Refusal To Lift Blockade Of Berlin

Chronicle (Levin), 5 July 1948, Page 5

Refusal To Lift Blockade Of Berlin

(N.Z.P.A.-

— Reuter,

Copyright)

Received Sunday , 7 p.m. LONDON, July 4. . A conference of tlie British, American filid French Miiitary copimahders of Oermany witli Marshal Sokolovsky, was held ii1 Marshal Sokolov&ky 'S headquartser in. Babelsberg this afternooii and liisted 20 niihutes. General Glay later said : "Nothing very optimistic dcveloped at the meetihg." The British United Press Berlin correspondent says Marshal Sokolovsky flatly refused to lift the blockade. but an American spokesmaft Said : "The Western Governors were not able to obtain the reqliifed HSsuranceS frbm Marshal Sokolovsky." The Allied commanders were escorted into the Soviet Zone by two Soviet officers. A spokesmah said Marshal Sokolhysky 's refusal to lift the blockade left the entire Berlin situation unchanged. General Clay said Ihe air lift would continiie and would be increased and mahitahi ed as long as the Ariierican people Wanted to maintain it. A spokesman said the meeting was held in an atmosphere which was "Polite, courteous and not nnfriendly." According to the official Russian version 'of the abortive conference, the Western Governors ' ' hinted ' ' at Berlin 's difficult fciod situation wllen they asked Marshal Sokolovsky to reopen the feerlin-Helmstedt railway line. Marshal Sokolovsky said the Rtissidtis were repairing thfe line ahd corild not provide an alternative becatise from the autumn of 1947 the Western 00011pation Powers had takeri ancl were still taking systematic measures to disorganise the economv of Russia. Mai'-' shal Sokolovsky Said the delegates at the Six-Power London conference which had det-ided on the splitting of Germanv, should have thought of the corisequerit'feS of their decision and the elfect it would have «n the pnroblems of Berlin which 'ieconomically . constitutes part of Soviet Zone." Marshal Sokolovsky added that Allied attempts to diSrupt Germany's economy meant that the Russian authorities would have to use alternative methods to supply the 20,000,000 inhabitants of the Soviet Zone "Which constitutes one of the Soviet authorities' main tafiks. " The RuSsians have provided new headquarters wherein, on July 0, sections of the Berlin citv police which are nbw in separate buildings, will be concentrated. The new building may also beeome the headquarters of the Russian Zone police and control statfs. Frankfurt radio, quoting a French sorirCb, sriid. the French Zone of Germany would eeonomically be merged with the American and British Zones on August 1. Ferdinand Fridensburg, Berlin 's Deputy Mayor, said the Berlin City Council'jS appeal to United Nations to intervene in the Berlin crisis, had been forwarded to the "competent authorities." The appeal asks United Nations to secure an agfeembnt between the occupving Powers. British and American planes will soon be flying over 1 000 tons of food 'a day into Berlin, according to ferigadeGeneral Smith, the head of the American air brigade organisation. *An average of 35 Skvmasters wbuld malce tlifee flights a day between Frankfurt and Berlin and 100 Dakotas would alsd riirike three trips a day ori the Berlin run.