PROTEST AT TRANSPORT BAN

Chronicle (Levin), 7 July 1948, Page 5

PROTEST AT TRANSPORT BAN

(N.Z.P.A.-

—Reuter

Western Allies' Notes To Russia

N Plans For Red Plot ln Berlin Reported

Copyright)

Received .Wednesday, 10.40 a.m. LONPON, July- 6. Britain, the United States and Franee today lianded to the Soviet Ambassadors in Londop, Washington and Paris notes protesting against the Bussian blockade of the Western Sectors of Berlin. A French Foreign Office spokesman said that the* notes varied only slightly. They were drafted 'during the ten days of talks hetween the three-power representatives in Londoin Reuter's diplomatic correspondent says that the British note is not an ultimatum and does not suggest what steps the Western Powers intend to take if Moscow refused to raise the traffic ban. Authoritative sources in Washington say that the AmerF can note was couched in forceful terms.

Details of the notes will not be published until the Soviet Government has had time to study them. Interest was aroused in Western political circles in IJerlin by reports of an alleged Communist secret plan to force the Western Allies otit of Berlin. The reports were published by the Right-wing Paris newspaper, Figaro, which claimed to possess a copy of an order sent to Berlin Communists by Moscow. The document is alleged to have said that the Russians planned to provoke riots in Berlin's Western Sectors, disorganise 'public utilities and have demonstrators occupy the Town Hall and other Government buildings. The Soviet occupation forces would then move in to restore order and demand that the Western Powers withdraw from the city. The French Foreign Office stated that it had received from the British Embassy in Paris a document

, establishing that a plot had been formed and French Foreign OfRce ofiicials had also previpusly received the same information from its own officials in Berlin. The headquarters of the Com-munist-dominated Sociai Unity Party in .Berlin described the plot as "anpther fake like Protocol M." (Protocol M, which was published early in 1948, ggve details of a sensational alleged Communist plot to cause disturbances in the Ruhr. 'Western Allied politicians originally §upported its authenticity, but later admitted that it was probably ■ a forgery.) 1 British intelligence circles in ' Berlin believe the plot document as published in Figaro is also a forgery. They thought the first few paragraphs might/have been genUine instructions from the Socialist Unity Party, but if so they have been embellished with sensational details of Soviet action.