British Trucks To Use Berlin Autobahn Again

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30265, 18 October 1963, Page 11

British Trucks To Use Berlin Autobahn Again

(N.Z.Pu4.-K«u«er—Capgrig at) % BERLIN, October 17. Two British Army road convoys are due to return to Berlin today up the autobahn from West Germany after yesterday’s hold-up at the Babelsberg checkpoint, outside West Berlin. The convoy of nine Army trucks and 28 men was halted for nine hours because the troops refused to dismount to be counted.

After the long delay, the Russians finally allowed the convoy to continue without the men dismounting.

One convoy due in Berlin today will ferry some of the 600 British troops returning from an exercise at Soltau, West Germany. The held-up convoy, which camped last night near the East-West German border after driving into West Germany, is also due to return today. Captain Arthur Keeling, who was in charge of the delayed group said the convoy was held up by a colonel, but was later given the sign to continue by a young Russian officer, who then made a routine check.

Captain Keeling said he had been in short-wave radio contact with British Army headquarters in Berlin. In London today "The Times” called for the Russians to join a “sensible agreement” with the Western Powers on arrangements for inspection of military convoys to and from Berlin. An editorial said: “AR that has been achieved by the incidents on the autobahn has

been to throw doubt on the sincerity of Russian intentions, and since there is already more than enough such doubt, especially in America, their own case can only be harmed by adding to it They need to think again. "So, however, do the Western Allies. The vagueness of arrangements for inspecting military convoys to and from Berlin is an invitation to trouble as well as to genuine misunderstanding.” In London yesterday, the British Foreign Secretary (Lord Home) summoned the Soviet Charge D’Affaires to his office. He emphasised the importance of taking steps to avoid such incidents in the future, a spokesman said.

British authorities made it clear that they did not regard the delay as due to any local misunderstanding. Informed sources said they were convinced it was calculated action by the Russians. The British Army has cancelled an exercise in West Germany involving troops based in Berlin, the British United Press reported. The regiment was being recalled to Berlin because of the present situation, a spokesman said.

The 10-day Army exercise at Soltau has also been cancelled a day early, Reuter reported. The situation in Berlin required their immediate return, the spokesman said.