‘Mr. Gorbachev, Open This Gate, Tear Down This Wall’ : President’s Challenge in Berlin Talk

Standing under iron-gray skies at the Berlin Wall dividing East and West, President Reagan today challenged Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev--if he truly seeks peace, prosperity and liberalization--to “open this gate . . . tear down this wall.”

Reagan’s emotional declaration that “there is only one Berlin,” spoken in German, was greeted with a roar of approval from more than 20,000 flag-waving spectators, and was carried by loudspeakers to about 200 East Berliners listening from beyond the Brandenburg Gate, on the other side of the concrete and barbed-wire barricade.

“This wall will fall,” Reagan declared in the speech, which was broadcast to Eastern Europe as well as Western Europe and North America. “For it cannot withstand faith. It cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.”

Nearing the end of a 10-day, 10,135-mile journey that took him to Venice for the annual economic summit, Reagan challenged Gorbachev to extend his liberalizing domestic policy of glasnost to ending the East-West divisions symbolized by the Berlin Wall.

‘Reform and Openness’

“We hear much from Moscow about a new policy of reform and openness,” he said, citing the release of political prisoners, the end of jamming of some foreign news broadcasts and the start of economic ventures relatively free of state control.

“Are these the beginnings of profound changes in the Soviet state?” Reagan asked. “Or are they token gestures, intended to raise false hopes in the West or to strengthen the Soviet system without changing it?

“We welcome change and openness. For we believe freedom and security go together--that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace.”

Then Reagan declared:

“There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.

‘Come Here, to This Gate’

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here, to this gate.

“Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

Accompanied by West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Reagan stood behind a bulletproof glass shield on a raised platform and gazed over the wall at the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, the former German Parliament building. The two leaders stood directly opposite an East German guard tower.

Asked by reporters if he thinks Gorbachev will accept his challenge to tear down the wall, Reagan replied, “Well, Jericho didn’t last forever.”

The wall behind the platform where Reagan spoke had been whitewashed during the night to remove graffiti reading, “Ronald Reagan Go Home.” By the time he arrived today, the wall bore a fresh slogan, “Hello World, Welcome Reagan 1987,” which was thought to have been painted by a few of the 250,000 U.S. Army troops stationed in West Germany.

Refers to Missile Pact

Reagan sought to stir hope in his speech with a reference to the prospects of a Soviet-American agreement to dismantle hundreds of intermediate-range missiles from Europe and Soviet Asia.

And he sought to strike an emotional chord among his German listeners with brief sayings in German reminiscent of President Kennedy’s famous declaration that “Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner)” in a speech at the wall on June 26, 1963.

At one point, Reagan said, “I join you as I join our belief: Es gibt nur ein Berlin. (There is only one Berlin.)”