Berliners Doubt Intentions Of The West

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28766, 11 December 1958, Page 17

Berliners Doubt Intentions Of The West

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, December 10. Although Berlin voters have rejected Mr Khrushchev’s plan to make West Berlin a free city, they are tending to doubt whether the West will stand firm if it comes to a “tussle,” writes the “Daily Telegraph’ 2 correspondent in Berlin. In spite of all the assurances of Western support and the show of confidence by West Berlin leaders there are considerable misgivings among the population, he claims "A sizeable minority fear an Allied sell out believing that the Russians mean business this time and that the West will not fight for Berlin. ' “They also fear the West may be tricked in negotiations with the Russians. “The Berliner is convinced that he understands the Russian better than anyone else and considers the Western world far too credulous and idealistic for the grim poker game that Ues ahead. He is equally anxious lest emotionalism or scheming nationalism in West Germany should bring pressure on Dr. Adenauer to accept the perilous bait of German reunification on Russian terms. “If most Berliners probably think the chances are that all will stand firm, there is still doubt about whether they will be determined and able to stop any interferencewith Berlin's communica-

tions and maintain a free flow of trade and passengers with West Germany. “The only other and more cautious line of resistance would be once again to counter an attempted blockade by a bigger, and better airlift. This would be immeasurably more difficult than in 1948-49." “Mere Complex” "The over-all picture is far more complex than at the time of the blockade in 1948-49. Then the Berliner had nowhere else to go and nothing to lose but his freedom, but he bad also faith in his own capacity to survive and in the ability of the Western Powers to stand fast or fight and a consuming hatred and contempt of Russians and Communism. “The only factor that has remained unchanged through all sections of the population is the last. This change is partly due to the complete economic transformation that has taken place in West Berlin and the alternative possibilities for business or employment that have been opened up in West Germany. But to some extent it is also due to a considerable loss of confidence in the Western Powers. The Berliner believes Russia’s position tn the world —military, economic and political, is immeasurably stronger —compared with the West than at the time of the blockade. “Further, the Western Powers by their handling of the present crisis have lost much of the great 0

reserve of confidence in them that existed in Berlin. The Berliner was alarmed at the general tendency in the West to play down the danger of the Russian threat. “Western optimism was interpreted as a woeful underestimate of the danger or as the softeningup stage of a policy of appeasement at the expense of Berlin. “In the midst of all this uncertainty came the catastrophic statement by Mr Dulles on November 26 that Americans might be prepared to deal with minor East German officials as the agents of the Russians. “It is not an overstatement to say that that statement destroyed at one blow something like half of the tremendous goodwill and prestige the Americans had built up over the last 13 years. “We cannot hold Berlin if the town loses faith in us. Handled the right way there is a great reserve and even greater potential of courage and endurance in the cause of freedom of Germany and Europe. Handled the wrong way there is nothing to stop half the population from getting out and the other half from making their peace with the Eastern regime."