APPROVAL OF RUSSIA

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

APPROVAL OF RUSSIA

The American Note stated that the East German force could not have been established without the deliberate approval of the Russian Government. “It is an action squarely in opposition to the efforts be ng made by the United States and other nations to create a stable, lasting peace.” The Note recalled that the Russian ' representatives had spoken often of Moscow’s desire for peace. “Such l verbal protestations, however, can ' hardly be expected to receive credence ! among the free peoples of the world when the Soviet Government is simultaneously creating a military force of I considerable size and strength in Germany in violet on of its solemn internal onal commitment'.” By creating this force Russia had i destroyed world confidence in the sin-! cerity of its promises, and aroused 1 world-wide doubt as to its pacific in- 1

> tentions, it was stated that if Russia wanted to re tore some measure of , confidence in its assertions of peaceful intentions, “it cannot fail to dissolve immediately the militarised units wh ch , it has set up in Eastern Germany.” J The American State Department, I m releasing the text of its Note, made ’available to the newspapers additional i data on the East German force. Th s stated that the force was created in , August. 1949. under Inspector-General Wilhelm Zaisser. It claimed that the > force was made up of 39 Sereit- ( schhaften ,(alert, units) to train en- * listed men. and at least 11 officertraining schools. j “Tlic force is armed with standard Gorman infantry weapons, but its I military capabilities are at prnseit | negligible. However, in future, it could form the nucleus of a hew German army or internal security force to maintain Communist Control.”