Dragnet

In one of the greatest dragnet roundups of all time, the U.S. Army in Germany arrested 80,000 Germans last week. To prevent alarm-spreading, a half-million G.I.s first isolated the target communities by cutting their outside communications, then searched all houses in the U.S. zone, stopped every person moving on the streets and roads. Some 15,000,000 Germans were sifted through the screen.

The raid had multiple purposes: to ferret out illegal material such as weapons, ammunition, radio transmitters, U.S. uniforms and rations, gasoline; to catch Nazis; to turn up U.S. AWOLs (only a handful); to inhibit black-market operations. A secondary purpose was to test the occupation army's security machinery. It tested very well. Orders for the raid (Codeword: "Tallyho") were distributed three weeks in advance. There were no leaks.

Many of the Germans arrested had simply failed to provide themselves with proper credentials, but a considerable number of SS members were nabbed. There were no signs of any organized conspiracy. The G-2 (intelligence) officer in charge of the raid remarked that it "upset the civilian population quite a bit--which is a good thing."

In Berlin's U.S. occupation zone U.S. authorities prepared to padlock most of the twelve to 16 nightclubs. Announced purpose: to prevent "promiscuity and perversion" among the demoralized population. Meanwhile Berlin's curb markets operated full blast with many Russian soldiers among the eager purchasers. U.S. soldiers were asking and getting $500 for a $20 wristwatch; $700 for a wristwatch with an impressively loud tick and a luminous dial. For a bar of chocolate they could get a girl.

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