HESITATION BY WESTERN POWERS OVER BERLIN DEADLOCK

Grey River Argus, 28 October 1948, Page 7

HESITATION BY WESTERN POWERS OVER BERLIN DEADLOCK

* (Rec. 9.20) LONDON, Oct. 27 In the face of the soviet's veto on the U.N. Security Council's proposal for breaKing the deadlock in Berlin, none of the three Western Powers is disposed to precipitate the next move,” says the United Nations’ correspondent of “The Times.”

Mr E. Bevin is expected to discuss the situation to-day with General iviarsnun and id. Kobert Scnuman, out, alter the tension and the specuxauoii oi the past fortnight or so, it is felt that tne issue nngnt oeneni from being given a rest for a few days while reactions in the Soviet camp might become apparent, in tne rsritish view, the dispute, will, in due time, come before the U.N. General Assembly, though there, admittedly, disadvantages in taking this course. The American and French delegations appear to be the more acutely conscious of these difficulties. For one thing, the vote might not be nearly so decisive ,and the hesitations oi some States would, no doubt, be reflected in an embarrassing number of abstentions. The advantage of such a move, would be that, whereas the Soviet Union has effectively blocked any decision in the Security Council, a majority recommendation, at least, should be available in the Assembly. Soviet’s Forces Exceed Four Millions

LONDON, October 27,

Mr A. W. Mitchell, N.Z.P.A. correspondent, says' Speculation about the size of Russia’s armed forces is becoming more frequent and more frank, and with it ' various uneasy assessmerits are being made about tne military forces of the Western Bowers. The latest estimate of the Russian forces is given in a report of the International Committee for the Study of European Questions. This committee, composed of prominent men in Britain, France. Belgium and Holland, reports that the Soviet has 3,500,000 men under arms, with 500,000 men in the navy and at least 100,000 parachutists. She is believed to be producing more than 20,000 tanks this year, 100,000 guns, and 9000 aircraft. The committee believes that Russia probably has the largest submarine fleet in the world, well over 250, but she does not appear to have engines enabling them to remain submerged for a very long time. A report from another source says that Western intelligence now has absolute evidence that the Soviet is experimenting with the arming of a new long-range schnorkel (breathing apparatus) submarine, with rocket missiles. She is said to have commissioned 90 schnorkel craft capable of cruising for a long period completely submerged. SOVIET USING HALF MILLION GERMANS The committee’s report also says that the Soviet is organising 500,0u0 Germans to force the issue in Germany in the near future. ’I here are, it says, 300,000 men in Russia to-day under the former German field-mar-shal von Paulus, and drafts and detachments are on their way to big towns in Saxony and Thuringia for a “special assignation’’. The police force already established in the Eastern zone of Germany totals 200,0001 These forces are now “well organised and capable of rapidly going into action”.

“According io information from a very good source”, says the report, “the whole of this organisation will be used by Russia to exercise strong political pressure, probably towards the end of November or the beginning of December, at a moment when Russia foresees that American foreign policy will be handicapped by the Presidential elections”. According to Liddell Hart, the military commentator, the Russians have about 30 divisions in their zone of Germany, including the equivalent of eight armoured divisions and six to eight motorised divisions.

Soviet Pulling Up Berlin Railway Into American Sector (Rec. 10.40) LONDON, Oct. 27 The Russian-controlled German News Agency says: That the Soviet' authorities have ordered that the only railway line that is now connecting the Russian and American sectors oi Berlin city shall be torn up, and tnat the police posts along the boundaries between the two countries’ zones shall be strengthened. FORCES ON ALLIED ZONE BORDERS BERLIN, October 26. The American official German language newspaper, Die Neue Zeitung, quoting what it describes as a United States Army announcement based on the observations of air-lift pilots, say that large forces of Soviet troops, armoured cars and heavy artillery are moving up to the zonal frontier. The newspaper adds that 150 antiaircraft guns have been placed along the Allied corridor, and trails of armoured cars and lorries have been seen. It is assumed that the Russians are going to repair the German army underground installations. R.A.F. MARSHAL ON BERLIN POSITION LONDON, October 26. Marshal of the R.A.F., Lord Douglas, seconding the address of thanks to the King in the House of Lords, said Britain must stand firm on her undoubted rights in Berlin. To scuttle out of Berlin would stultify democratic principles in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of the Germans themselves. Lord Douglas said that standing firm was not the same as issuing an ultimatum to the Russians and threatening them with the atomic bomb unless they toed the line, as some people suggested. “Don’t let’s press war to our bosoms”, he added. Russians Holding 6 >OOO Austrian Prisoners

(Rec. 9.30) VIENNA, Oct. 26 The Austrian Government has appealed to M. Stalin for the release of 6133 Austrian war prisoners still held in Russian camps.