Ready for a dash across the border near Helmstedt
'Hlde-andSeek' City Serves
As Point for Border-Crossers
By PAUL R. BLOCK
AP Newsfetturu)
Helmstedt, March 7 This is the "hide-and-seek" city off Ger-
manv.
While the world watches the movement of legal road and rail
freight traffic through Helmstedt to Berlin, illegal Business De
tween east and west goes on much as it has since 1945.
Hundreds of Germans from'
the east and west illegally cross
the border near here daily. The
great majority of these are east
ern Germans, readily recogniz
able by their shabby appearance.
They come to visit friends and
relatives in the west. Others
come to buy food which is se
verly rationed in the Russian
zone. With the exception of
sugar, no food is rationed in
Western Germany.
The forests surrounding Helm
atprit make ideal cover for the
border crossers. Innumerable
little paths meander through the
woods and across the border.
Silent people carrying knap
sacks or suitcases hurry across
the few clearings.
On the "other side" they play
hide and seek with communist
border guards and Russian sen
tries. Western German customs
officials who patrol the border
estimate that 70 to 80 per cent
of the people are caught by So
viet zone guards. Usually they
are arrested and sent home after
a day's detention.
Unless somebody Is obviously
smuggling goods, Western border
guards take little notice of the
border crossers.
Usually the Eastern Germans
bring along textiles or stock-
ings which they exchange for
food. Medicines are also in
high demand being almost unob
tainable in the east.
In most places the border is
not marked. Before you know
it you have entered the Soviet
zone.
The western checkpoint on
the autobahn (super highway) to
Berlin teems wwith activity 24
hours a day. This was the scene
of the lifting of the Berlin block
ade in May 1949. Two "little
blockades" were enforced by the
Russians here since then. Strong
blue arc lamps light the check
point. On a normal day a vehi
cle passes through the check
point every two minutes In each
direction. During rush hours,
this sometimes rises to a vehicle
a minute. From 1,T)00 to 2,000
tons of goods for Berlin pass
through here daily.
About 200 yards' from the zon
al border, just behind the west
ern checkpoint, a small German
boom town has sprung up.
Loudspeakers blare marches,
dance music and opera day and
night. Five restaurants do a
land office business. ' German
truck drivers, illegal border
crossers and an occasional cus
toms official' are the main cus
tomers. .
For many Eastern Germans
these are the first West Ger
man restaurants they enter.
Truck drivers, hungry and tired
after a drive from Berlin; take
a quick lunch before hurrying
on to their destinations in West
ern Germany. For eastbound
drivers it's the last chance to
eat well before entering the So
viet zone.
The 28,000 (pre war 18,000)
inhabitants of Helmstedt do not
appreciate the attention their
city is getting. With the ex
ception of shopowners they don't
care.
This former university city
is a border town on an Eastern
frontier for the second time since
it was founded. The first time
was 1,100 years ago. Helmstedt
historians claim that about 800
A.D. Charlemagne started a cam
paign against the Wenden tribe
from this eastern outpost of his
empire.
Helmstedt's famous university,
founded in 1576, was closed in
1810. The university building,
a masterpiece of German renais
sance architecture, is still popu
lar with sightseers. Two mighty
oaks, where students used to
duel, still stand in the woods
near the zonal border.
Before the second world war,
Helmstedt was a well visited
spa. . Today, ' the. old customers
who live in the Soviet zone no
longer fill the "kurhaus". Re
fugees and customs officials now
occupy the building. The city
came out of the war almost un
scathed.
Brannan Says
Eggs Too High
Denver, March 7 W) Farm
price supports are pricing eggs
and milk out of the reach of
manv Americans. Secretary of
Agriculture said last night.
"We must get eggs to market
at a fair price or tell American
farmers to quit producing them.
he told the National Farmers
Union convention.
The Farmers Union presented
Brannan its 1949 awardJor out
standing service to American ag
riculture for his farm program
It would substitute direct pay
ments to farmers for price sup
ports. - -
The per capita consumption of
milk is not far from its depres
sion level, Brannan said, while
the government has the equival
ent of two to two and a half bil
lion pounds of whole milk it
bought to keep prices nigh,
Americans ate 11 eggs less per
capita last year than in 1948
he said, yet the government has
about 210 million dozen eggs
stored in caves.
Urge Marines Be
Given Direct Voice
Washington, March 7 (P)
Chairman Vinson (D Ga) of the
house armed services committee
introduced legislation yesterday
that would give the marines a
direct voice in the nation's top
military planning body.
This action is an outcome of
the committee's investigation
last October into the "navy re
volt" against present adminis
tration of the national defense
act.
Under the Vinson proposal the
commandant of the marine corps
would become a voting member
of the joint chiefs of staff along
with the military heads of the
army, navy and air force.
Marine and navy witnesses
told the committee during its in
quiry last fall into the inter-service
row that they feared the
army and air force were out to
destroy the marine corps even
tually. Sheriff Shrunk Turns
Down $20,000 Bribe
Portland. Ore., March 7 (U.B
Multnomah County Sheriff Ter
ry D. Schrunk today said he had
turned down several bribes of
fered to ward off his interfer
ence in gambling operations.
Schrunk did not say who of
fered the bribes. The largest of
fer he said was $20,000.
WHILE WAITING FOR JURY
Gubitchev Finds Comics
Not Good for a Laugh
(Editor's Note: After Valentin Gubitchev disappeared for
a long time from the federal courtroom early today, United
Press correspondent Leo Turner found him pacing the inner
corridor of a suite of government offices. Turner began
pacing the opposite side of the corridor and the following
conversation ensued.)
By LEO TURNER
New York, March 7 (u.R) Valentine Gubitchev looked straight
through the reporter pacing the opposite side of the hall.
"Why don't you pick up that telephone and dictate my story for
me?" .
"I don't speak English," Gubitchev said.
"Dictate it in Russian."
"You think it would be a good
story?" Gubitchev asked.
"It would be unbiased would
n't it?"
Gubitchev grinned.
Cohen's Henchman
Held for Murder
Los Angeles, March 7 U.R)
James Robert Iannone, former
henchman of gangster Mickey
Cohen, was held, today on sus
picion of murdering the govern
ment's chief informer against a
$1,000,000 narcotics ring.
Iannone, 36, was seized as a
federal grand jury opened an
investigation today into Califor
nia's illicit narcotics trade. The
inquiry may be the first step of
a government crackdown on na-
tonal and international underworlds.
Federal authorities and police
at .Fresno, Calif., planned to
question Iannone about the kill
ing of Abe Davidian last Tues
day.
"What are you going to do
when the trial is over?"
."Dot depends on the jury."
"What are you going to do if
you're acquitted?"
"What are you going to do?"
"I'll write a story.
"You going to be newspaper
man all your life?' Gubitchev
asked.
"Oh, maybe I'll go into busi
ness for myself sometime. But
what are you going to do?"
"I think I will keep working
for the government. I won't go
into business for myself," he said
with a grin.
Gubitchev walked up and
n Winter folk
ShK rite by night
But they don't drat
By candlelight.
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down the hall again.
'You see the bald-headed
juror?" he asked. "When they
picked the jury the judge asked
him if he had read the newspa
pers. He said 'only the head
lines.' "
"Do you read the newspa
pers?" Gubitchev walked up and
down the hall.
'Only the headlines," he final
ly answered.
Do you read the comics?"
"Why do you call them
comics? I see people in the sub
way, all reading the comics. Why
do they all read the comics?"
"Don't you like a good laugh?"
"They have no humor."
"Well, I've got to write a
story."
"Good luck."
"Thank you."
"In America when you say
fa U:
If . . A)
(ftp)
Raised in Rank George A.
Garrett (above), Minister to
Ireland, has been named Am
bassador by President Truman
who elevated U. S. Legation in
Dublin to an Embassy.
'good luck people always say
'thank you. "
"Don't they do that in Rus
sia .'
"No. Now I try to get into
courtroom."
"In Russia it is bad luck to
say 'thank you' when someone
says good luck.' "
"What do they say in Russia?
"They say 'go to the devil.' "
Capital Journal, Salem, Oregon, Tuesday, March 7, 1950 3
Gill and Shelby
Vie for Post
Albany, March 7 Assurance
of a contest for the Linn county
state senatorship came Monday
with the filing of his candidacy
by Warren Gill, Lebanon, and
with the announcement of his
prospective filing by Walter
Shelby, Albany RFD 2, promi
nent Linn county farmer and
dairyman, in the democratic
primary.
Each will aspire to succeed
Orval Thompson, who revealed
Saturday his resolution not to
seek re-election.
Another candidacy announced
Monday is that of Democratic
Central Committee Chairman
Earl G. Mason, also of RFD 2,
Albany, who aspires to the de
mocratic nomination to the of
fice of Linn county representa
tive in the state legislature.
Thus far no filing for that of
fice in the republican primary
has developed but District At
torney Melvin Goode is reported
considering entry into this field,
left open by Max Landon's deci
sion not to seek re-election and
by Gill's filing for the upper
house.
The value of Oregon's forest
and lumber products is estimated
to be in excess of 700 million
dollars annually.
Coogan Loses Third
Hollywood, March 7 VP)
Jackie Coogan's third wife says
she will file for a divorce soon,
"Things reached a climax after
Jackie's recent trip to Ger
many, said Mrs. Coogan, the
former Ann McCormick, "The
baby and I are staying tempor
arily with Donald and Gwen
O'Connor." The baby, Joanne,
is 2.
"pawftite Stony
TONIOHT
9:30 P.M.
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