BERLIN 2-12 WILLY WINS IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS HELD AT THE DARKEST HOUR 
OF THE BERLIN BLOCKADE IN 1948, WEST BERLINERS SHOWED THEIR DEFIANCE 
OF THE REDS BY GIVING THEIR BELOVED MAYOR, ERNST REUTER, A 
RECORD 64.5 PER CENT OF THE POPULAR VOTE . COMMUNISM'S WALL 
HAS DONE NOTHING TO REDUCE THEIR SOLIDARITY . LAST WEEK, URGED 
ON BY POSTERS THAT WARNED " WHOEVER STAYS AT HOME VOTES 
FOR THE WALL, " 90 PER CENT OF ELIGIBLE WEST BERLINERS 
TRUDGED THROUGH FOGGY, SNOWY STREETS TO GIVE ABLE MAYOR WILLY BRANDT, 
REUTER'S PROTEGE, A LANDSLIDE VICTORY FOR ANOTHER TERM IN OFFICE . 
BRANDT'S SOCIALISTS GOT ALMOST 62 PER CENT OF THE 1,571,820 VOTES 
CAST ; IN THE WORKERS' STRONGHOLD OF WEDDING, THE DISTRICT WHICH 
BRANDT CHOSE AS HIS PERSONAL CONSTITUENCY, HE WON MORE THAN 75 
PER CENT OF THE BALLOTS . CITYWIDE, THE PUNY COMMUNIST PARTY 
LOST ONE-THIRD OF ITS SUPPORT, ATTRACTING JUST A SHADE MORE THAN 
1 PER CENT OF THE VOTE . BRANDT'S VICTORY WAS NO 
SURPRISE, FOR WEST BERLIN TRADITIONALLY VOTES SOCIALIST . WHAT WAS STARTLING 
WAS THE SIZE OF THE SOCIALIST GAIN, AND THE SHARP LOSS 
SUFFERED BY THE WEST BERLIN FACTION OF CHANCELLOR KONRAD ADENAUER'S CHRISTIAN 
DEMOCRATIC UNION . C.D.U . DEPUTY MAYOR FRANZ AMREHN LOST TO 
A LITTLE-KNOWN SOCIALIST, AND OVERALL C.D.U . STRENGTH IN THE BERLIN 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DROPPED 25 PER CENT . THERE WERE, OF 
COURSE, LOCAL ISSUES, BUT NO ONE DOUBTED THAT THE C.D.U . 
SUFFERED FROM THE TARNISHED IMAGE OF ADENAUER'S NATIONAL PARTY, WHICH HAS 
BEEN SLIPPING IN LOCAL AND STATE ELECTIONS . RECENT DISCONTENT FOCUSES 
ON THE GOVERNMENT'S CLUMSY " TREASON " CRACKDOWN ON THE NEWSMAGAZINE 
DER SPIEGEL LAST NOVEMBER, AND MORE IMPORTANT, ON THE STUBBORN REFUSAL 
OF ADENAUER TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR HIS OWN RETIREMENT AND 
CHOICE OF A NEW C.D.U . LEADER . WITH NEW NATIONAL 
ELECTIONS DUE IN 1965, IT IS NONE TOO EARLY FOR THE 
CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS TO START BUILDING UP A NEW CANDIDATE, WHETHER HE 
TURNS OUT TO BE VICE CHANCELLOR LUDWIG ERHARD, THE FASTRISING FOREIGN 
MINISTER GERHARD SCHRODER, OR ONE OF THE PARTY'S DARK HORSES . 
AS FOR A SOCIALIST CANDIDATE FOR THE CHANCELLORSHIP, WILLY BRANDT, WHO 
WAS BEATEN ONCE BY ADENAUER, WAS SURE TO BE IT AGAIN 
. AND WILLY WAS WILLING . " MY WORK MIGHT BE 
MORE NEEDED ELSEWHERE, " HE SAID . 