EASTERN EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00864A001200020019-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 9, 2006
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: November 29, 1972
• Content Type: STUDY

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#221 EASTERN EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCER OCI# 1015/72
29 Nov. 1972
Polish Spending in East Germany Curtailed
The Polish government announced a "temporary limitation"
on the amount of zloty which a Pole may exchange for East German
marks, bringing to an end a ten month period during which
Polish tourists could purchase as much in East German stores
as they could get their hands on. For the next two months,
in effect, Poles may exchange approximately $50 worth of
zloty unless they can prove they intend to stay in East
Germany over six days; then their limit is increased to about
$330. After 1 January 1973, additionally, all Polish tourists
will be permitted to exchange only $330 a year, regardless of
how many trips he takes or to how many countries. The party
paper explained the new measures as being necessary because
of "larger then expected purchases of marks" and resulting
"excessive deficit in balance of payments."
Mass Polish purchases in East German stores has been a
source of friction since the first of this year when border
crossings became easier. The prospect of a Polish Christmas
rush on relatively scarce East German consumer goods undoubtedly
brought the matter to a head and convinced the East Germans
to bring pressure on Polish officials for the exchange limits.
The action is certain to be unpopular with most Poles, but
it is not entirely unreasonable. The $330 limit represents
an average salary for three months, and only those who are
relatively well off would be tempted or financially able to
spend a fourth of their yearly income on consumer goods.
Poles who live close enough to the border to do much of their
grocery shopping in East Germany, of course, will complain
Zagreb Trials Wind Down
The trials in Zagreb resulting from the political upheaval
in Croatia last December are now being quietly wrapped up.
Earlier this week,the Zagreb District Court sentenced four
officials (Marko Veselica, Jozo Ivicevic-Bakulic, Zvonimir
Komarica and Vlatko Pavetic) of the Matica Hrvatska (Mother
Croatia) cultural society to jail terms ranging from 18
months to seven years of "rigorous imprisonment." Veselica's
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sentence (7 years) is the harshest dealt any of the more than
two dozen Croatian nationalists brought to trial to date.
The Zagreb court also sentenced seven members of an alleged
terrorist group--"Skupina Zagreb"--to terms of imprisonment
ranging from one to six and one half years.
In contrast to the trials of students in last summer,
these recent proceedings have received only brief and sporadic
attention from the press. The lowering of nationalist
temperatures plus concern with Tito's drive to strengthen
party unity have taken public attention away from the year-
old events in Croatia. With these convictions, the regime
has now disposed of most of the prominent Croatin nationalists.
President Tito also announced that he has granted amnesty
to a number of prisoners on the occasion of the state holiday
celebrated on 29 November. There are no indications, however,
that this affects those Croatians previously sentenced for
nationalist activity.
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