WESTERN TRAINS TO BERLIN START AT MIDNIGHT, MAY 11

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22940, 7 May 1949, Page 5

WESTERN TRAINS TO BERLIN START AT MIDNIGHT, MAY 11

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter—Copyright.) (10.30 a.m.) BERLIN, May 6. Western Allied traffic into Berlin will begin moving at midnight on May 11, General L. Clay, the American Military Governor, said in Berlin today.

General Clay said he had received no communication from the Russians on the lifting of the blockade and no negotiations with the Russians were underway in Berlin on details for reviving traffic from West Germany.

“I don’t believe any are necessary, General Clay said. "We will just present our trains for clearance on ( the agreed date just as we always did.”

First Easing of Restrictions

The Soviet-sector police announced today that West-sector Berliners are now allowed to take back to their own sectors food bought in the Soviet sector —the first easing of the blockade restrictions reported in Berlin. Potatoes may be “exported” in unlimited quantities, reasonable quantities of other foodstuffs may be taken out. Within an hour of the announcement East-sector shops were crowded with Western Berliners buying at high prices such items as honey, cream, cakes and frozen vegetables. Soviet-sector German police began erecting huge posters reading “beat the black market in the streets.” The resumption of trade between West Germany and the Soviet zone when the Berlin blockade ends will probably take the form of a simple exchange of goods at first, said German official sources. Many technical details have to be settled, especially the exchange rate between the East mark and Deusche mark of the Western zones. Soviet Zone Needs West Goods

Another difficulty is that the Soviet zone wants to import goods that are still badly needed in Western Germany. At present West Germany especially needs from the Eastern zone Jana glass products, textile machinery and spare parts. . , , The Eastern zone wants iron, steel, coal, steel products and machinery. General Sir Brian Robertson, in a prepared statement on the policy in Germany which received the authority of Mr. Ernest Bevin, stated that the agreement to set up a Western Federal Republic in Germany would “proceed rapidly.” General Robertson left no doubt that the inclusion of the Eastern zone in a united German administration, although desirable, could occur only on the basis of fundamentals laid down m the Bonn Constitution.