Russian Attitude Condemned-- BRITAIN ATTACKS SOVIET AIMS IN BERLIN CRISIS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 October 1948, Page 5

Russian Attitude Condemned--BRITAIN ATTACKS SOVIET AIMS IN BERLIN CRISIS

(Recd 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, October 11. Russia has no intention of reaching an agreement in the Berlin dispute, save on her own terms, according to a White Paper issued by the British Foreign Office. The White Paper blames “Soviet intransigence” for the breakdown of four-Power control in Germany and the Berlin crisis. The British Government declared that the “present situation in Berlin is the result of the failure of the four Powers, owing to Soviet intransigence, to agree to a common policy for Germany. The Berlin dispute is shown as the inevitable outcome of the collapse of the four-Power administration of Germany. The White Paper charges that Russia’s attitude had been shown in breaches by the Soviet Government of the political and economic principles laid down at Potsdam.

“The Soviet has unilaterally declared that the United Kingdom, the United States and France have fortified their rights to be in Berlin or take part in the four-Power occupation administration of the city. The culmination of the Soviet attitude of obstruction has been the blockade of Berlin. It is because of this that the Western Powers have been forced, to establish the .air-lift. “The result of the Moscow-Berlin discussions in August and September make it clear that the Soviet has no intention of-reaching an agreement, save on its own terms. It is thus clear that the Soviet intends to exact as its price for lifting the unlawful blockade the. abandonment by the Western Powers of their rights in Berlin.”

The White Paper said the right of the United Kingdom, the United States and France to be in Berlin is absolute and unqualified. The European Advisory Council agreement, from which this right derives, is completely independent of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements. Condemning the Soviet refusal to participate in the European Recovery Programme, the White Paper says that in the light of this attitude it became clear that the Soviet claim’ to participate in the control of the Ruhr was, in fact, a claim to be allowed to sabotage the recovery of Western Europe. The ambassadors of the three Western Powers are expected to return to Moscow this week, says the Associated Press correspondent.

Renewed Hope

Reuter’s Paris correspondent states that unless there is a serious hitch in the negotiations between the six “neutrals” and the individual members of the “Big Four” the next action of the - Security Council should be to give its formal blessing to a compromise formula to end the present deadlock on the East-West negotiations on Berlin.

The Russian delegate, Mr. Vyshinsky has referred to Moscow the question the Security Council chairman, Senor Bramuglia put to him whether

Russia would be prepared to lift the blockade and join in new talks. The three Western Powers’ delegates, meanwhile, are also consulting their Governments on whether they would agree to attend a Foreign Ministers’ meeting if the blockade was lifted. A favourable reply from all four Governments would probably lead to a formal resolution calling upon the parties to resume direct negotiations as provided in Chapter Six of the United Nations’ Charter.

Diplomatic circles, however, regard it as certain that the word “blockade” must' not appear in the resolution because Russia does not recognise that a blockade exists. Compromise Impossible?

The New York Herald-Tribune’s Paris correspondent reports that the reply from the Western delegates to the Security Council to questions from six neutral countries, will say that a compromise with Russia is impossible until the Berlin blockade is lifted, and only a Soviet change of heart will brea,k the East-West stalemate.

A group of Berliners have founded a “World Citizen Society,” declaring that world citizenship for all Berliners is the only way out of the Berlin crisis.