APPROACH TO TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ZONES OF GERMANY

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 May 1949, Page 5

APPROACH TO TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ZONES OF GERMANY

BERLIN, May 21 (Recd. 7.40pm). An informal tentative agreement has been reached with the Russians on tile financial aspects oi inter-zonal trade, said Major-General George P. Hays, acting director of the American Military Government. . “If we can settle the question now to pay for goods exchanged between Eastern and Western Germany the whole thing could be scettled right away,” he said.. "The present difficulties over rail and road traffic between Berlin and the West would then disappear.” Major-General Hays added that the agreement which he thought would be reached finally today would enable goods to be exchanged without a direct exchange rate for the East mark against the West mark being decided upon. The list of goods to be exchanged remained the same as that agreed upon under the 1948 interzonal agreement, which lapsed during the blockade. Four-Power transport talks would be resumed, on Monday to straighten out technical difficulties such as the number of trains to enter Berlin and the right of German goods vehicles to use the Helmstedt autobahn. The Associated Press quotes MajorGeneral Hays as admitting that there were a number of discords. The Soviet had not yet replied to the request that the American Signal Corps service teams be permitted to enter the Soviet zone to check cables. Moreover, General Vassily Chuikov had not replied to the three-Power protest over road traffic restrictions, although these had been waived, at least for the present.—Reuter.