GERMANY: The River Flows West

When Dr. Otto John, chief of West Germany’s security organization, defected to the Communists, the news made black headlines all over the free world. Last week the State Department totted up some figures which were a reminder that one big splash often makes more news than a handful” of river. Germans. Since mid 1950, “only a handful” of Germans have crossed over to a the Communists. The most eminent besides John (classified as a “leading official”): one member of the West German Parliament, one provincial legislator. In the same period, 1,800,000 Germans have fled from East Germany to the West—including 15 members of the East German Parliament, five members of the East German Cabinet, 13 provincial legislators, at least 30 “leading officials.”