Evening star., 1948-04-21
|East-West Disputes
Over Germany and
Austria Intensified
By the Associated Press

| LONDON, April 21.-RuSsian
disputes with the western pow
ers over Germany and Austria
were sharpened today with new
thrusts and counterthrusts.
In London, a Tass dispatch said
a Russian commission has found q
British plane responsible for a fatal
air crash over Berlin April 5.
In Vienna, the United States
and Russia blamed each other for
a clash Monday on the streets Of
the American zone, when three
Russian officers attempted to ar
rest a displaced person in the
American sector. American military
police wrested the woman from the
Russians.
In Berlin, 1t. Col. w. T. Babcock,
American deputy commandant of
the city, called his Russian counter
part the biggest spreader Of false
hoods "since the time of Ananias :"
Reich Discussed In London.
In the British capital, the United
States, Britain and France made
plans which may further the split
between Western and Eastern Ger
many. The three powers laid the
groundwork for restoring the West
ern sections financial stability and
giving it wide self-governing powers.
The Soviet news agency statement
referred to the collision of a Brit
ish transport and Russian fighter.
All IA, aboard the transport, includ-
two Americans, died. The Russian
pilot perished.
Tass said the commission found
that "at the moment the Soviet
Yak-3 wss on training flight
around the Soviet Dahlof Airdrome
and. having lowered its undercar-
riage, was preparing to land"
THE British plane, which shot
out of the clouds, struck the tall
plane of the Soviet plane with its
engines" Tass said.
Soviet Pilot Blamed Earlier.
A British white paper previously
blamed the Soviet pilot for the col
lision. Foreign Secretary Bevin told
the House of Commons Monday that
Britain would claim full compensa- =
ton for the crash.
The news agency said the commits
sion found that ''the reason for the
collision was the British planes
violation of rules of fight and its
piercing through the Clouds"
THE British administration did
not request and therefore did not
receive preliminary permission from
the Berlin safety center for the
flight Of the British plane, although
the rules Of the air force directorate
of the (Allied) Control Council
make 1t obligatory to receive per-
mission" Tass said.
A joint British Russian investi-
cation of the crash broke down
when the Russians refused to hear
German or American witnesses.
The collision occurred shortly
after the Russians ordered severe
restrictions on western power rail
and highway traffic between Berlin
and the western occupation zones.
Observers Optimistic.
Official American observers IN
London expressed optimism today
over the first session of the current
three-power talks on Western Ger
many yesterday sura - s>sssF, e, nj
The agenda which was adopted
closely resembled the one which
served the first three-power session
last month. Russia was not invited
| to either session. .-..... ..-.,-.
Soviet authorities threatened a
break in Russian American collab-
grafton in Vienna unless an Ameri-
can soldier they said was guilty
of provocative action against Red
officers" was called to account.
American officials In Vienna ac-
cused the Russians OF armed in
vasion" of the American zone and