GERMAN REDS ENTICE YOUTH TO MARCH ON BERLIN BY OFFERING 3-DAY SPREE AND LIFE INSURANCE
STOUT, JONATHAN
German Reds Entice Youth to March on Berlin By Offering 3-Day Spree and Life Insurance By JONATHAN STOUT New Leader Wuslnnytun Correspondent WASHINGTON. D. C. DIPLOMATIC AND MILITARY...
...Second, the offer of insurance seem', to reflect Communist expectations that some of the march participants, or their beneficiaries, may he able to collect on their policies after the smoke .-tears on May I...
...The chainuaii of the subcommittee is Senator John J. Sparkman of Alabama, who has been, one of the most active lighter : in the upper house for moie and cheaper housing for Americans...
...Supporting the third theory is the information that the Freie Deutsche Jugend is offering all those who join file youth march free insurance poll cies in case of injury or death incurred (hiring the three day invasion...
...First, it serves as bait for the desired 500,000 marchers, who are being offered such other inducements as free transportation, food, lodging and, of course, a three day spree...
...This picture can be changed, even at this late daUy if Senator Sparkman and his subcommittee receive bushels of letters and telegrams -but fast— from tenants all over the nation...
...A Bureau of Labor Statistics survey of what happened in four cities which were de-eon trolled gives a preview of what may happen if all Federal con trols are lifted...
...That's the outlook for 40,000,000 Americans who rent their homes, un less Senator Sparkman and the other Senators and Representatives hear from renters this week...
...D. C. DIPLOMATIC AND MILITARY STRATEGISTS in Washington believe the three days of May 27 to 29 will mark a turning point in the cold war in Germany...
...Rent Control Doomed Unless Tenants Act From Our Washington Bureau FORTY-EIGHT MILLION American ; will almost certainly lace rent in .leases after July I, unless the unexpected happens and Congi ess extends the Federal Rent Control Act which • xpires on June 30...
...President Truman, Vice President...
...rented homes in the areas now under Federal rent control...
...Hearings on those bills bei;an l!n: week before a Senate hanking and currency subcommittee...
...Defense Secretary Johnson and State Secretary Acheson...
...At this writing, there isn't even an appropriate bill before the House of Representatives, although rent control is about to expire and Congress is getting ready to adjourn in July...
...And in Salt Lake City, Utah, rises totalled lb to 27 per cent.* The survey answered the ipjestion Who gets hit hardest when relit con Irols are ended in tight housing areas' The answer was People who earn be twoen $50 ami $7.'i a week...
...If casualties do icsult...
...Barkley...
...Every Senator and Represent...
...There were no decreases...
...Not long ago, lie pointed out that Russian bombers are capable of dropping atom bombs anywiieie in the Dinted State As a member of the National Hi euiity Council, Symington is export', d to reinforce Defense Secretary Johnson, who also believes war between the Soviet Union and the United Stairs is inevitable...
...In telligenee reports from Germany indi rate, however, that even this may not attract enough recruits...
...Families with incomes between $40 and $60 a week got average increases of 43 per cent...
...The addition of Symington to this select group marks a new shift in the Council's center of gravity...
...How little chance there is for any bill introduced at this late date in implied in the fact that some measures thrown m the hopper last January have not yet been acted on...
...One reason is the Hood of requests fiom scores of groups and individuals, rep resenting real estate interests, who want a hearing before the suhcom lllittee...
...In Spokane, Washington, they amounted to 18 to 21 per cent...
...They constitute one-third of the nation anil outnumber the real estate beys at kast 100,000-to 1 But they are being outnumbered where it counts -in Congress — because Unreal estate lobby has launched one of the most concentrated drives Washington lias seen in years— and the people who pay rent have been silent...
...A slim possibility exists that something may come out of the Senate, where one bill to extend controls for a year was jointly introduced by Ma lority I<ender Lucas of Illinois and Senator Myei s of Pennsylvania...
...the Communists will almost certainly make the most of them in eluding a mass public funeral, and uu emotional appeal to all Germany and Europe that may well bring the cold war to a new pitch of intensity...
...This probably has a double signifi .since...
...tive has been deluged with letters, telegrams and other publicity by leal estate organizations On the other hand, aside from labor unions, comparatively little has been head by Senator Snarkman and bis colleagues from the people who pay rent and presumably would like to have rent control continued...
...On those three days, the Soviet-sponsored Freie Deutsche Jugend, Nazi-like East German Communist youth organization, promises to launch a youth march of 500,000 from all part,, of Soviet Germany on Berlin...
...Tins sounds sen rely conceivable Tin'i e aie III.OOO.OOO people Irving in...
...Prospects of such an extension are extremely bad...
...If that happens, it will be clear that the Communists considered the squall tiering ol » lew more innocent lives a smalt pi ice to pay for a new piopa ganda weapon...
...A third guess, which has enough supporting evidence to appear more probable, is that the Communists, copying Goering's Reichstag Fire tactics, are preparing a propagandist ie cause relebre by creating a situation in which some of the youth marchers lose their lives at the bands of Allied troops or West Berlin police...
...But Senator Sparkman has expressed deep pessimism on chances for rent, control extension by Congress...
...P.S...
...Tins week, former Air Secretary W. Stuart Symington took office as new chairman of the National Security Resources Board, and thereby became a member of the Council, which also include...
...In Topeka, Kansas, rent increases ranged from 29 to 3(1 per cent...
...TOP POLICY on questions of war or peace is made in Washington by the National Security Council...
...One is that the demonstrations an intended merely to impress West Bei liners in the Allied sectors with the Communists" large following m East Germany, A more ominous guess extreme pei haps, hut possible is that the Commu nist youth demonstrators will attempt a mass invasion of West Berlin, involv mg Allied troops in defensive action, arid that tills will provide the spark tu set off the hot war...
...This could furnish a propaganda weapon of in estimable value to the Soviets not only in Berlin and Western Germany, but throughout all Western Europe, par Ocularly in France and Italy...
...In Dalian, Texas, fami lies with incomes under $40 a week found that their rent lose an average of 47 per cent...
...ami another was piesented last week by Senator I<etmian <>f New Yoik, pin Vidmg for a two-year extension...
...Ignoring the obviously specious Com munmt announcement that the marchers intend to parade and demonstrate m Berlin for the "peace and unification of Berlin and all Germany," official Washington is weighing three theories...
...ltd its climbed an average 33 per cent for those with incomes between $60 and $80 a week...
...Symington has been a convinced exponent ol the theory that the Soviet Union expects to go to war with the United State,;, In recent months, he has warned Urination that the Soviet Union's air fane is the strongest in the world, that the Soviets have built up the largest submarine fleet, and that they have tinworld's largest, standing army...
...Johnson and Symington are expected to outweigh the influence of State Secretary Acheson, who "talks tough" about the Soviet menace but continues to : uppnrt the policy of building up Communist China's rail road system by permitting Peking, to buy steel tails in Western Germany...
Vol. 33 • April 1950 • No. 17
