Some Strength & Little Joy

East Germany, which lives in the shadow of its better half to the west, last week mounted a considerable effort to show off its growing economic strength. The Leipzig Trade Fair, celebrating its 800th anniversary, attracted an alltime-high 10,300 exhibitors, including thousands from 75 nations. The outsiders tended to agree that the most Stalinistic satellite in the Soviet orbit lately has made progress of sorts. The East Germans displayed and sold their own well-wrought machine tools, electronic devices and office equipment; they reached into their foreign-exchange reserve to order millions of dollars' worth of British trucks and a West German chemical plant. They also announced the signing of their first substantial deal with U.S. industry: a contract for Wichita's Litwin Engineering Co. to build an East German synthetic-fiber plant for as much as $25 million.

For all its recent progress, East Germany looks today much like West Germany did 15 years ago. Last year its national output climbed 4.7% , to $5.5 billion; by comparison, West Germany's production soared 9%, to $102 billion. While few are hungry or homeless, the country is drab, shabby and without shine. The characteristic Iron Curtain odor of ersatz gasoline fumes and onions fried in cheap grease permeates the atmosphere. The average person's monthly income is 600 East marks, or $270 at the unrealistic official rate of exchange, but only $38 at the free market rate. A pound of coffee costs 32 marks, the cheapest suit 150, a simple dress imported from Switzerland between 400 and 600. To earn such "luxuries," most people work beyond their normal 45 hours a week, or moonlight, or put their wives to work.

The government, hoping to make the people less envious of West German opulence, has lately stepped up production of appliances and other consumer goods. For every 100 East German families, there are 45 TV sets, 23 washing machines and 21 refrigerators--far more than in any other Communist country. Quality remains doubtful. The tinny Wartburg sedan (price: 15,200 marks) is dubbed "Luther" by cynical East Germans because its performance reminds them of Luther's cry: "Here I stand--I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."

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