HITCH STILL ANOTHER MOSCOW MEETING

Grey River Argus, 9 August 1948, Page 5

HITCH STILL ANOTHER MOSCOW MEETING

RUSSIAN HINT AT A COMPROMISE (Received August 8, at 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 7. The impression prevails in diplomatic quarters that a meeting which on Friday evening was held in Moscow between the Western envoys and M. Molotov, was not completely successful. This is stated by Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent. Ibis expected that at least one more meeting will have to be held before any Four Power announcement of forthcoming negotiations on the German crisis can be expected. Mr. Frank Roberts (Britain), General Bedell Smith (United States) and M. Chataigneau (France) had a three-hour interview with M. Molotov. It became clear that after 72 hours of intense diplomatic activity, with constant exchanges' of views between the three Western Governments, that the crucial stage of the negotiations is approaching. It is believed that Mr. Douglas (U.S.A.) and M. Massigli (France) called on Sir H. Strang at the British Foreign Office on Saturday. A spokesman denied they had met formally as a Crisis Standing Committee. But it is assumed that they discussed an interim report on the Kremlin meeting of Friday night.

SOVIET SPOKESMAN HINTS A COMPROMISE (Rec. 10.35) LONDON, Aug. 8 Reuter’s correspondent at Berlin says: A high Russian political officer told leading Eastern Zone politicians that the discussions in Moscow have brought the four- Allies within “a reasonable distance” of a provisional compromise on the immediate aspects of the Berlin crisis. The officer, it is reported, stated that the opposing view points on the- crisis had been reconciled to a considerable extent, and that there was a great possibility that, at least, a provisional arrangement would be reached soon. The question of the future control of Berlin, however, was proving, he said, more dif-1 ficult to solve. Air Lift’s New Record (Rec. 9.50). LONDON, Aug.B. The Associated Press Berlin correspondent says: The air lift again established a record on Saturday with 666 flights by combined British and American fleets. Soviet Complaint Against Air Lift (Rec. 10.10). BERLIN, Aug. 8. The Russian News Bureau announced that the Soviet Office in the Ber- 1 lin Air Safe Centre has demanded that British and United States officers should take ‘‘immediate measures to enforce air security regulations over the Berlin and the Soviet zone.” The Russians in a protest letter said that 123 British aircraft, and 27 American aircraft broke flying rules during July. The Soviet News Bureau hinted broadly that the Western aircraft might be forced down if infringements continued. POLICE SPLIT The Soviet-sponsored Berlin police chief, Colonel Paul ivlarkgraf, issued a proclamation warning Berliners who co-operated with Dr Johannes Stumm’s Western-sponsored, police that “they would still be in Berlin after the Western Powers had gone.” There would be a great rise in crime. A spokesman of the Western-spon-sored police headquarters admitted that the split in the police force made it difficult to fight crime in Berlin, because all the criminal records and fingerprints weer in the old police headquarters in the Soviet sector. An American military court to-day sentenced two German residents of the Soviet sector of Berlin, one of them a woman, to seven years’ imprisonment for attempting to kidnapp Wilholm Duisberg, a German journalist, from his home on August 1, “to turn him over to the Soviet security police.” The defendants made signed confessions admitting their part in the kidnapping attempt. Duisberg said he believed the Russians wanted to get information from him, because he. worked for the Americans as an interpreter. WESTERNERS LEAVING BERLIN? The Soviet licensed Berliner Zeitung stated departures of American administrative staff from Berlin had reached their peak” in the past few days. “The Americans are becoming suiei and surer and they will have to leave now under calm conditions. In Berlin the French authorities have announced that they are evacuating from Berlin “as many French families as possible,” because of the sudplv difficulties caused by the soviet blockade.. No French occupation troops or Military Government oiiicials are b'' irc ’