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8
living standard of all Communist nalions.
Officials and the populace alike are
pleased when others describe their eco–
nomic boom as a second
Wirt schafts–
wtmder
(
economic mirade).
The average East German is
tu•ice as
well
off
as the average Russian and bet–
ter off by at least 30 percent than the
average citizen of Hungary, Czech–
oslovakia or any other Commun'ist
nation in East Europe.
The workers in this country -
although not generally pro-Communist
by sentiment - nonetheless exhibit a
desire to see their nation prosper. By
hard work
and
loyalty
to their firm, the
average East German Herr and Frau
Schmidt are determined to do their part
in making their economy successful.
National production in 1969 was up
5
percent. This increase is borne out by
the fact that
65
out of every hundred
households own a
TV
set, 48 a refrig–
crator and the same number a washing
machine.
It
has been estimated that
when all things are considered (such as
low rent, free health treatment, next to
no unemployment, free education, etc.),
the East German worker's living stan–
dard is only 20 percent below that of
his brother in West Germany.
And he is catching up fast.
By a combination of Prussian dis–
cipline, German efficiency and Commu–
nist goading, East Germany has worked
an economic mirade of her own.
The Burden
of
Defeat
What is the more remarkable about
its economic prosperity are the many
disadvantages
and
obstacles
this country
had to overcome in her drive for eco–
nomic success.
1)
N o Marshall Aid.
Casual observ–
ers tend to forget that East Germany,
unlike the Federal Republic, received no
Marshall Plan assistance. Whereas such
financia! help did much in getting West
Germans back on their feet, their broth–
ers in the East had to prosper without
that help.
2)
Crippling Reparations.
Commu–
nist Germany was forced to pay the
USSR 16
billion doltars
in reparation
costs for World War II damagcs done
to the Soviet Union. Furthermore, 700
fact ories were dismantled and Cflrted off
to
R!mia.
Every other railroad track
The
PLAlN TRUTH
was dismantled. Result? East Germany
was left with no heavy industries, no
energy sources, no transport facilities
for the immediate years following the
war.
3)
Lost Lands to Polaud.
Vast por–
tions of rich agricultura! land were
given to Poland. The land now com–
prising East Germany used to be called
the "sandbox" of the Reich in pre-war
days. Today this country is left with less
than one half as much as West Ger–
many's land area and less than one
third the population.
4)
Depopulation Problem.
The refu–
gees who escaped this Communist land
drained the economy of a much-needed
labor force. from 1949 to 1961,
between
2
and 3 mi llion workers, engi–
neers, technicians and intellectuals had
defected to the West. This produced
an
acute labor shortage and "brain drain"
which set the country back many years.
5)
Other Obstacles. Lack of 11atural
reso11rces
forced the country to import
much raw material. East Germany had
also, until recently, to trade mostly with
soft-currency socialist nations, half of it
with the U.S.S.R. on her terms. The
Soviet Union paid East Germany what
she decreed and set her own prices for
raw materials like oil.
But al/ these obstacles have been sur–
mounted.
Today East Germany is flex–
ing her economic muscles. From the
status of a Russian Zone in the 50's,
this land east of the Elbe has risen -
on her own steam - to be the
most for–
midable economic and indmtrial satel–
líte in East E11rope.
Of course, West Germany is econom–
ically the more prosperous of the two.
But East Germany is not lagging far
behind. At first glance, one might
falsely conclude that the gulf between
the two Germanys is a vast one. But this
is not so.
Of course, luxury items and other
non-essential goods are scarce. But
essential goods - such as food items,
clothes, furniture - are adequate in the
consumer market.
Here are sorne examples:
Fruits and vegetables are readily
available for general consumption -
but only in-season produce. The average
\vife is restricted to
buy~ng
wh ichever
March
1971
fruits or vegetables are locally harvested.
In spring there are strawberries, cherries
- and as the summer draws on, plums
and other garden produce. In the
autumn, there are apples, pears, nuts
and whatever may be harvested locally.
This is true also of all varieties of
vegetables.
No Wastage
The government sees no need in
spending hard currency on imports of
out-of-season fruits and vegetables.
This, in truth, allows the government to
spend more money on education, hous–
ing, transport, and other necessary pub–
l íe utilities.
Eating in restaurants here is a further
indication verifying this principie. You
are never overfed, nor for that matter,
undernourished. You are served just
enough food to last until the next meal.
There is no tuastage.
The average East German has learned
to be thrifty - to spend money only
when necessary. As a result, he is left
with more money in his savings
account. Credit buying is not generally
practiced here. The caes you see on the
roads, the furniture in homes, the
expensive clothes people wear have all
been prepaid and belong wholly to thei r
owners.
In the creation of the socialist man,
womcn play an important part. The
socialist East German woman is equat
in status and fully "emancipated."
Upon marrying she can retain hcr
maiden name. Women are asked to
contribute to the State's welfare, both
before and after marriage. When
children come along, mothers are
encouraged to send their offspring to
state-sponsored cribs, homes and kindcr–
gartens so that they can go out to work.
This obviously contributes to a tragi–
cally unsound and unhappy family
lifc. Result? There is an unfortunate
rise of the divorce cate. Apparcntly tht>
leaders are more conceroed with the ful –
fillment of the married couple's obliga·
tion to the State. This comes before
personal satisfaction.
A total of 48 percent of all women
work in East Germany. Among the pro–
fessions, 38 percent of all judges are
women. In parliament, 153 out of 500