European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 7, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse By Joe Mapother staff writer . Military travel to Berlin jumped 72 percent Between fiscal 1986 and 1987, accounting for More than 102,000 visitors. This year the total is expected to reach about 130,000. The totals Pale in comparison with the More than 2 million visitors logged in 1987 for All of West Berlin but As army maj. Lawrence Bronstein of the Berlin Provost Marshall s office Points out the situation for Allied travellers is different. Allied travel to Berlin is a right hotly disputed in the past that draws from the postwar occupation of Berlin by the allies of world War ii the United states France great Britain and the soviet Union. Strict adherence to the procedures for Allied travel to Berlin to the Point of fanaticism continues to be a a Benchmark More than four decades after the cily was divided into four occupation zones. A single misplaced comma or spelling that does not correspond to the spelling in a passport or on a military identification card is enough for russian guards to reject an individual s Flag order the Basic travel document needed to get to Berlin As a member of the Allied forces. Last year one in five Flag orders needed corrections. Bronstein said the increase in travellers this year will make it harder for military policemen at checkpoint Alpha the first stopping Point for inbound travellers at Helmstedt to fix the orders. Fixing the orders is not the maps Job Bronstein stressed it is a service. Travellers Are cautioned to Check their Flag orders carefully against the identity documents they Are carrying. Some mistakes cannot be fixed. For instance anyone arriving on a motorcycle that is not based in Berlin can forget the trip. Not allowed. A Power of attorney is needed to drive a Usa eur plated car into Berlin if the car does not belong to the person operating it. Rental cars with civilian License plates May not go As an Allied vehicle. Speed limits in East Germany Are lower than in West Germany. . Travellers Are Given a minimum allowed time to reach the next checkpoint Bravo in the american sector of Berlin and a map. Persons arriving inside the minimum time limits can be adjudged As speeders by military police. Persons straying off the route can sit for hours awaiting the arrival of a russian officer per the transit route script. Dealing with the East germans is forbidden. One goof on the Way in could scratch a trip to fast Berlin. We preclude potential problems in the soviet sector by denying travel privileges to those people who have shown they can t follow instructions on the Auto corridor Bronstein said. Active duty personnel who do not have authorization for East Berlin travel on their movement orders can forget the trip into the soviet sector. The third Allied checkpoint Charlie stands at the demarcation line Between the . And soviet sectors. It can be traversed by foot or vehicle and Bronstein strongly urges Dod civilians and dependents to go by bus or car. If they walk across they forfeit All protections Bronstein said. Civilians do not use the same Footpath military members dressed in class a uniforms must use. The regular tourist crossing subjects the Dod civilian to mandatory Exchange quotas an Entrance fee of 25 Marks about $14plus a five Mark visa fee. The Exchange rate is one to one West Marks to East. A West Berlin Bank will give a customer about seven East Marks to one West Mark. Smuggling currency in is illegal. Allied buses and cars Are not searched by East German guards. Allied civilians on foot can be. We Tell them to Tak an itt tour bus a sky rider tour bus or go in a Usa eur plated vehicle Bronstein said. Shopping in East Berlin has grown in popularity but there Are limits to what can be harvested. We re relying on your discretion Bronstein said. Items for personal use or reasonable gift items Are allowed he said. That does not include buying something for your neighbor on request he said. The Bottom line is shopping is not the purpose for going to East Berlin. The purpose is to exercise our Allied right for free and unrestricted travel through All sectors of the military billeting is scarce military billeting for tourists in West Berlin is scarce this summer according to spokespersons for the army and air Force but the City offers 25,000 hotel rooms and several campgrounds. Renovations at the Dahlem guest House leave Only the Harnack House open said Kathy Ankrom chief of the housing division directorate of engineering and housing. Official travellers have priority and Ankrom said others chances of finding rooms at the Harnack House Are practically air Force Public affairs spokesman John Hermanson said the Columbia House officers facility is nearly booked out through the summer. There Are 42 rooms at the visiting airmen s quarters Van and 32 at the Columbia House. Hermanson said people on leave status can Only confirm their reservations three Days in Advance and then Only for one night. Ankrom said the army billeting situation will improve in november with the expected opening of a facility in the wan see recreation Center. Army billeting is near the Clay Headquarters in the american sector. Air Force facilities Are at Tempelhof Airport. A hotel guide with several Hundred entries is available from the Berlin tourist Agency. It lists Telephone numbers prices locations and what languages Are spoken at the hotels. Unlike Many tourist agencies in West Germany the Berlin Verk Ehrsam will not make hotel reservations by Telephone a spokesman said. Written requests will be honoured he said. The Cost of lodging ranges from 10 Marks about $5.60 for a camping spot to several Hundred Marks for a Premier hotel room. Finding a room usually is not difficult the exception being during major Trade shows and conferences the spokesman said. There Are plenty of 50-Mark $28 single rooms available and double rooms for around 70 Marks $39judging by the hotel guide . Persons driving to Berlin on the Allied transit corridor will find a Branch of the Verk Ehrsam about 200 Yards from checkpoint Bravo in a former service station. The main office is in the Europa Center a shopping Complex facing the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial Church in the heart of West Berlin the Entrance is on the Bud pester Strasse Side. For details Contact Verk Ehrsam Berlin at Europa Center 1000 Berlin 30 Tel. 030-212 54. It is open daily from 7 30 . To 10 30 . To Contact the army s Central billeting office Call ets 332-6325 or civilian 030-8196325. Try to Call Between 8 . And 1 . Monday through thursday. To Contact the air Force billeting office Call ets 332-5081 or civilian 030-8195081. A. July 7, 1988 stripes Magazine 11
