Evening star., 1948-04-11
U. 5. Fights Maneuver
By Soviet 10 Restrict
BerIinAir Wire Links
~ IN Assotia Pres.

BERLIN, Apftl 1o.-Americar
authorities today resisted new
Russian efforts to restrict the
Western Allies communication
between Berlin and Western
Germany. "e
The new squeeze measures In.
volved were communications and ali
trafic through the Soviet zone from
Berlin.
American authorities said the
Russians were. attempting under thu
guise OF air safety regulations tc
reduce use Of the Western Allies
air corridor which links the city
with the West. It was disclosed
that they also are seeking to force
Withdrawal from their zone of
American and British maintenance
crews which work on telephone and
teleprinter lines running across the
Soviet zone from Berlin to the west.
ern zones,
These actions were regarded by
western authorities as part :. Of g
calculated Soviet pattern intended
to make the position OF Britain, the
United States and France unten.
able In this international islanc
behind the iron curtain. =.
Move to Cut Corridor Use.
Disclosing the new Soviet-pro.
posed air safety regulations, Maj
Gen. William E. Hall, director OF the
American Military Government,
Armed Services Division, said they
were q very obvious attempt tc
restrict our use of the corridor"
Gen. Hall said the proposed reg
ulations included: Stoppage of all
flights by American commercial air.
lines through the corridor, prohibi-
tion Of night flying, restrictions on
flying by instrument, and a require
nent that all flights through the
corridor be approved "a hours in
advance.
The American Overseas Airways
transatlantic service has been
making two flights week to
Berlin and had planned to increase
the number to four beginning next
month. .s
The Russians raised the COM
munications issue by announcing
they would not renew Soviet zone
passes for the American and
British Signal Corps crews which
maintain the military telephone and
telegraph lines between Berlin and
the western zones.
One Team Now at Weimar.
Since the end Of the war Ameri-
can crews have been stationed in
the Soviet zone under terms of a
written agreement. At present one
team of five is stationed at Weihnar
Their passes expire April Is. Col
r. A. willard, chief of the United
States Army's Berlin troop COM
mand, said the Russians explained
they wanted to maintain the line
themselves Col. willard said even
il the Russians agreed to maintain
the lines he feared efficiency would
be impaired.
Maj. Gen. George P. Hay, Ameri-
can deputy military governor, was
seeking to negotiate on the question
with the Russians. 1t was UNDER
stood that the United States Army
was planning to install a high
speed radio transmitter to replace
the land lines if the Russians in
terfered with their maintenance.
The British, who also received
notification that maintenance mems
passes woidd not be renewed, have
a crew Of ,13 in the Soviet zone.
Plan Previously Rejected.
The Russians first brought their
proposed air regulations before a
four power air safety committee
some time ago. The Americans,
British and French rejected them
Immediately. They have now re-
introduced them There has been
no discussion of them, however, be-
cause the Russians walkout on the
Allied Control Council and its sub
committees March 20 has paralyzed
all ur-power government machin-
cry here.
Whether the Russians would at
tempt to carry them out on their
own could only be conjectured. 1t
was recalled, however, that in the
exchange of notes with Gen. Sir
Brian Robertson. the British mill
tary governor, following Mondays
fatal crash of a British transport
and Soviet fighter the Soviet COM
mander threatened to take action
for policing the corridor to enforce
safety regulations.
These new moves of the Russians
became known after Gen. Robertson
had returned a kid glove" answer
to Marshal VASTLY Sokolovsky, the
Soviet military governor, in the
exchange over the air crash.
Soviet Refusal Accepted.
In his answer, which apparently
had been dictated by the British
Foreign ONCE in London, Gen, Rob
ertson did not repeat his earlier
threats to protect his planes in
the corridor with fighters. He ac-
cepted the Soviet refusal to hold =
four power investigation of the
crash, and agreed to the Soviet pro-
posal for a joint British Soviet in
vestigation.
A Russian note to the British to-
day announced appointment of an
investigating committee to make
the joint inquiry.
There were other evidences of
Russia's tightening up of her zonal
borders.
In the Russian occupied state of
Saxony the Ministry Of Justice in
q letter to officials, lawyers and
solicitors forbade the imparting of
any commercial, professional or Off
cial information to officials or in
dividuals in the Western occupation
zones.
Parcel Pest Still damned.
In Berlin jam of "a carloads of
parcel post addressed to the three