SOVIET PLANS FOR PERMANENT GERMAN PARTITION

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1948, Page 5

SOVIET PLANS FOR PERMANENT GERMAN PARTITION

LONDON, March 12. “The creation by the Russians ol a Central Economic Commission to supervise the whole ol their Eastern zone of Germany is new evidence that the Soviet Government expects the partition of Germany to last, says The Times, in a leading article. “Hitherto the Soviet authorities in Eastern Germany have issued orders to the 18 economic departments in Berlin, which have passed them on to the five Provincial Governments. These departments are now placed under the direct administration ol the Central Economic Commission which, in contrast to its BritishAmerican counterpart in F rankfurt, has far-reaching authority over the provincial administrations and greater power to act. “Whereas the Western Allies have preferred to base their hopes of democratic recovery on lively and dynamic development within the clitfer ent provinces of their zones, the Russians have not hesitated to impose upon their zone their own mentality and outlook. No doubt they will hold their Economic Commission in readiness to become a fully-fledged Government if and when they think this will bring them adantagve. “The partition of Germany is almost an accomplished fact.”