Report That Soviet Troops Are Deserting

Chronicle (Levin), 30 April 1948, Page 5

Report That Soviet Troops Are Deserting

c Received Thursdav, 7 p.m. LOXDQN, April 29. Tens of thousauds of Soviet occupation troops are deserting in Germanv, acording to an article • published~ in Neue Zeitung, the offit'ial American Military Government German language newspuper, says the New York Herald-. 'fribune. A dispatcli said fliat the Soviet district commandant of Neustrelitx, tlie se''ond largest city in tlie Soviet Zone, Provinee oi' Ilecklenburg, liad appeal ed to the Burgomaster to "give energetic suitport in the .prosecution of tliese deserters. " Tlie Soviet commandant, aecording to the American sponsored newspaper, told the Burgomaster that "several tens of thousauds of men of the Kussian Occupation Army in the Soviet Zone," had deserted. Aecording to the Neue, Zeitung, the Soviet eonimandant, had asked that in the ease of deserters, 'the Geriuan population take "without hesitation, measures for their own defence. " The Soviet district commandant declared that some of the deserters liad managed to go west but by far the gfeater miniber "reuiaiiied in tlie ea.it /.oue of occupation with stolen clothes and falsiiied papers. " The American sponsored- newspai>er also said that "Soviet women in Germanv have to go to special traiuing camps before being sent back to the Soviet." It added that some of them succeeded in ileeing these camps , and are it present iiicognito in Germany.