European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday june 22,1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 3 thaw May end Berlin stockpiles by de Reavis staff writer Berlin a when the soviets blocked All land routes into West Berlin in 1948, nothing Short of the Berlin Airlift could have saved the City. When that legendary ordeal ended the next year the Western allies were determined that the sector be caught Short again. For More than 40 years food Medicine and Coal have been stockpiled in the City a costly hedge against cold War brinkmanship. But now in the Wake of the revolution that toppled the East German government without bloodshed in late 1989, the stockpiles Are superfluous City officials believe. A everyone agrees the threat of a soviet attempt to a a a a a a a a w w a in blockade the City again As it did in 1948-49 is highly unlikely a said Gerhard Erbe spokesman for the Berlin ministry of supplies and economics. The stockpiles reportedly Cost West German taxpayers the equivalent of $120 million a year. A i cannot comment on the figure because it and the contents of the stockpiles Are secret. The allies Are sensitive about both a Erbe said. Erbe confirmed reports that More than 350,000 tons of food Are in storage. A but that figure is misleading because it includes Frozen and canned meat dried and conserved fruit and vegetables wheat Rice and sugar a which must be replenished periodically. Erbe would not confirm that 200 million bottles of Beer Are in storage but he did say that ingredients were on hand for making a considerable amount of the brew. In addition the stockpiles include medical equipment and goods newsprint and spare parts for the subway system. The City also has an undisclosed amount of Coal heaped about the City. A i can Only Tell you that we put some 700,000 tons of it under the Eaith so we could use the soil for farming a Erbe said. However the Coal can cause a problem Erbe acknowledged because it can ignite on its own. A one Coal pile suddenly caught fire after 10 years of sitting there without any problem a Erbe said. West Berlin has requested that the stockpiles be closed and the Federal government in Bonn take up the Issue with the Allied Powers in the City. If the closing is approved the goods will be sold. A i think we have a Good Chance of closing this sad chapter of our history a Erbe said. A spokesman for the Allied command confirmed that the stockpiles have been discussed with the Berlin and Bonn governments. Jean Michel fester said nothing has been decided a but 1 would guess that there will be a substantial reduction of the stockpiles when a decision is soldiers savor Charlies final hours continued from Page 1 Anchorage Alaska. A a it a kind of Cool to be Down Here today. You can to really explain the feeling knowing you re one of the last maps to work before the Wall cracked in november Bagoy had met one of the first maps assigned to the checkpoint he said. A that was great to meet the first Guy stationed Here and then to be Able to be one of the British Lance Cpl. Patrick Forde pulling duty at the other end of the 10-by-50-foot building in the Middle of Friedrich Strasse reflected on what he called the end of an Era. A at least i get the end of it a an extremely historic occasion a said the 25-year-old who has been in Berlin for Only three months. A before we heard they were going to remove it it was just another Point of duty but then we became More conscious of what we Are really doing Here. A personally i think the building should be removed but it would be Nice to keep it As a memorial Alan Wolan a former new York advertising account executive who Sells fall of the Wall to shirts in Berlin said the guard building can go. A i think the Shack itself should be Tom Down a the 27-year-old said. A the signs should be kept but the building Isnit really pvt. 2 Larry Tague a 19-year-old my from Hartford City ind., disagreed. A it should definitely go to the smithsonian in Washington. I would hate to see it dismantled it should be Mark Driver a . Army employee in Sheinberg West Germany also said the checkpoint should be preserved but in Germany. A a it a part of the German heritage not ours. It should be put someplace on the dividing line As a . Officials on thursday could not say what will eventually be done with the building. They said wednesday that it was being moved from the area to prevent vandalism and damage. During a Brief Stop at the checkpoint thursday Mai. Gen. Raymond e. Haddock the . Commander in Berlin called the removal of the hut a Symbol of Progress. A it is an indication that Freedom and democracy Are certainly on the ascent and is something that we can share together with the people of All nations. But its something we View with Joy and with a bit of caution because the future is still Uncertain a but we re a amps Susan Harris is amps photos Davo Didio getting Short at checkpoint Charlie workers on Friday morning will begin to remove checkpoint Charlie from its watch in Berlin. On thursday tourists above snapped photographs of All that remained of the Berlin Wall near the Allied checkpoint. Spec. Paul Bagoy left of the 287th my. Thursday at1 Quot a Quot lie saying a people were fighting to be Able to work pm or a o a co welcomed his duty thurs checkpoint Char Here
