMPHREY
Acerecy
of
Communist Headquarters office manager el the E.T.Ubis
aboul ballot papers a head ofice
the badge fraud," said Mr Justice Winn, who added that he used his offer to order sulestantial excess quan- Lilies of ballot papers from the printers.
Jim Humphrey Joined the E.T.U. 31 years ago, sat 12 years on executive council.
He went to Busola in 1035 as one of a 10-strong union dole- cation.
BOP MCLENNAN
Communist.
JACK HENDY
Is
Has made a special study of law and economies. a powerful-looking man known to his friends as "Honest John."
Communial, The E.TU. Ansiz- tan general secretary, who Mr Justice Winn said was "inked in confidence with Mr Maxell and Mr Foulkes," He was elected in opposition to Mr Frank Chapple, Mr John Byrne's co-plaint In the trial.
Aged 54, with a wife and iwa children. His early Red activity was in Glasgow shipyarda.
Mr Harold Onen described
Edwardian Macmillan as "the Teddy Boy of big busines.”
And the union
they controlled
THE BACKGROUND STORY
SUDDENLY and unex-
pectedly, the old
horse of the TU.C., ncaring 93 years, bared
by Trevor Evans
un collision with a union of this Alan Bennce.
■
Mr Justice Wing said of him: "Ife would not adopt any course of conduct which seemed to him la be unjust to an individual un. tenets left less his Communist
no choice."
Hendy likes to make speeches full of pleturesque allusions and Alterary quotations,
how dangerous.
JACK FRAZER
41. Was Communisi. Aged described by the judge as “blunt, unsubile, and ruthless."
In 1957 he was the key Azure in an election-rigging row inside Mr the union. Ex-Commerlot Leslie Cannon was Frazer's rival for a scat on the executive, Can- non, it was thought had won by 300 votes.
But after Frank Hazell had in- vestigated alleged irregulariiles (arlsing over the disqualification of several branch valen) Frazer was declared viclor.
his time. He is midway through hts inct five-year period o office.
Frank is a well-liked mpa.
been oured of the mapport of been to suspend the ET.U. But Frank Foulkes nears the end of
the keenest and boldest mem- bers of his general counell.
For it most members of the Men like schoolstasterly, log!- E.T.U., remarkably indifferent cal Bill Webber, leader of the to the Internal affairs of their
It make him to rosign and try Transport Salaried Staffs Aneo- union as their deplorable voting again. And speakingly many of elation, courteous Sir Thomas record proven got hold of the the men who deelded tile would Williamson and down-to-earth idea that their union, which
like to see Frank do this--and Fred Inyday of the General after all as
WOD them a
win, and Municipal Workers' Union, respected place in the table of bluff Harry Douglass of the earnings, was being pillorted, Iron and Steel trade union, the Communists who domitiate with shrewd, soft-spoken Bil The union would have been pre- Carron, of the A.EU.. were sented with the ready and parts of the back-room dynama cffective cry of martyrdom. which drove the piston-rod of
So, with consummate shrawd- One WAR to arouse Wontoock, And socially no, Mr Woodcock and his up- responsibility of the 210,000 acclimatised Sir Tom O'Brien, porters have taken the unpre- E.T.U, members to break the of the Theatrical Workers, and cedented step of singling out in- strangle-hold of the Communist na acute perception of what the dividuals responsible for the Party, gimeral public was thinking of unlon's bad repute-and not the
whole union. the cumbersome, lethargic, pl- mont somnolent Image of the T.U.C.
And I know that theme con- siderations were well welghed up by the T.U.C, leaders,
Well-justined credit na been given to Mr George Woodcock, The Busby-eyebrpwed, inleflor tual ex-Lancashire weaver who won an Oxford scholarship, for of is moot influential lenders its tooth and flicked its from office fur five years.
It has key men in overy vital the way in which he marshalled trade: If the E.T.U. became a and presented in cross-examilt- hooves.
invited the uglon's real "rogue elephant," It could stirn of the Communist leaders
Those men, and Bike-minded Voteran president, Frank top the life of this country throughout those long hours the members of the T.U.C., aro
fight tomorTTUW, That i Foulkes, to resign and
why the other night,
Recustomed and largely In- Communists have alwaya wani- for his job all over again.
But George Woodcock, atill In different, to the taunt of being ed to dominate it. Remember the E.TU. is one
his first year an the T.U.C. Right-wingers. of the most widesprend and It is a mighty decision tó take general secretary, would never They know something, eine strategically important unions. Bberties and to chanço a 'hend- have been so bold had he not too. How waxy it would have
Over a week ago in the sultry cool of a Bloomsbury, evening, directed-mark the word directed, not invitedhe Eles- | telca) Přadem Unlon to bán Ova
I
And
Dangerous
So what wan in the collectivo mind of this TUC, commilitær? I suggest two quite reparota and distinct Ideas.
the
If this happens, the new sxa- cutivo will be as effectivm in- In effect, what the TUC. t
ternally ns the old, and oxigre saying to the E.T.U. 240,000 nally far more acceptable to the members is, "We want you in Tuc. and utter unions. bur family-but for heaven's
Secondly, it was to demon- enke get rid of the people who pirate fo the public that the are leading you astray?" T.U.C. l ta' dopy old dray-
Yel, even in this moment of horse. Incisive desiaton, the T.UC, was
My summing-up le that the not without an emotional reall- T.U.C. will have achieved its sallon of what its decision second objective. Pubilo estari would man to one man, for It will bound upwards bij
It seperated Frank Foulkes gaunu of its decision. from the other officials it namad.
London Esprés Berulat),
t