EAST BERLIN RIOTS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27073, 23 June 1953, Page 9

EAST BERLIN RIOTS

State’s Appeal To Workers

(NJS. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 1130 p.m.) BERLIN, June 22. East German Communist leaders today admitted in a broadcast “grave errors” in their former attitude to the workers and added “all is still not quiet and working normally” after what they called “the June revolt.”

The Central Committee of the Socialist Unity (Commute ist) Party in an early morning broadcast to factories and homes promised to correct its former errors with its new programme.

The announcement repeatedly broadcast throughout the morning, said that if the workers did not understand the party, then it must be the fault of the party. The party announced 10 new measures which, the radio said, would improve the living standards of all classes and help wipe out the bitterness felt towards the Government.

The announcement said the party would inform and consult the population about further measures. “Workers who were misled and still have not started work are still honest workers, and should be helped. The party must leave its offices and go into the masses. There must be meetings with the workers and frank discussions.”

The new measures to brighten and improve living conditions included the raising of widows’ and old age pensions, reduction of work norms, the building of more private apartments at the expense of the State building projects, reduction of power cuts to the individual consumer at the expense of heavy industry, and more and better shoes and clothes for the working population. The party also said it would reduce transport fares for workers earning under £4O a month, sick leave would not now count as part of annual leave, workers would not have to register compulsorily with State insurance schemes, and sanitation and other amenities of State-owned work places would be improved. The party would also launch a new cultural programme to build more cinemas, theatres, schools, kindergartens and children’s homes.

This programme was agreed to at a meeting of the party’s central committee yesterday when members discussed last week’s wave of strikes and riot?. “The party will not play into the hands of its opponents by going into discussions of why the disturbances broke out. Now x is the time for action," the central committee declared, according to the East German news agency A.D.N. The Prime Minister (Mr Grotewohl) presided at the meeting. Berlin itself moved one stage nearer normal today when the elevated railway started running again this morning in the Western half of the city, after four days at a standstill. The Soviet authorities allowed the railway to restart on five lines through the most thickly populated parts of West Berlin at the request of Mr De Lewen, economic councillor to the French Commandant in Berlin. This month the French Commander is chairman of the Three-Power Western Allied Kommandatura. An occasional shot has been heard from the Eastern sector, while Soviet tanks, guns and bayonets still seal off one half of the city. Yesterday 684 Berliners passed through the controls of the East German police to return home after spending the last four days stranded in West Berlin.

The police also let 12 West Berliners return to their homes. For the fifth night running East Berlin was a “town of the dead” after curfew, which started at 8 p.m local time.

Sabotage Reports The official East German news agency A.D.N. tonight reported that ‘enemy agents” had set fire to a factory making coal briquettes at Nachterstedt. 100 miles south-east of Berlin. It was the first official report of sabotage outside Berlin since the riots. East Berlin theatres, cinemas, and churches opened normally today, but the Soviet-controlled sector of the city, in its fifth day of martial law, remained screened by Russian armour from the outside world. Refugees who sneaked through to West Berlin spoke of 20 deaths in several major East German cities. West Berlin officials said that the full casualty list, if it ever becomes known, would include between 50 and 100 dead.