Americans Continue Goods Delivery

Grey River Argus, 5 April 1948, Page 3

Americans Continue Goods Delivery

(Received April 4, 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, April 4.

The first American goods train from the west since the Russians established their controls arrived at Berlin with food for the ten thousand Americans in the capital. In spite of this, there is no indication of .any plans for the Apiericans to abandon their air delivery of freight to Berlin. BRITISH BUS STOPPED. The first three buses to leave the British zone for Berlin since the Russians halted the military trains, carried’ a group of British men, women and children who were returning from their Easter holidays in England. Two armed British soldiers guarded each bus, with instructions to permit one Russian officer to board each to inspect the passes during transit in the Russian zone.

Sixteen barges carrying British supplies to Berlin are still idle in the Mittelland Canal. Russians stopped the barges and told the\ skippers to report to Berlin for new passes. Rqs-

sian. authorities in Berlin were surprised when the skippers reported to them and sent them to the British authorities in Berlin, where the skippers remained meantime. The British authorities in Berlin announced the suspension of all inland water traffic through the Soviet zone from the British zone, because of the difficulties with the Russians over documents for barge crews. This would prevent the delivery of over 50,000 tons of cargo, including 20.000 tons of ore and general goods for Czechoslovakia, 300 tons of German repatriations material for Russia, and 14,000 tons of Ruhr coal to the city of Madgeburg in the Russian zone. v. -

The French occupation authorities have suspended the French military train service between Berlin and the French zone and between Berlin and Paris.

Foreign Ministry spokesmen said that the French would institute air service to Berlin. “We do not know what the Russians want and they do not seem to know themselves,” said a .British official. Russians have not interfered with German trains entering Berlin from the Western zones with food and coal for the German population. This coal is needed for industries serving the Russian sector.