
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 20, 1990                   TAG: 9003202870
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A/3   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BONN, WEST GERMANY                                 LENGTH: Short

SPECIAL AID TO END FOR EAST GERMANS

Chancellor Helmut Kohl's Cabinet today agreed to begin scrapping special benefits for East German settlers in an attempt to stop them from flooding into West Germany, a government official said.

The decision is aimed at encouraging East Germans to stay home and help rebuild their country and to relieve the burden East German resettlers are putting on West German social services.

About 500,000 East Germans have settled in West Germany in the past 14 months and the Kohl government is under increasing political pressure to stem the continuing influx.

The Cabinet move came two days after East Germany's first free election in which a conservative alliance allied to Kohl's party won. The winners are still negotiating on forming a coalition East German government that will help set the pace for unifying the two Germanys.

The Bonn government official, speaking on condition he not be identified, said that as of July 1, West Germany will no longer have a special program for helping East Germans who move west.

It was not immediately clear whether the decision means the settlers will receive absolutely no special benefits, but a closing of dozens of reception centers appeared to be in the offing.

by CNB