RUSSIAN ACTION IN BERLIN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 137, 22 March 1948, Page 3

RUSSIAN ACTION IN BERLIN

“Allied Council No Longer Exists”

BERLIN, March 20.

The Russian Military Governor (Marshal Sokolovsky) and the entire Russian delegation unprecedentedly walked out of an Allied Control Council meeting in Berlin after the British, American and French representatives had refused to give specific details of the three-Power agreement reached in London On the future of Western Germany.

There was uncertainy in Berlin tonight about whether Marshal Sokolovsky liad signified for his Government the ending (if four-Power control and the splitting- of Germany into two. He read a statement from a prepared script, indicating that the Russian action was fully premeditated. The statement declared that the Western Powers had broken their agreement and that the Control Council no longer existed; as an organ of quadripartite control. The United States Military Governor (Lieutenant-General Lucius Clay), commenting on*the Russian’s walkout, said: “It is apparent that the Soviet delegation intended to be discourteous'. We will just have to wait and see whether the Russians intend to hold another meeting.” Reuter’s correspondent says: “The Russian walk-out followed the refusal of the Western Powers’ representatives to discuss in the Council a resolution which the Foreign Ministers of Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Jugoslavia passed in Prague on Friday protesting against Marshall Plan aid to Germany and 'against unilateral solutions in the Western zones of Germany.

“Marshal Sokolovsky withdrew the resolution, saying that obviously the Western Powers did not consider the Council was the organ of control for occupied Germany. Then he attacked the London tripartite talks, which, he said, had been called without the Control Council’s knowledge. General Sir Brian Robertson (Britain) replied that the London talks, had been held to evolve recommendations to the three Governments, and not to make decisions.”