Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1962)
MEDFORD MAIL i'RIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON Anniversary of East Berlin Uprising Being Observed Today SUNDAY. JUNE 17. 1962 Br EDWARD SHIELDS United Presi International Berlin - OIPD - If the world hadn't known It before, it learned Just nine years ago this week end what Soviet Russia was prepared to do if any Red-ruled "people's dem ocracy" tried to be demo cratic. In East Berlin at 7 a.m. on June 16, 1953, a small obtained In Linn Final deadline is PROPOSAL ATTACKED Albany-IUPD-Proposed salary increases for elected officials ranging up to $2,340 per year were attacked in an editorial in the Albany Democrat Herald. Only 6,000 Sign for Korean Vet's Bonus Albany-(UPI)-Only 6,000 sig- American Legion, said Friday, natures statewide have been The petition must have obtained for the initiative pe- 53,000 names to place the tition for a Korean veterans measure on the November bonus, Charles Draper, Al- ballot. bany, state commander of the There have been 3,000 Big- natures County. July 5. Korean veterans eligible would be those serving be tween June 25, 1950 and July 27, 1953 inclusive. group of building workers - there were about 80 of them -decided to strike for higher wages. It was a spark that flared into a two-day rebellion now known as "the uprising of the 17th of June." The world was to witness similar Russian ruthlessncss in Hungary a little more than three years later. But it was In East Berlin in 1953 that the cloak of "friendship treaties" and faked "elections" the Kremlin had thrown over its post-war satellites was lorn away in naked force. Much Has Changed Much has changed since then in East Berlin, but not its Communist rule. And since lost Aug. 13 - the days the Reds began to build "The Wall" that now shuts off East from West - it has been more a prison than ever. More than 40 persons have been slain trving to get through the wall. Mayor Willy Brandt of West Berlin referred to tne wan in a 17th of June anniversary statement in which he called It a second major confession of failure by Walter UlbricM diehard Stalinist boss of East Germany. "Ulbricht has misjudged the situation for the second time," Brandt said. "On the 17th of June, 1953, the angry bitter ness of the people (of East Berlin) exploded. With the wall, the Communists have provoked the anger and ab horrence of all freedom lov ing mankind. The shabby fa cade of the last nine years has collapsed for the second time." On that June 18 morning, the men who went on strike had been working on shops and apartment houses being erected to provide East Ber lin with a showpiece street along broad Stalinallee (now ric-Stalinized to Frankfurter allee). There was an economic squeeze on at the time. Work ers' pay had been reduced and their working hours raised in a Communist effort to step up production but keep down wages due to wide shortages in consumer goods. Food and clothing prices were higher. Some had risen as much as 100 per cent in less than a year. There had been some minor protest walkouts for a few hours and there had been talk of a general strike. Commun ist authorities ignored the pro tests and only demanded more work. By June 16, the build ing workers on Stalinallee had had enough, and at 7 a.m. they walked off the job. 2 pi. - 'taaskJ .-Lj. !; TANK ATTACKED-A Russian tank is attacked by stone throwing East Berltners in this photo taken during the short-lived anti-Soviet uprising in 1953. The Russians de- SW wA-Sf" '"' 11 JIV dared martial law In several East German cities and, with the aid of tanks and armored cars, crushed the re volt within 36 hours. (UP1) -- U' n'M1 MARCH THROUGH GATE - Flag-waving East Berlin workers march through the Brandenburg Gate into the Western sector of the city after the start of the short lived workers' revolt, as shown In the photo taken June 17, 1953. The anti-Soviet upris sing was crushed within 36 hours by Rus sian tanks and guns. (UPI) Having quit, the men decid ed to carry their complaints 1o officials at the main minis terial council building on Lcipzigerstrasse a couple of miles away. They started walking. It was too casual a parade to be called a march. But as the strikers, still a lillle indecisive, walked along something began to happen. Other workers along the route, learning what the build Ing men were doing, stopped working and joined them. By 9:30 a.m. the handful of strik ers had become a line of hun dreds shouting "on to the min istry!" Then the first violence oc curred. A small band of Vopos (people's police) met the par aders at Strausbcrger Platz ' and tried to break them up They were punched in a brief tussle and shoved aside. Grow In Numbers Growing in numbers by the minute, the parades - shout ing louder now and increas ingly excited moved through the city, to Alexander Platz, from there to the Lustgarten and then along Under den Linden to the Wilhrlmstraj.ie By 1 p.m. the throng had grown into several thousands of persons as they reached the ministerial building. The streets echoed with their roared demands. "End the work norms!" "Give us pro per pay!" A Soviet zonal offi cial appeared at ministry window. He tried to speak to the crowd, to quiet it. He was shoute-l down. Sudaenly, a voice was heard above the rest crying: "We want to be free! This is a peo ple's uprising! We demand free, secret elections!" As one observer remarked later, "that pushed the button." The crowd, milling and noisy, started moving away, apparently back toward Stal inallee. The shouting and de mands increased. Now there were cries of "free the polit ical prisoners!" and a chanted "General Strike! Genera' Strike!" loudspeakers the demonstra tors were urged to go back to work. They were promised The council of ministers has cancelled the work norms!" But the cries of "General Strike! General Strike!" and "Free Elections!" continued. And the size of the crowd kept growing. Demonstrating Continues All through the afternoon the demonstrating went on, but without a mnjor blowup. By 6 p.m. the main crowd was back at Stalinallee and again Communist functionar ies, talking through Inud socakers, tried to calm the at mosphere. There were several minor clashes and the Com munists were chased from the scene. Hour after hour the noise, the marching and the speech making went on, until at 9 p.m., worried by the path matters were taking, a radio broadcast from the West Ger man government seat at Bonn urged the East Rerliners and other East Germans to be pru dent. How many East Germans heard this appeal was not known. It had little, if any, effect. The crowds' loaders called for a mass meeting at 7 a.m. the following day, June 17, in Strausheiger Plntz. The stage was set for blood shed. At 8 a m.. Soviet authori ties look over the "practical administration" ot the city, in cluding command of the peo ple's police. At fl a m. five Red armored cars drove full tilt Into a crowd massed at Alexanrier platz. Some demonstrators were knocked down but most scrambled safely out of the way and there were no deaths or serious Injuries. The crowd, instead of dispersing, became angrier and the anncd recon naissance vehicles 'mid their crews were in danger of be ing overwhelmed. First Real Trouble The first real trouble, how ever, was brewing at the So viet zonal ministry building in Lcipzigerstrasse. where by 10 a.m. more than 20.000 dem onstrators had gathered. There was another drmon- stratien at the corner of Frledrlchstras.se and Zunmer- strasse. o In Leiiaigerslras.se the h;i r- racks of the people's police trying to defend their build ing. Fighting was hand-to-hand. At noon the first Soviet T34 tanks rolled into the heart of East Berlin, several rumbling into the Lustgarten, 15 more into Leipzigcrstrassc. At least 20 armored reconnaissance cars and more than 30 other armored Soviet military ve hicles converged on demon strators In different parts of the city. In Lcipzigerstrasse, the heart of the uprising, the first shots were fired. First Death Came "Our first death came to us at Brandenburgcr gate," a survivor of the demonstra tions said later. "Seven ar mored reconnaissance cars came and drove right into our procession from behind and there the first man was killed." Soviet tanks and many of the armored cars were placed strategically around govern ment buildings. They opened machincgun fire into the crowds even as people scat tered in panic. At Lcipziger strasse the strikers fought the tanks with stones and fists. Some freedom fighters wore crushed under the treads. Declare Martial Law At 1:30 p.m. the Soviet commandant declared martial law. It was the beginning of the end. Scattered demonstra tions and fighting continued through the afternoon. At the old Berlin city hall, in mid aftornoon, T34 tanks opened up on a crowd there. At 6 p.m. the East Berlin radio broadcast an announce ment by East German Pre mier Otto Grotewohl that "the decision of the government as to the raising work norms of May 28, 1053, Is rescinded . ." By 9 p.m. Soviet armor was in control and the West Ger man radio told its listeners: "The city is like a monumen tal grave." No one knows how many fighters for freedom died in East Berlin that day. Eight wounded died in West Berlin hospitals. At least 42 demon strators were reported to have been executed on the spot. About 25,000 persons were ar rested in East Germany and hundreds sent to Jail for long terms. There was no announced count of those who died in the streets fighting machine- guns and tanks with stones. bricks and their bare hands "The 17th of Juno," said West Berlin's Mayor Brandt in marking this anniversary, "was not in vain. On this day. the Communists were forced to put their cards on the table. Their double dealing was ex posed to all the world. Now. with their wall, they are try ing to evade their defeat. But one day they will have to give up their game. "Always, In history, have freedom and truth been able to hold out longer." Oregon Delegation Votes a st Debt Bill Washington- H'P1 Reps. Edith 1 Green and Al Ullnian (D-Ore ) Thursday voted for President j Kennedy's bill to temporarily ' lnoroitse the coiling on the ! national debt to Silllg billion. The measure was ja,ssed by I the llousr 211-Ifti and sent In the Senate Rops. Edwin Communist vans drove upwereset afire At 10 a m the ; Purno and Walter Norhlad lo the crowd and throughcrowd clashed with Vopos R Ore ) voted against the bill- mmmm DON'T PANIC! call WARDS (Ts D 773-7301 52-Gal. Elee. WATER HEATER 69 95 No Money Dewn f-VTMi iff Ml SUMMER HEAT BRING WATER PROBLEMS? Let KOGAP Solve Your Water Problems and Save You Money With MULTI-BARK MULTI-BARK Reduces water evaporation from the soil. Reduces irrigation requirements in dry, hot weather. MULTI-BARK ii beneficial for light, sandy soil end granite soil. Improve! its ability to hold water. MULTI-BARK controli extreme iurf. -.. temperatures, prevents the tun from bakinq the toil. MULTI-BARK prevents water run-off. It toakt up the weter end keept the soil moist for days. MULTI-BARK it clean and eaiy to apply, blendi well with sur rounding landicape. Please order a day or two in advance so we cen make the delivery at your convenience and don't forget we give 5&H Green Stamps. We have men and equipment on duty to load your pickups or trailers from 8 to 4:30 every day except Sundays and holidays. KOGAP Ph. 773-6601 Extension 46 Our Coal It Full Utiliiation of Timber Crop Mow to Mp your Gonntoy tow wliil youro mmd for tli fiitro Tf, like so many other Ameri cans today, you've asked yourself, "How can I help my country?" here's a suggestion from the U.S. Treasury: Start buying and holding U.S. Savings Bonds. When you do, you open the door to a lot of bright horizons. For one thing, you put your dollars into a pile that the U.S. Government guarantees to grow. Your investment can never shrink. But your Bond dollars bring you a bigger return than money alone. Uncle Sam uses them to strengthen his stand for freedom so you'll be able to enjoy the things you're sav ing for. Your new home, for example. Buying Savings Bonds helps make sure you'll be able to own and enjoy it in a free world. That's why millions of Amer icans are putting up their dol lars for freedom through Sav ings Bonds today. Why not add your strength? The Communists have world wide ambitions. One way we can upset their geography is to help keep our economy strong through U.S. Savings Bonds. You get more than interest. Sav- ings Bonds pay one return you can measure in dollars and cents, and one you can't. 24-Hour Installation Buy an EXTRA Bond during the Freedom Bond Drive. Keep freedom in your future with U.S. SAVINGS BONDS
