TRAINING IN ARMY WEAPONS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26121, 25 May 1950, Page 5

TRAINING IN ARMY WEAPONS

The Notes claimed that a German military force of 50.000 had been j formed in East Germany under the guise of a people’s police force. This I army was commanded by former Ger- , man officers, and received military training in the use of tanks and artillery. The Three Powers protested that in permitting the creation of this I army, the Soviet Union was violating! the terms of both the Yalta and Pots- ' dam agreements. The action by the Western Powers' followed their conference in London l last week. A message from Washington states 1 that the American Note demanded the!

i immediate dissolution by Russia of the i East German Police Force on the ’ grounds that it had the “character of : I an army.” j The Note stated that the creation of lan East German 50.000-man foree directly violated the five agreements signed by the Soviet Union. I “It is not an ord nary police force, and it does not have ordinary police duties,” stated the Note. “It receives I basic infantry, artillery, and armeured training, and is equipped with military , weapons. including machine-guns, howitzers, anti-aircraft cannon, mor* ’ tars, and tanks. It must be regarded, ■ I therefore, as a military force.”