BRUSH SUBMIT TO SOVIET RESTRICTIONS ON BERLIN TRAFFIC

Grey River Argus, 14 April 1948, Page 5

BRUSH SUBMIT TO SOVIET RESTRICTIONS ON BERLIN TRAFFIC

LONDON, April 12. The British authorities have suspended indefinitely the movement of British military freight trains from Berlin to the British occupied zone as a result of new Soviet rail restrictions, says Reuter's Berlin correspondent. The British since April 1, when the Soviet travel restrictions were enforced have despatched military freight in goods wagons attached to German passenger trains to save delays, but the Russians have now objected to this. The Associated Press Berlin correspondent reports: The British authorities have agreed to withdraw a signals detachment from Madgeburg in the Soviet zone, but have suggested to the Russians that British crews should travel out from Berlin to continue maintenance work on telephone and telegraph communications between Berlin and the British zone. AMERICAN TRANSPORT EVADES RUSSIANS On Monday fifteen American Army planes flew 30 tons of furniture, including a grand piano, from Berlin to Frankfurt, thus avoiding the Soviet check points, which have refused ter permit furniture to leave Berlin since the beginning of April. The furniture belongs to American families who have decided to return to America because of the political developments in Berlin.

New Moscow Instructions Expected

(Roc. 10.101 LONDON, April 13 The “Daily Express” correspondent at Berlin reports: Marshal Sokolovsky the Soviet Military Governor in Germany. flew to Moscow on Friday last. He is expected back in Berlin this week, with new instructions from MMolotov as to Soviet policy towards the Allied Control Council Marshal Sokolovsky walked out of last month’s meeting of the Allied Control Council, and General Clay, •the United States Military Governor, who is inis month’s chairman of the Council has not yet called anothe--meeting. No major Russian niove in the crisis is expected until Marshal Sokolovsky returns.

British Submission Questioned in Commons LONDON, April 12. Mr C. P. Mayhew, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, denied in the House cf Commons to-day charges by Captain A. R. Blackburn (Labour) that Mr Ernest Eevin’s handling of the developments in Berlin caused the “most unfortunate impression of weakness”. Captain Blackburn sought an assurance that the Government intended to maintain Britain’s position in Berlin and Vienna. Mr Mayhew replied that no one, if he were wise, would mistake Mr Sevin's patience for weakness. Berlin Power Station to be Restored by British and Americans LONDON. April 12. The British and American authorities have given orders for the immediate re-equipment of Berlin's biggest electric power station, which the Russians stripped in June, 1945. The estimated cost of the Berlin electric power station is £1,000,000. A British spokesman said that the new orders would go ahead, despite the lack of agreement in the Kommandatura. The British and American representatives on the Kommandatura had been trying for months to get a four-Power agreement for Hie rebuilding of the power station, which lies in the British sector of Berlin.

Russians Barricade Americans from Vienna

LONDON, April 12. In Vienna to-day the Austrian police announced that tlie Russians had put a barrier across the road froni the United States zone of Austria to Vienna. bloc;»ng all traffic.

The Russians have also set up a new check-post on the road leading from Vienna to the British airfield at Schwechat in the Soviet zone.

CHECK ON BRITISH General Galloway, the British High Commissioner, requested an immediate conference with General Kourassov, the Soviet Commissioner, to discuss the Russian road restriction order, _

The Russian Commissioner. General Kourassov, refused to arrange an interview which the British Commissioner, General Galloway, requested, to discuss the newly-imposed Russian traffic controls, says the British United Press Vienna correspondent. A. British spokesman said Genera; Galloway, as a result, sent a strong protest in which he told General Kourassov that the British . would never comply with the searching of

British military trains. The spokesman added that British military trains will to-night, as usual, be dispatched tn and from Vienna. “Contact is being made with the American and French military authorities with the possibility of taking concerted action against the Soviet order”.