SHOTS OF NEW BERLIN WALL; SHOT OF NOTICE BOARD; SECTIONS OF OLD WALL; WATCH TOWER; VEHICLE TRAPS; BRICKED UP WALL; NEW SECTION OF WALL.




Initials JP/V/MR/SGM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE BERLIN WALL WILL BE SEVEN YEARS OLD TOMORROW (TUESDAY) AND FOR THE FIRST TIME A YEAR HAS PASSED WITH NO DEATHS ALONG ITS 160 KILOMETRES (ABOUT 100 MILES). THE WALL, CONSISTING OF SLABS OF CONCRETE, BARBED WIRE FENCE, TRENCHES AND WATCH TOWERS, AS CAUSED THE DEATH OF 63 PEOPLE AND HUNDREDS OF INCIDENTS IN ITS SEVEN YEAR HISTORY. BUT LATELY THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEATHS AND NO SHOOTING INCIDENTS.

NOW THE EAST GERMANS ARE GIVING WHAT THEY CALL "A NEW LOOK" TO THE BERLIN WALL. BY 1970 THE NEW WALL WILL COMPRISE A 20 FOOT HIGH CONCRETE FENCE AND NO BARBED WIRE ON THE TOP. THE EAST GERMANS SAY THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALL HAS PROVED TO BE BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND POLITICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS TO THEM. THE WALL HAS HELPED STEM THE EVER GROWING EXODUS OF SKILLED WORKERS AND UNIVERSITY GRADUATES. AT THE SAME TIME, IT HAS STOPPED THE SMUGGLING OF EAST GERMAN GOODS TO THE WEST. EAST GERMAN STATISTICIANS POINT OUT THAT THE GROSS NATIONAL INCOME OF THE COUNTRY HAS AVERAGED A GROWTH OF MORE THAN FOUR PERCENT ANNUALLY SINCE THE WALL WAS BUILT.

WEST BERLIN POLICE HAVE INTERESTING STATISTICS TOO. THEY SAY THAT SINCE THE WALL CAME INTO BEING, 503 UNIFORMED EAST GERMANS, MOSTLY BORDER GUARDS, HAVE CROSSED INTO WEST BERLIN. BUT ONLY 11 MADE THE BREAK IN THE LAST YEAR. SHOOTING INCIDENTS ARE ON THE DECLINE TOO. THERE WERE ONLY 42 IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, AS AGAINST NEARLY 1,200 IN THE PRECEDING SIX YEARS.

THE WALL ITSELF IS A MASS OF STATISTICS. THERE ARE 228 WATCH TOWERS MANNED BY EAST BERLIN GUARDS, 179 WATCHDOGS AND AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF DEVICES WHICH HELP TO SERVE THE PURPOSE OF THE BERLIN WALL.