BERLIN SITUATION

Grey River Argus, 12 April 1948, Page 5

BERLIN SITUATION

British Give in to Soviet Proposal for Collision Inquiry LONDON, April 10. The British Military Governor General Sir Brian Robertson, in a letter to the Russian Commander Marshal Sokolovsky, agreed to the Russian proposal that an AngioSoviet and not a quadripartite board of inquiry should investigate the collision between the Viking and the Soviet fighter over Berlin on April 5. Britain hopes to resolve in Berlin the Anglo-Russian difficulties. There is no intention of taking the matter up through diplomatic channels. General Robertson suggested separate reports if the British and Russian investigators did not agree. His letter did not make it clear whether the British will still insist on a Russian written assurance of non-interfer-ence with British flights through the Berlin air corridor. General Robertson stated that his information was at variance with Marshal Sokolovsky’s statement ol the circumstances of the collision.

He offered to place at Marshal Sokolovsky’s disposal all the British evidence and he requested a similar facility from Marshal Sokolovsky. Marshal Sokolovsky left Berlin yesterday possibly for consultations in Moscow. This was disclosed as the British delivered their reply to the Soviet Note, which had refused air traffic safety guarantees. British circles feel that if a breach much come with the Russians over the Government of Germany, it should not occur amid dangerous militant gestures and alarmist rumours. Will Experts Differ at the Inquiry ? BERLIN, April 10. The Soviet deputy military governor here, Lieutenant Mikhail, Dratvin, has replied to General Sir Brian Robertson’s Note regarding proposals for investigating the Vik-ing-Yak collision on April 5. He expressed perplexity at General Robertson’s, “suggestion that any disagreement should result in separate reports.” General Dratvin added: ‘Submission of separate reports by experts could take place only if these experts had been ureviously briefed in 'a spirit of an unobjective investigation.” _ . General Dratvin said that General Alexandrov would be the senior expert on the Soviet side, and he had instructed him to contact the B-ritisn GX The British experts will be headed by Air Commodore R. N. Waite, chief of the air branch of the British Military Government combined services division. Soviet Plan to Freeze Allies Out of Berlin (Rec 9.5) BERLIN, April 11. Major-General W. E. Hall, of the American Military Government heie, said that the Americans were now resisting a Russian undei the guise of new, “air safety regulation," to restrict the Allied use pi the air corridor connecting Berlin with the Western zones. 1 The Russians, he said, were seeking to force the withdrawal from their zone of the American and British maintenance crews who are working on the telephone and teleprinter cable links with the West. The Russians have refused to. renew the sector passes which expire on Thursday next for these technicians Thus they were threatening to cut. the telephone and telegraph communications between the city and the British zone. Russians Ban U.S. Technicians from Zone (Rec 810). BERLIN, April 11. The Russians have refused to renew their entry permits for the United States troops who are maintaining the telephone and telegraph cables from Berlin across the Russian zone to the United States zoen. The Russians said that the German Reichspost Communications Company would maintain the lines, under Soviet supervision. The Russians offered assurances that the cable would be kept functioning. The United States Deputy Military Governor, Major-General Hays, has requested the Russian. Military Administration to reconsider its decision. .