SOUGHT BY GERMANS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 77, 11 January 1949, Page 3

SOUGHT BY GERMANS

TRANSFER TO AMERICAN ZONE

(From Reuter's Correspondent). (By Air Mail.) PRAGUE,

Hundreds of Germans in Czechslovalcia are applying for transfer to the United States zone of Germany, under the recently-announced transfer policy, according to Allied Military Government officials.

Applications are expected to run into many thousands as news of the new American'policy becomes known. Various estimates give the number of Germans who may be affected at from 150,000 to 250,000, and it is expected that a good proportion of these will take advantage of the opportunity to leave Czechoslovakia. United States authorities have said they are willing to accept any German able to show he will not become a burden on zone economy.

The provincial authorities must be satisfied that applicants are assured of shelter and the means of livelihood. There are no other restrictions. The mass transfer of Germans from Czechoslovakia ended abruptly in December, 1946, when the Allies Governments, despite . Czech protests, announced that German economy would not stand any further intakes of migrants. Small transfers, mainly compassionate cases, have been permitted since, but all are to be discontinued until the new policy can be implemented.

The Czechs have promised their cooperation, but the procedure to be followed has not yet been agreed to. The American offer, which, it was believed, would be followed by similar arrangements for acceptance of Germans in French and British zones, will mean a further substantial loss of skill and manpower to Czech industry, but there is no suggestion that the Communists have changed a policy which they have so vigorously pursued since the Big' Three, on Russia’s insistence, approved it at Potsdam.