1953-11-04 — Page 4

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IRKUTSI

"-and all doubt that it was, in fact, erstwhile purge-chief McCarthy dis guised as Mr. Maclean was finally dispelled when It was noticed there was no show on his boots ££**

Concluding th story of Hans Bartschat and his wife, Christa-how they eluded the Communist. East. German Police and made their way to freedom. Hans tells today of conditions in the East German Army, of which he was a member. The story

taken down by Antony Terry.

was

NOSTALGIA -BY NOEL

:

$15.00

25.00

25.00

35.00 10.50 10.50

E

COWARD

By MILTON SHULMAN

anxiety when they learned that Noel Coward was going; 5.00 back to cabaret. What on 5.00 1,00 10.00

earth would he do?

notes

1953.

EAST GERMAN ARMY WOULD EVAPORATE IN ACTION

"O

I told the men

NE day a Colonel, method.

"Laboriously I ured to try "After the riots I found that to the polil- re many as two-thirds of the because of may be wrong tomorrow' one does not have to see the to be trusty Reds were dis Christo, anid and they just had to accept Western point of view but only affected and anti-Communist to study what the Communists to reme degree.' This' makes coldly, 'I hear that some it. officers have been making

say about the West.

the East German crew' iselom as a striking force. If it were "See? It's easy If you know ever in action criticisms of the presence of Soviet Advisory Officers in

who hated me, that what is right today and explain it

kulfur classes: to be objective officers whom I had belleved

"The new recruits, who

mostly came straight from how. The example I was told evaporate overnight. the ranks of the un to give was of the two boliles

questioning

Communist on the

Illiterate

ATD

even

would

moro

of

"Obviously on one will reach in for polson. So, according to because it offers them a better Rod itaching the wino Ger life and more pay than they man' rejects

inis bottle-and could get outsido in civilian refures to hear the Western jobs. point of view.

the unit. It appears neces-

inblo in

"The men front of One is thirsty man.

marked openly sary for them to study

Czstrict #he. more closely the principles youth movement-the 'con- paires. This is meant to re- men: than the officers, I should

the BBC or any ray less than 10 percent of German-Soviet friend- scious functionaries were prezent

the Western newspaper or radio them have say sympathy with ship if they wish to avoid satisfied. Over half

te Communist system. others were frankly scop programme..

Like the officers they stny more serious trouble,'

tical. From

the East German army "I took the hint. then on I was twice as careful what I said. The Soviet advisers are chosen for their toughness.' They wear East German army uniform and have the rank of Colonel. They are known as 'Sovietniks.' They hardly and ever speak German work through interpreters who are German "People's

Police" officers,

you

Their Job

is

'Im--

"The other is marked 'Beer'.'

Communist radio

and

"They had accepted the original reason I had given This is the for the mass Party call-up and prest. This is good, -alleged threats by the may be taken in any quantity.

Western imperialists, etc. Now it was too much of an about-turn for them, to change round once more. I gave it up,

"It did not make things easier that the officers in the East German army

Bad Food

"Conditions are not bad it "'Cozmopolitanism' to another one leaves out the complete of the Communist catchwords. lack of personal freedom, the

off coturse bad to bo eterret snooping and spying. unpolitenit. Why? Beccar and even stupid restrictions It icpresents the right of every such as the ban on soldiers country to be free to do as it visiting movies except those Bikes.

thowing Russian films.

Not Suited

"Food is bad in the army but not short. Everyone gola over a pound and a half of ment a week, three quarters of a pound of butter weekly, two pounds. of potatoes a day, un-

armies. afford Communist restaurants out-

"Their job is to supervise are mostly almost illiterate the work of the minor and often worse educated "But, ray 110 Communists, VEN his most unde. Through Introductory

informers and than their. men. They this would mean that is limited bread and jam. manding admirers suf- Coward has tried to explain the snoopers,

country was free it would fall chosen for their Com- of beginnings and the Inspiration indoctrinators like myself. are fered a ripple

under the power of America," "The meat is ancient, tough melodic ideas. They have almost power munist fanaticism rather which of some of his Since he has

encourages freedom for and stringy, and the East Ger- had only Iwo

over life and death, cer than for their ability.

Ita 'evil' purposes. So you mom any cooks care even lem muste letsons in his life, his

must not be a "cormopolitanist than in "In my signals unit

most other remarks tend to be reminiscent tainly over liberty.

in Soviet countries, and you The officers, who сат rather than technical.

prove your work or I'll have this was especially notice- must not be free.

to, cat in the their able. arrested,'

"In the middle of all this state-owned The From the age of about seven He had not been seen in he could play any tune he had

normal threat, passed on nak technical questions sense I began to see that 1 side. musical comedy since before heard on the piano in the pitch through

interpreter. which the officer could not job I was doing. And also! "The average soldier in East 24.00❘ the war. He surely was dark. In E flat he gives the And they mean it. 15.00 not relying on

1 used "Once a month voice impression of playing well. The

to go down to the Sovietnik whose nasal fragility was sight of two sharps frightens

with my secret reports on $18.00 constantly trembling on, the brink of parody. And he 15.00 WHB over 501

5.00

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Other entertainers might wear five decades lightly; on Coward they sat 19 鏡 shocking reminder of the ingratitude of Time.

him to death.

Distressed

WATCHING hím play, George WA

Gershwin used to moan, in genuine distress and try to force his fingers on to the right notes.

is

But Coward defiantly claims he better pianist than Irving The middle-aged would Berlin, who can only pluck out feel that, as the kimono a tune in C major. wearing, absinthe sipping

"London Pride symbol of their youth, he had let them down by maturing,

...

the

answer,

men would

Wag

a

not really suited for the

wanted to get married. I re- Germany's Communist army is "Curiously enough, fused to give up Christa

Wo

for paid, the equivalent of £2 I the Party, and refused to week, and a sergeant double, found the young Rus- step steing her. I was going The basic pay for a Lieutenant who to be made to suffer for my is about £5 a work,, but his each man in the unit, my were occasionally sent chatfracy,

total pay works' out about £8 "The great Informer network a week. ав 'observers'

which I had been trained to quite pleasant. They were use

began to turn its spying

time tables for political lectures, files, propaganda

sian

to

us

army officers

plans and a report on my not Sovietniks and get tentacles in on me. In Novem

month's work.

"No order can be issued

much

In the unit without the than most of their opposite from Sovietnik having approved numbers in the Enst Ger- special signals it. He is undisputed master of every East German

man army.

Spy System

Little To Buy

higher standard ber last year I was transferred my nelatively pleasary and respcrabble

The job in

"This eneney is not back But unkt 10 at ordinary battalion,

one can buy very little for it in the shops. And what one "Life here was hard, even as can buy is poor qutuly,

Polit Kommissari I found

"Today my wife and I have the other oneers brutal men, nothing but the clothes wo who loathed me, and Christa stand up in and

the meals even more because "clasa enemy."

provided for us by the Red East German army is con- the regiment to which I was all this does not matter com-

"The spy system in the

Cross In the refugee camp. In The literate commander of the US rector of Berlin. But trolled from the Secret attached was Captain Dieter pared with the feeling of being Sovietnik are often almost Police H.Q. in Berlin. But Wendt. We quarrelled at once. released from the nightmare of I knew I was on the way out, fear, spying and hatred which and I decided to dofy the Communism. impossible to

Communist machine.

soldier.. So much for the vaunted 'independence' of the People's Police", army which the Communists pro- a flower claim in their propaganda.

"The criticisms by the

k

has been handed down to us

London Pride is

that's free."

indul-

П

BS

The young would gently dismiss him relic of the days saxophone-playing was social asset. Who -go-to-see-him?-

".

Immaculate

It was while standing on the

when platform of a London railway

a station in 1941 after a bad blitz, would that the idea came to him to put these words to a tune based on o traditional lavender-seller's song. The melody had been used 25 a foundation for Deutschland uber Alles.

Mad Dogs, and Englishmen one of the few songs con-

Was

I "considered the time had LEAST perturbed of all by come for us to have it back in London where it belonged," he such misgivings was writes. Coward. Dressed in an alpaca dinner jacket and swaying ever so slightly at celved in an appropriate setting. the microphone and estab- It came him during a cor lished himself as the big- drive from Hanel to Slam. gest cabaret hit in postwar "True, the only white people to seen werd. French, but one London.

can't have every thing," he "A room with a view, and explains,

you And no one to worry

28

be

F.D.R. was right

"

the

No one to hurry ua.

and

Roosevelt CHURCHILL He sang only his own songs,

once argued about whether delivering them with the benign in Bangkok at twelve o'clock modesty of a muharajah dis- they foam at the mouth and pensing opals and pearls. "I run" came at the end of know they are precious," he first or second refrain of Mad Deemed to be saying, "but

Dops. Roosevelt, who insisted it came at the and of the was a triumph of melicu- teccnd, was right, lous timing. immaculate рго- "On 11 knees, . Mira jection, and above all, of

Worthington,

have nothing smaller."

Ii

the

overwhelming nostalgia of his meladies. Ho assaulted the memory with wishful associn- tions we all wanted back.

Reminiscent

EVEN the

officers

Please, Mrs Worthington,

Don't put your daughter on,

the stage."

This advice, which he claims to be a passionate cry from the heart, Coward now admits has been abjectly ineffective in dis couraging stage-struck mother.

young Guards and debutantes "On the contrary," he sighs, found they knew the songs, and "the song seems to have given were surprised and delighted them extra impetus, and 89 out to discover that Coward had of 100 of the letters they write written them.

to me refer to it with roguish Indulgence, obviously secure In the conviction that it could not apply to them."

"I'll see you again

Whenever spring breaks

through again,”

Perhaps it was the realisation

that his tunes might outlive his pinys that stimulated him into assembling $1 of his songs into

understand

the 'Polit Section' of the except in the light of a army division is the head- warped Communist ideology. quarters of the local au Once I was attacked by a thority. This is where I Sovietnik for having asked-got-my-orders-from.

"They were, passed down both the representatives of

A

she was a

Marriage

married

"Whatever the future may bring, and we do not expect life

to be easy in the tree world at first, we thall never by taxleab regret our scape through the Iron Curtain,"

But while freedom is hand, a threat of danger still hangs over the Bartschats.

"Christo and I got the Communist Free Ger. from the HQ propaganda man Youth in the unit and and snooping centre which secretly in December 1952. A the Communist Party mem-

was controlled by A few months later I was trans Lt-Colonel and included

· Living in West Berlin they ferred to

lo a barracks holding bers

1.500 troops near to a joint discussion

the new have to be careful not to enter staff of 10, all picked "Socialis cfly" of Karl Marx the Soviet half of the elty by on propaganda methods."

fanatical Party men.

Stadt, formerly the textile town mistake, or to travel on the "Four

suburban railways. Even in 'propagan of Chemnitz

"Then l June I was moved the British, U.S. and French dists,' that is to say, again. This time It

to sectors they are under the lecturers whose task is to Potsdam and I was moro cenkol of the East German

was

Dangerous

to

are

woa

put over the official Party grateful than they knew for Communist railway administra

the change. For it brought tion. Christs and me to within 25

In

*

Revenge

police

"I was told this was the

line to the men.

"The

rest have dangerous crime of Titoism

joba mies of Berlin-and freedom. Communist railway or, in

words, a which sound other

like.

gib- "My job in Potsdam was to have several timer kidnapped 'popular front, which is berish to the outsider, pravkié reading, rooms with refugees from East Germany the trains. They have now officially anathema to

shows on, but they wield con Communist books, alm

with Red propaganda movies vanished never to return. Communists.

siderable power the

everything for entertainment, One false steg back across "What I should have done Senior Instructor for Party from fed magazines to chess. the Iron Curtain which divides

invite

would mean death them Matters; the Chairman of Chess is encouraged in East the elly

for firing squadİ separately and give them the Party Control Com- Germany because it is played before

Russia.

Hans, and at least 25 years In exactly the samo instruc mission'; the local head This job was obviously the a Communist guol for Christa. tion in Communist pro of the Communist Free lowest form of employment for paganda-but at different German Youth; the In- en ambitious Polit Kommissar meetings. It seemed to me structer for Cultural Mass Fortunately I was not one. My

a complete Work',

official title was typically Com- that this was

and the 'Club thunist and completely mern- waste of time, but by this Lender who is Master of Ingless Collaberator for Cul- Only a few times during the time I knew better than to Ceremonies for Party meet fural Mass Work'.

part. eight years have the Reds superior wad

Colonel dared to kidnap their enemies argue with a Sovietnik.

'ings..

He was a fanatical in West Berlin In most cases. BASIC ke all the other their "Snooping and spying

revenge, was made easy was only one part of my

Polit officers

I soon got on by carelessners and the thrill work as a Polit Kommissar.

the wrong side of him.

Then of re-crossing in Berlin the German riots forbidden line which ends in I also gave lectures to the

come the East on June 17. The East German tragedy instead Då an nis officers,, NCO's and men on Communism, and tried to

In ormy units In Potsdam were passage to freedom. explain by mental somer. saults the rapid changes in Soviet policy.

-Was

Right, Wrong

Vast Machine

The 'Instructor

the Communistă in East. Ger-

But not even the efficient the Communist Kovernment Party Documents is the rushed to East Berlin to guard

leaders from the furious fecret police system and up by local Party secretary, who collects Party dues and crowds,

have many can cope with the food does the administration. hanged them there and then of escapers. They and forced

who

would

"All this vast propaganda but for the tommyguns of the to accept machine is designed with, but People's Army.

Final Plans

the fact that the innermost secreta of their jystem" aro'now known to most Germans the West

one purpose to seep the East German army through andi

The true ille stories of men through with Communism, and "Sometimes it. was to see that no dangerous 'idese

like Hans Bartschat and his free world ever

wito Christo have smashed the frankly impossible. When from the

Inside its narrow "It was then that we made power of the Communists. In the plan to train 1,200,000 penetrale

***our final plans to escape. The West Germany and helped to Party members in the Enst fanatical walls.

We were taught every twist events in East Germany en prevent a single Communist German army this summer of Communist, arguments, every June. 17, had made up my deputy being elected to Bonn in the recent dropped and was slick phrase and illogical back mind-this was a rollen, foul panilament

jensweg, f. Words were given ryelem, and the mass of the elections, HE Noel Coward Song Book followed by the decision to pecial - meanings USA ORAS. Soviet zono's '17 million people DA silver Pella delle wit

spans almost 40 years like a reduce. Its strength from had anywhere else.

were against tre

st.. I could stay take off from Tempelhof atr The Noel Coward Song Book bridgo✨ of “memories, If the

"Objectivism”- (Michael

fufield one day next week. for instance,+ no longer songs are trivial, how important 120,000 to 80,000 to fit in

Is crime in Communist "When the June riols occur: On board, their fare paid by

West They reveal a mind skimming are dreamat Perhaps Coward with, Moscow's New Look Thi

countries. But while Objecti- rod I found that not even the the German Government, himself knows" best how long policy towards the West, Ilm wicked, to be objective is majority of oficers of the East will be Hans and Christo cratically from romance

fun intro to they will lost when he rings was not allowed to give got a matter of words the regime. Before then not in love who are looking

to

ganggu derman mamnylareally, support. Bartechat two young cynicism,

peat This is a changing world, sny reasons for the

my dear,

To listen to the BDC a more than a quarter ever dared ward to a future 800 miles change,

objectivim,. But to read, the to indicate that they disagreed from the shadow of the spy "So I used what was Communist attacks on the West with shything the Communists and the Informer which known as the dialectical is belog objective.

Kanterly ruined "thelê lives:

Joseph, 33s.).

nippancy, from galety to despair. Sometimes they evoke candle-lit sleaves and gipsy violina; other Limes they lie up only tha Images of yesteryear's/headlines.

24

New songs are sung, new

́, stare appear.”

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