Untitled Page 145

May 4, 1960

I came to Berlin with certain misconceptions (as I can see now in
retrospect) which I think arose from my reading of American newspapers
who had been there. Thus several of my own wrong inaccurate ideas are
perhaps shared by most Americans. I expect above all to see in Berlin
the comparison of the standards of living provided by Capitalist vs
Communist economies. I also expected to observe clear examples of
suppression of freedom of nation and the "big lie" used to mislead
people in the Communist system. My misconception lay in the simple
images I have drawn of the evils of Communism vs the virtue of the free
world- the contrasts that do exist are more subtle and not so readily
visible to the eye.

One did see in Berlin the difference if physical appearance at the border
in East and West Berlin. In west B. there is tremendous building activity
both downtown and is the suburbs and the skyline is dotted with numerous
beautiful modern structures. There are endless new stores of all kinds
displaying a variety of consumer goods (fine ones) and the streets are
crowded with shoppers. In East B. there are acres of war ruins where
only the loose rubble has cleaned away leaving shells of bldg.
and here and there a lonely survivor head above the flat bus covered
ground around it. There is Stalin Allee as an example of the new construc-
tion style but its tasteless design (after the Russian model) is all
the more depressing and its stores are obviously fewer and contain less
in both variety and quality than in the west.

But we must be cautious in the conclusion drawn from these observations.
West B. doesn't prove success of Capitalism per it is economically
a completely unnatural situation in two ways. It is entirely cut off from
its natural source of food supplies; it must there fore be subsidized by
the west German govt to the extent of $370 million dollars a year and
it is industries are also given tax discounts etc. Neither do the conditions
in east B. simply prove the failure of the Communist system; rather it
probably illustrates deliberate choices on the part of the east gov't
to develop factories ahead of consumer goods or housing projects.

When I turned to the subject apparent freedom of action I was again
surprised. For in walking around east B. the people we saw didn't look
and sadder of more fearful than those walking around West B; they seemed
to go on about their own business etc. As to propaganda again the
blank white version was unsatisfactory. To begin with one sense everywhere
the presence of two propaganda lines one from the Communists and one from
the west. There are quite alike in their exaggerations too;

The West says:
1. East Germany is a country of
17000000 enslaved people held
under the heel of Communism by Russian
tanks and soldiers.

2. West B is a beacon of Freedom to
suppressed peoples in the midst of a
Red sea.

3. West b. must remain exactly as is
and even to discuss changing the
status-quo in any way is dangerous
and unwise.

The East Says:
1. West G. is a hotebd of Naziism and
militarism.

2. West B. is the center of imperialist
espionage and agitation.

3. West B. mus become a demilitarized
free city.