NEARING END

Grey River Argus, 9 April 1948, Page 5

NEARING END

FOUR POWER CONTROL OF GERMANY BRITISH DEEPEN CRISIS (Received April 8, at 10.0 p.m.) LONDON, April 8. The Four Power Government of Germany, in a state of collapse since the Russians walked out of the Allied Control Council nearly three weeks ago, is now approaching its end, says the “Daily Herald’s’' Berlin correspondent who points out that General Sir Brian Robertson’s speech has widened the gulf between the Russians and the three Western Powers in all matters relating to Four-Power rule. The correspondent adds: “It is regarded as a major development in deepening the German crisis that General Robertson should have made , such a speech at a time when there was no indication of the Allied Control Council meeting again. The usual four days’ notice for a meeting expired on Tuesday night, with no word from the Americans—in the chair this month —that they intend to summon a session of the Council for April 10.”

British Military Governor Tells Germans The Position LONDON. April 8. The British Military Governor in Germany, General Sir Brian Robertson. told the Provincial Parliament of North Rhine, Westphalia, that the fact must be accented that the “iron curtain" splits Germany. Germans must be content with the unity of only two-thirds of their country. The “Daily Herald,” in a leading article, emphasises that throughout General Robertson's speech, there runs a note of resolve that, /from now on, the Allied policy in Western Germany shall he constructive and' positive. The paper adds; “There will be no more waiting for directives from Berlin which never come, and for Four-Power agreements which are never reached.” The “Daily Telegraph’s” diplomatic correspondent says that General Robertson’s speech was intended to prepare the Germans for any decisions the Western Powers may have to take, if it becomes impossible to reconvene the Allied Control Council, but it was also a warning and an invitation to Russia not finally to bolt the door between Eastern and Western Germany. The next few days will show whether the Western nlans will have to be put into operation.” Diplomatic Quarters in London see General Robertson’s statement as a clear indication that the Western occupation authorities are now waiting for a divorce between Eastern and Western Germanv to be made absolute. The belief that vital decisions on the future government and currency of Germany, involving both territorial and economic partition, are imminent is also spreading among responsible AL Jied officials in Frankfurt. The expectation is founded on a report that the Russians will finally refuse further participation in the Allied Control Council, which ih? United States commander. General Clay, is due to reconvene on April 10. Instead they are expected to call for the immediate formation of a “sovereign” German government and proclaim currency reform for the East zone and Berlin. There is good reason to believe the Western Powers have made emergency preparations to meet lhe possibility of final dissolution of the Allied Control Council. Political Quarters expressed the view that if the Four-Power cooperation in Berlin was not resumed the way was now clear for an outline of future Western policy, and only the date on which it would be effective remained to be disclosed. The final sten would be the election of a Constituent Assembly, which might, if necessary, be called even before the harvest. GENERAL ROBERTSON’S SPEECH General Robertson told the North Rhine Province Parliament that the primary obiective of the Bi-Zonal Administration in Frankfurt was to restore the economy of Western Germany. The ultimate objective was to lay I’ne foundation on which German unitv could bo restored. By unity he meant real unity, with an inde-pendent-freely-elected representative government. General Rohertson warned against “gentlemen, who with democracy on their lips and a truncheon behind lheir backs, would filch German freedom from you”. Sir Brian Robertson said that as a quadripartite agreement for nrice and wage changes had not been reached. the necessary corrective measures would bo taken so that the economy of Germany as a whole may be relieved of its distortions before financial reform lakes effect. The normal negotiation machinery between the employers and trade unions would be invoked for the examina-l lion of various wage questions, thus restoring -to the trade unions their most important functions. BRITISH AGAINST RESTORING OLD OWNERSHIP The British Government, he said, considered the Germans should make the decision on the question of the ownership of industry, but would hot allow German industry to be returned to its former owners. The food situation, he added, looked better than at ally time since the occupation. Political observers regard General Robertson's speech as a prelude to imminent vital decisions on the future government of Germany. says Reuter’s Frankfurt correspondent. It i« believed that if the Control Council breaks down, the first step would be the replacement of the bi-zonal executive by a provisional government. The second would be the granting of an “occupation statute”, defining the relation of the new German State to the occupying Powers.