BLOCKADE OF BERLIN MAY END SOON

Grey River Argus, 1 September 1948, Page 5

BLOCKADE OF BERLIN MAY END SOON

FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS AT MOSCOW (Received August 31, at 9.45 p.m.) , LONDON, August .31. Reports from Moscow during Monday night have suggested that still another Kremlin meeting may be held before a Four-Power agreement is reached on the terms of a long-awaited “progress communique.” On Monday night the three Western envoys in Moscow met M. Molotov and M. Vyshinsky, Foreign Minister and Deputy Foreign Minister at-the Kremlin. The meeting lasted two hours ten minutes and after it the envoys appeared in good humour. (Received August 31, at 10.20 p.m. LONDON, August 31. Reports from Berlin last night indicated that the lifting of the blockade on Berlin may be imminent. The German News Agency quoted a British Control Commission official as saying that several British goods trains were waiting near Helmstedt to move into Berlin. Helmstedt is on the BritishSoviet zonal frontier, and is on the direct line to The official added that the first trains into Berlin! would carry coal. He said that goods traffic would have several days’ priority over passenger trains.

CURRENCY IS MEDIATE MAIN ISSUE Why Agreement Is Delayed (Rec. 9.50). LONDON, August 31. According to the Times correspondent in Berlin, the delay in issuing a communique is regarded there as denoting a determination to ensure that the wording shall leave no loophole for such misunderstandings among the Four Powers as those that have occurred in the past. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says: :Jt is understood that Russia has agreed to lift the Berlin blockade, if the currency question is settled. But it is pointed out in London that the currency question will not be settled unless the Western Powers are certain that they will have genuine powers of currency supervision. The lifting of the Berlin blockade depends, therefore, on, firstly, an agreement in Moscow about what instructions are to be given to the four Military Governors of Germany; secondly,- on an agreement between them on new currency arrangements for Berlin; and thirdly, a Four Power ratification of the Military Governor’s decisions. So far. an agreement has not • been reached even on the first step. Monday night’s meeting at the Kremlin was the shortest yet in the month-old hush-hush negotiation. It is generally accepted in Moscow as mainly to reach an agreement on the terms of a communique to be issued. The envoys drove to their respective embassies, but Mr Frank Roberts (Britain) later joined General Bedell Smith at the American Embassy. General Bedell Smith (United States), said no communique would be issued. He expected further meetings. The French Government crises is having some effect on the talks. M. Chataigneau (France), who previously always joined the other ambassadors after the meetings at the Kremlin, did not go to the American Embassy on Monday. American sources at Berlin said the Allied Military Governors will meet in Berlin on Tuesday as a result of the Kremlin talks. General Clay (United States Military Governor) refused to confirm this. The sources of information do not make clear whether the meeting will be a fourPower or three-Power one, attended by Western representatives only. On Sunday night the French Military Governor (General Koenig) arrived in Berlin unexpectedly, giving rise to a belief that the four Military Governors may soon meet for currency and other talks. BERLIN POSITION Dr Stumm, police president in the Western sector, announced that Colonel Markgraf, his opposite 5 number in the Soviet vector, had agreed that both police forces would co-operate in any future black market raids on Potsdamer Platz. Dr Stumm alleged that over 500 policemen in the Soviet sector had been dismissed since the split in tile police force, and they were now 1 employed in the Western sector. Berlin’s deputy mayor, Herr Friedensburg, announced that he had written to General Kotikov appealing for the release of Dr Alfred Mueckenberger, whom the Russians arrested over a week ago after his dismissal on General Kotikov’s orders from the position of chief of Berlin’s coal administration. The Western Allies refused to recognise the dismissal and he continued his job in defiance of the Russian order. • Herr Friedensburg told General Kotikov that Dr Mueckenberger was not to blame for defying the Russian order, and the responsibility rested with the ■ city authorities m general.