SOVIET RADIO USES NEW STATION IN BERLIN

Grey River Argus, 20 December 1948, Page 5

SOVIET RADIO USES NEW STATION IN BERLIN

LONDON, Dec. 19 _ The Russian-controlled Berlin radio station is believed to have been using a Soviet zone radio station, 15 miles from Berlin for its medium wave transmissions since the French blew up Berlin Radio’s transmission towers. Reception outside Berlin is reported to be fainter than usual. Observers in Berlin are speculating whether the Russians, in retaliation may cut Berlin’s telephone and telegraph links with the British zone and the rest of the world. Allied officials in Berlin stated that preparations had been made for such an eventuality. A special radiotelephone transmitter had already been installed at Hartz in the British zone. . . . General Clay, at an informal press conference, thanked the French for blowing up the towers of the Sovietdominated radio, says the Associated Press Frankfurt correspondent I am grateful to the French for their action in removing a real source danger to our pilots on the airlift. Asked if he knew what the Soviet retaliation might be, General Clay said he did not know and he did not Ca The United States Military Government has offered to lift its counter-Wnr-kndp of the Russian zone long enough to permit the transit of 50,000 Christmas gift parcels to Eastern GerSanv says the British United Press Berlin correspondent. The Russians authorities will have to provide railway waggons to carry the parcels.

Berlin Frontier Jitters

SHOOTING OF BRITISH SOLDIERS LONDON, Dec. 18 ■British Army headquarters in Germanv 1 announced the release of the soldiers detained in the Soviet zone rinS the latest border shooting inwaToMeially stated that the number of men who had been de tamed was six. Military Governor. General Sir' Brian R° b “‘ s<,n r that although the case was regret

table he did not consider it of great importance. “If it is properly handled I do not think that it will stir up trouble between us and the Russians.” , . „ ... , An official spokesman at Britisn Army headquarters in Berlin stated that' Private T. N! Knill, of Cornwall, who was fired on. by a Russian soldier in a border incident, is stiff alive He received wounds in the back from tommygun bullets fired by a Russian soldier, at what Is described as “a very close range. “Frontier jitters” now grip all the foreign forces in Germany, states the correspondent of the Associated Press in Berlin. The Russians have taken increasingly severe measures in the past few months to seal the frontier, across which thousands of German refugees had fled from Eastern Germany, this illegal A gration including hundreds of So viet Army deserters. Russian frontier patrols are known to have ordeis to shoot trespassers. . German travellers in a train I lo ’ l } Leipzig to Berlin thrashed several Russian soldiers who tried to force German women passenger s into their special compartments. Soviet soldiers then threw two German travellers out of the train.