SOVIET AIR FORCE BUSY

Chronicle (Levin), 5 April 1948, Page 5

SOVIET AIR FORCE BUSY

LOXDOX, April 4. The Rnssians last night notitied the Amerieans that unusually large numbers of Rnssian fighter aireraft wonld be on operations that night and possibly the next night. The warning was given alter Amei-iean transport aireraft had been flying the eorridor ronte all day delivering passengers and snpplies to Berlin. The first Ameriean goods train iVom the west .since the Rnssians established controls arrived in Berlin with food for the 10,000 Amerieans in the eapital. Despite this there was no indieation of any plans to abandon air delivery of freight to Berlin. The first three bnses to leave the Ppritish zone for Berlin since the (nssians halted the military trainsearried a group of British men, women and children retnrning from their Easter holidays in England. Two armed British soldiers guarded eaeh bns with instruetions to permit one Rnssian offieer to board each to inspect passes during the transit of the Rnssian zone. A British Foreign Offiee spokesman said the sitnation in Berlin was eansing some ineonvenience, bnt it was not one which eonld not be solved. Offieial reports Teaching London showed that the sitnation was normal except for a temporary hold-np of some trains. The TCommandatura was fnnetioning normally. Renter's Berlin eorrespdndetit says chiefs of staff of the qnadri-

partite Berlin Kommandatnra met brieily and diseussed Russia's proposals to abolish a number of Kommandatura eommittees. A British Ktatement issued afterwards said the Soviet proposals did not affect key eommittees. The British delegation wonld welcome any reorganisation whieh wonld improve the smooth working of the Kommandatnra afid an examination might show the Soviet proposals to be praetieal. The meeting was adjourned till Monday.