Soviet Guard In Berlin Forced To Withdraw

Chronicle (Levin), 5 April 1948, Page 5

Soviet Guard In Berlin Forced To Withdraw

(N.Z.P.A.~

«. Reuter »

Conurioht)

Iteoeived Sunday, 7 p.m. 4 LONDON, April 3. Ameriean troops armed with tommyguns late laat night surroumled Ihe dennan railway headquariers in Ihe Ameriean seetor in Berlin and refnsed to allow any Russians to enter the buildmg which though in the Ameriean seetor is by Allied agreeJnent undei^Russian control. lt is learned authoritatively that Russian officials in the huilding were told they eould leave but not return until further notiee. Ameriean troops halted all traffie within a radius of three streets of the building whieh is the key eontrol offiee i'or yirtualiy all railway traffie in the Rnssian zone. At least one Russian general was in the building at the time. dermans were allowed fo enter and leave freely. The officer in charge oi' Ameriean troops said: "My exact orders are that no Rnssian soldiers or civilians are to enter this, bnilding eontrolling the Rnssian railway headqnarters beeanse the Rnssiatis reeentlv sent gourds there at'ter dark.. Ameriean soldiers wonld remain nntil the sitnation is clarified."

The Rnssian eommandant in Berlin (Cleneral Kotikov) told the Amerieans he sent Rnssian guards beeanse eriminals among the ermans in the Rnssian seetor were planning to destrov valnable re-eoi-ds in the bnilding. A Rnssian offieer and two armed guards arrived* at the railway headquarters in a lori-y with food i'or the Russians still inside the building. Six Ameriean 'military i)olieemen with tumniyguns at the readv stood at attention as they drew n}). Lieut .-Colonel H. W. Hilton, offieer in ehai'ge of the Ameriean gnard, told the Rnssians that they eonld pnt the food on the §>avement. The Rnssians did so and drove off. Soon afterwards a bns arrived with 21 Rnssians comprising 15 soldiers, four women, male eivilians and two lient.-eolonels who told Colonel Hilton they were administ rative officials and wished to enter. Colonel Hilton suggested that they refnrn to their headquarters and eontaet rieneral Clay, and the Rnssians drove off. The next development was a visit by two highranking Rnssian offieers who marehed briskly to the entrance whare they were bloeked by ihe Ameriean poliee. The Rnssians glared, abruptly turned and walked baek to their ear. The Amerieans jiermitted Germans employcd in the building to enter after a jiorfnnetory examinatioii of their pa])ers. The Rnssians employ abont 1100 dermans in the building. The Amerieans have established a temporary roadbloek at Wannsee. elose to the Rnssian boundary, to elieek all persons and vehieles using the highway in the Ameriean seetor of Berlin to Potsdam whare Marshal Sokolovsky has his residenee, They have also institnled a snpervision of vehieles on other roads I'rom the Rnssian zone into the Ameriean seetor of Berlin. This means that Rnssian vehieles bonnd for the Rnssian head(|narters at Karlshorst in Kastern Berlin will have to maka a wicle detonr to avoid showing their papers. C-