East Germany Wants U.S. To Stop Autobahn Use

Press, Volume C, Issue 29699, 18 December 1961, Page 15

East Germany Wants U.S. To Stop Autobahn Use

BERLIN, Dec. 17. East Germany yesterday demanded that the United states should immediately stop troop movements along the autobahn linking Berlin with the West. The United States does not recognise the Communist Government of East Germany and its protests have always been’ ignored by Washington in the past. The Note as reported by the official East German news agency, A.D.N., described recent movement's of two battle groups and other United States units along the 110-mile highway “an illegal a.nd provocative act," reported the Associated Press The East German Note said that putting United States troops under NATO, com-

mend was also an aggressive act against the German Democratic Republic. East Germany said it was not obliged to permit the movement of NATO, troops along the highway. The American troop movements. the Note said, constituted “immediate dangers for the normal civilian traffic along this highly frequented lifeline.” *n>e highway was being exposed to undue .train by the troop transports and East Germany rraerved the right to claim compensation from the United States for damage caused by its troops, the Note stated. The protest did not threaten any Communist action, nor did it say whet the Ur Germans would do if American troop movements went on. the news agency said