SOVIET POLICY IN GERMANY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 146, 2 April 1948, Page 3

SOVIET POLICY IN GERMANY

CONTROL OF TRAFFIC Pressure on Western > Powers . (N.Z.P.A.—Copyright). LONDON, April 1. The situation arising from the Russian announcement as from to-day they, are to institute stringent control of all road and rail traffic between Berlin and the Western zones is under closest \ examination by the British and American authorities, says the Berlin correspondent of “The Times.” The Russian announcement, he says, is seen as a further development of the policy of applying progressive pressure on the Western Powers and it is likely, he says, that the French will make a common stand with the British and Americans in defence of their right to be in Berlin and to freedom of movement. How far the Russians will press their present policy cannot be foreseen, but the opinion is widespread that it will be pursued or modified in strict relation to the resoluteness of the Western Powers. The one unrestricted means of getting info or out of Berlin at the moment is by air, the correspondent adds. The Russians make no reference to the air corridor, although, they have from time to made made approaches for exercising some sort of control over it, but these have always been opposedt Three Trains Held > The Russians are holding two British trains and one American at Marienborn, the Soviet frontier post, state Agency reports from Germany. A British -ipilithry train from Berlin to the British. zone reached Marienborn at 1.10 a.m. and was still held up at 4a.m. An east-bound British train was aleo reported to be still at Marienborn two hours after crossing into the Russian zone on its way to Berlin. The commander of a Berlin-bound American military train declined to allow Russian inspectors to board the train 1 at Marienborn early 'this morning. The Russians then refused to allow the train to proceed. It is believed that the trains are held up because of the continued refusal' to allow Russians aboard. One report stated that two British trains had been shunted into sidings. . The major in charge of the American transport headquarters in Berlin said he could not understand why the commander of the Berlin to Bremerhaven train allowed the Russians to board it. The commanders had orders not to allow Russians aboard. French sources said that France replied to the Russian demand to inspect her trains by demanding a further explanation, stating that such questions were not a matter for unilaeral action. The French Note expressed a willingness to discuss the demand on a four Power basis.

Isolation (slot Indicated

The Russians’ unilateral transit restrictions do not openly indicate a determination to isolate Berlin completely, but the full enforcement of the regulations could have a strangulating effect, says the Berlin correspondent, of “The Times .” / The correspondent states that the new Soviet regulations require that documents certifying that the holder belongs to “agencies of the British administration of Germany” must be presented at two check points—Mariebern and Navavas, just south-east of Potsdam. The new procedure doubt..less has been devised to demonstrate in the words of one Russian ganda phrase “Who is master of Berlin?” . ;. The Berlin -correspondent of the Associated Press says that the United States Military Government representative announced that Russian border guards would not be permitted to board American .military trains. “We have advised the Russians that our train commanders will give proper documentation, but we cannot permit entry into our trains as a new procedure.” ' The Helmstedt correspondent of the

Associated Press says that an Ameri- ' can military train from Berlin to Bremerhaven passed through Marioborn after 30 minutes delay while the Russians inspected the passengers’ papers. ! The train was in charge of an American lieutenant who allowed the Russians to board the train. The United States military Government in Berlin announced that it had _cancelled all military trr/ns in and of Berlin and was putting on air passages. The Moscow radio broadcast a “Pravda’s” statement that “the Allied Control Council in fact had already ceased to exist as the supreme organ of quadrilateral authority in Germany. The partition of Germany had become a completed fact.” This is the first expression of -the official Russian viewpoint since the i new Berlin crisis, says the Associated Press.