Both Sides Angry At Berlin Shooting

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30946, 30 December 1965, Page 9

Both Sides Angry At Berlin Shooting

(NZ.P.A. Reuter—Copyright)

EAST BERLIN, Dec. 29.

The East German authorities are to try a number of people arrested after a Christmas bid to crash through the Berlin wall, which ended in the death of a young West German.

The people responsible for this "provocation” would soon have to answer before a court. East German newspapers said yesterday. Both sides of the divided city are angry over this shooting, which has heightened tension along the wall.

A wave of indignation swept the Western sector because Communist border guards shot and killed 27-year-old Heinz Schoeneberger, who drove the escape car at a checkpoint barrier on Sunday. “A Provocation” The East Germans are equally indignant at what they term a provocation. They contend Schoenberger and his brother Horst were trying to smuggle out two East German girls, one aged 17, hidden in the car.

They also intended to take an 18-month baby, but left it in an East German apartment because it did not react to sleeping pills, the East Germans claim. The American, British and French commandants of Berlin yesterday jointly protested to the Soviet Ambassador in East Berlin over shooting incidents at the wall during the Christmas period. An Allied communique called on the Ambassador to urge East German authorities to prevent further actions designed to create dangerous tension.

It mentioned Schoeneberber’s death, and also referred to an incident on December 22 when an apparently drunk West Berliner tried to scale the wall, and was shot in the leg by East German border guards.