RED ARMY BARRED

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28105, 22 October 1956, Page 11

RED ARMY BARRED

Clashes On Frontier

(N.Z. Pres's Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 20. The “New York Times*' today claimed Polish frontier troops had barred with gunfire the attempt of a Soviet regiment to move into Stettin from East Germany. A report from the newspaper’s Warsaw correspondent, Sydney Gruson, said the attempt took place on Friday night. Gruson’s dispatch said: “There were said to have been casualties in a skirmish near Stettin.” It was reported that the Russian soldiers first asked permission to enter Poland, then tried to cross by force when they were refused. The dispatch continued: “Polish troops fired and the Russians withdrew. “No other information was available in Warsaw.” The dispatch also said the Stettin incident was the most serious of three incidents involving the Soviet Army in Poland during the present political crisis. “The second incident involved ‘loyal’ Polish troops and what were described as a concentration of Soviet troops reported to have been in the area of Sochabeztucz, about 60 miles due west of Warsaw. “The third incident was said to have occurred in western Poland, presumably during the night of October 18. before the arrival of Mr Khruschev and his party, gave public evidence of the extent of the crisis between the two countries.” Threat to Russians Gruson said: “Part of a Soviet armoured force moving in great haste towards Warsaw from the Poznan area reportedly smashed through a level crossing and rammed a train. This armoured force is believed to be the one referred to on Friday by Edward Ochab (one of the Polish Communist leaders). “Mr Ochab was quoted as having then told Mr Khrushchev: ‘lf you do not halt your troops immediately we will walk out of here and break ofl all contact.’ “Thereupon Mr Khrushchev gave orders to halt the troops, it was reported.” * Gruson said his information came from Polish Communist leaders, but even their information of the military incidents was sketchy. The dispatch said a deceptive quiet hung over Warsaw. “There did not seem to be Rny more soldiers than usual about, but either trusted troops or workers from Warsaw factories who had been in the vanguard of the Polish liberalising movement that upset the Russians were on guard in vital communication centres and factories.” A Reuter correspondent, who drove 190 miles from Poznan to Warsaw yesterday, said he saw two Soviet Army convoys totalling about 30 lorries within 50 miles of the Polish capital. They appeared to be heading away from Warsaw, but one truck, carrying troops, was travelling towards the capital.