AMERICA,

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24610, 5 July 1945, Page 5

AMERICA,

GOVERNMENT OF POLAND Step Taken Towards Recognition FREE ELECTION PLEDGE (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, July 3. “The new Polish Government of National Unity has sent a pledge through diplomatic channels, assuring the British and American Governments that it accepts the Crimea Conference decisions and is prepared to hold free, unfettered elections with a secret ballot,” says the diplomatic correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.” “The two Governments have awaited this declaration before granting diplomatic recognition to the new Polish Government, and now the assurance has been received recognition will be granted at the earliest moment, and ambassadors will be appointed. “Recognition will simultaneously be withdrawn from the, Polish Government in London.” The Swiss Government has frozen all assets belonging to Polish citizens, pending certainty about which Polish Government is- authorised to dispose of Polish property. FORCES ENTER BERLIN BRITISH AND U.S. OCCUPATION LONDON, July 3. Spearheads of the British and American occupation forces moved into Berlin at 11.30 a.m. to-day (Tuesday). The main American force of 15,000 men will move in to-night. The British main body of 15,000 is expected to arrive to-morrow. An American broadcaster in Berlin said that American tanks, reconnaissance units, and half-tracks of the 2nd Armoured Division were the first to enter, in heavy rain. The American zone is the district of Zehlendorf. in the city’s south-west quarter; where the destruction is not nearly as severe as in the centre of the city. An Exchange Telegraph Agency correspondent, in a dispatch from Berlin, says: “It has been a long, wearisome business getting into the coveted city. Hours have been spent dawdling along the Berlin autobahn in a torrential downpour after a cold dawn, but the experience was not without its thrills. The Americans saw curious-minded Berliners standing under the shelter of trees and ruined tramsheds to watch the convoy pass. There are huge, redlettered notices telling the Germans that the Red Army did not wish the destruction of the German people.” Tire advance British forces which have moved in are mainly welfare units and those in charge of accom-. modation; The bulk of the British forces will move in to-morrow to the western and north-western areas. They will be lead by the 11th Hussars, representing the 7th Armoured Division. The commander of the British occupation force (Major-General L. O. Lyne), who commanded the 7th 1 Armoured Division in its drive through Germany, will take the salute. The Americans, plan to hold a ceremonial parade, at which, it is hoped, General Bradley will be accompanied by Marshal ZJiukov. Exact details of the occupation zones have not been decided, but it is certain that the French will have one area. A correspondent who entered Berlin with the forces said that nowhere had he seen such widespread ruin. Complete blocks of buildings and complete ministries had disappeared in heaps of dust and rubble. The people of Berlin were going about in a state of apathy, as though they had not yet realised what had occurred. Over the Brandenburg Gate there is a huge black arrow and the letters “8.8.C.” Other buildings have been decorated with pictures of Mr Church* ill, President Truman, and Generalissimo Stalin, in readiness for the Big Three meeting.

WOOL INDUSTRY IN BRITAIN APPROVAL OF LEVY FOR RESEARCH POST-WAR TRADE PLANS (Special Correspondent M.Z.P.A.» • London: July 3. Britain’s wool and wool textile industries have collectively declared in favour of a statutory levy on ■ wool used in Britain, to cover scientific and industrial research, as well as schemes for the promotion of export trade in woollen goods. The present levy of 1 per cent, on the value of wool is for export promotion only and such arrangements will cease when wool control ends, • The export group, for the industry, now recommends to the WooMndustry Reconstruction Committee that the statutory levy should be continued under such arrangements as will permit the extension of its scope to wool research. There is reason to believe that this view is widely shared in other sections of the wool and allied trades that eventually the industry will seek statutory powers to raise funds by levy means for application to research. In former years, wool research at Bradford, although active and progressive, has been supported largely on a voluntary basis. But Government encouragement for research in the industry is causing the wool trade to think in terms of statutory measures for the furtherance of this work. The industry, too. knows something of what has been achieved by wool research under the stimulus of war needs, and it desires to see the good work continued in the interests of the peacetime prosperity of the wool and allied trades. Even yet the facts cannot be made known about some of the most important research advances made in wool during the war, butlfome of them will greatly stimulate the use of wool for civilian purposes when they can be used for the benefit of the civilian trade. Minor controversies- are now being waged about the scheme for the reinstatement of wool merchants and topmakers to commercial activity in England, but they concern only the basis of rationing and. they do not affect the main principles. Although the scheme is, nominally operative in the July-October period, it is not yet actually operative as the firms have not yet been able to acquire their stocks. Moves to this, end are now in progress and indications are that trade supplies will be changing hands in the latter part of this period. Traders are eagerly awaiting further news on the possibility of direct importation from the Dominions, for it is believed that if it is to be allowed for the four months beginning next November, preliminary arrangements will have to be put in hand some time before that. AUSTRALIAN MEMORIAL TO ROOSEVELT (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) CANBERRA, July 4. A new wing of the National Library at Canberra will be dedicated es an Australian memorial to the late President Roosevelt. Announcing this, the Acting-Prime Minister (Mr F. M. Forde) said that the memorial wing would be built soon after the war. The wing would house works of American origin, and books on all cultural, historical. and political subjects relating to the United States. Portraits, manuscripts, and other works would give prominence to the life and work of President- Roosevelt. All the costs would be borne by the Commonwealth Government.