Soviet Sector Police Ordered To Leave

Northern Advocate, 25 May 1949, Page 5

Soviet Sector Police Ordered To Leave

BERLIN RAIL STRIKE

BERLIN, Tue. (11.30 a.m.) .—The Western military governments have ordered West sector German police to'take over strike* hound elevated railway stations in the three Western sectors and to expel Eastern sector railway police Who are holding them. The United States commandant (Brigadier General Frank Howley) said he was ordering his German police to move into every station in the United States sector.

The British and French authorities are doing likewise. Brigadier Howley said the Americans were “just about out of patience” with the violence of the Berlin strike.

“I will not stand by while Soviet railway polite shoot into the crowds in the American sector and forcibly take prisoners to the East sector, who will be tried there , and perhaps sentenced to death,” he said. Until now railway property has been considered extraterritorial and under complete control of the Russian-zone rail management. In a letter to the Russian transport chief (General Petrov), telling him that he had demanded the removal of Russian-sector railway police from the United States sector of Berlin, Brigadier Howley said: “It is also requested that you issue orders to withdraw immediately any Soviet troop units which have been sent into the United States sector to occupy railway property.” UNNECESSARY BLOODSHED

strikers and Soviet-controlled railway police yesterday, were occupied during the night by French gendarmerie. Colonel Stewart, British public safety chief, told 40 East-sector police holding the British-sector Grunewald station, to get out. They did, and 200 British-sector German police took over. Colonel Stewart agreed tQ the Eastsector police request for permission to leave 12 men behind to guard railway property. Colonel Stewart then led his men to the Westkremz station. %

He repeated his ultimatum and 20 Russian-sector guards marched out. Colonel Stewart allowed the Eastern police to leave six men behind to protect railway property. Soviet-controlled railway police moved out quietly tonight when armed reinforcements of West Berlin police began taking over all stations in their three sectors of the city.

Brigadier Howley’s letter continued: “The United States Military Government has possibly shown too great patience in this matter In its endeavour to permit the railway management to negotiate in a legitimate manner its differences with the striking workmen. “It is now obvious that the armed police under railway control and your responsibility, are engaged in a type of strike-breaking which has resulted in unnecessary bloodshed and is conducive to even greater violence Unless curbed at once. “I am therefore compelled to take action consistent with my duties as United States commandant, and in accordance with a plea which I received from the elected city government of Berlin-” 1 FRENCH ZONE CLASH Though in most parts of Berlin the situation was reported to be quiet, French gendarmes had a clash with a group of Germans, described by West sector police headquarters as “Communist saboteurs” on the borders of the French and Soviet sectqrs, Headquarters stated that _ a Communist gang tried, to commit acts of sabotage, but was driven off by French gendarmes. . . A number of stations m the French sector, including Tegel, which changed hands frequently in clashes between

The three-power action came on the fourth day of Berlin’s bloody railway strike against the Soviet-controlled railway administration, which has cost two lives and left hundreds injured. With stations now coming under West-sector police control, and noriCommunist railwaymen still on strike, observers think the Soviet railway authorities, who operate the electric railway by four-power agreement, will try to run steam trains through Western Berlin. NO NEW RESTRICTIONS

The Russian authorities denied today that any new restrictions had been imposed on traffic from Western Germany to Berlin, and said that improper documents were responsible last week’s stoppage of lorry traffic.

. Lieutenant-General Dratvin, deputy Russian Military Governor, said in a letter to Major-General Hays, deputy United States Military Governor, that an investigation would be held into Western complaints that lorries had been hailed on the grounds that they lacked certain documents which were not required before March 1, 1948.