U.S. ORDERS SOVIET MISSION FROM ITS GERMAN ZONE

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1949, Page 5

U.S. ORDERS SOVIET MISSION FROM ITS GERMAN ZONE

FRANKFURT, February 16. General Clay has requested the official Soviet, "repatriation mission in the United States zone of Germany to leave American-occupied territory by March 1. The mission consists of four officers and four other ranks. General Clay made the request for the mission to leave, despite a protest from Marshal Sokolovsky that its work was indispensible and that the decision was not “within the competency of the commanders-in-chief of the occupation forces in Germany”. Marshal Sokolovsky claimed that only the Governments concerned could decide. An announcement by the United States Rrmy said the mission would not operate aftei - March 1, because the voluntary repatriation of displaced persons who were Soviet citizens had virtually ceased. The announcement added that the mission’s accreditation had been discontinued. Its work could be handled by the Soviet military mission.