Evening star., 1948-05-29
Sudden FriendIiness
|0f Russians in Austria
Puzzles Americans
By Simon Bourein


VIENNA, (By AirmaiD .-Ameri-
can officials are trying hard to
understand the sudden change in
Russia's attitude in Austria-where
In the past fortnight the Soviets
have shown more friendliness to-
ward the western powers than in
many months.
Only five weeks ago the Russians
were setting up new road blocks
around Vienna in what looked like
the beginning of an attempt to cut
of the Western Allies from the city.
Then the Russians tried hard to halt
military traffic to and from the
American and British airfields-
which are in the Soviet zone, out
side Vienna.
Today the signs are many and
unmistakable that the Russians in
Austria are out to please. Some
responsible Americans think it is be-
cause Russia so badly wants state
treaty for Austria. This would bring
about the departure of the western
powers, and permit Russia to under
mine Austrian independence at her
own pleasure.
Others believe Russia may be
using Austria to prove that Henry
Wallace is right, and that Russia is
not an aggressive, expansioniSt coun-
try after all. BY this behavior, say
some American officials, the Rus
slams would like to convince the
Americans that the Western Union
security combination and the vast
American arms program are un-
necessary.
Within the past two weeks, OBJ
servers here have added up the fol-
lowing significant items, all of which
point to a new, friendly Russian
policy in Austria.
At last Fridays Allied Control
Council meeting, the Russians agreed
to every item on the agenda for the
first time since December 1916.
Among other things, they agreed
to the ALLEGATION of next years oc-
cupation costs, to which they had
been saying mo" for four straight
months.
The Russians consented to hav-
ing the Allied Control Councils
picture taken by a Life magazine
photographer-the first unofficial
still picture the Russians have con-
sented to in the history of the coun-
Gil.
The Russians agreed to permit
an American Graves Registration
team to work in the Soviet zone of
Austria, following American permis-
sion for Soviet team to work in
the American zone.
In gracious letter Of thanks, the
Russians expressed their apprecia-
ton for the excellent" treatment
given their graves registration and
restitution missions during their re-
cent stay in the American zone.
Col. Gen. Dmitri Zheltov-deputy
Russian commander and the career
MVD general whom correspondents
regard as the evil genius behind Rus
sian policy in Austria-this week in
vited his American opposite, Brig.
0SAAs DSoAAAO4Au ASdAA1lC1, w P1dy tClle
mis- with him. Gen. Balmer replied
he would prefer fishing, or to have
a drink. Thereupon Gen. Zheltov
said they could 60 fishing, but that
he would drink while Gen. Balmer
fished, Nothing like this innocent
social exchange has been heard
since the early days of the Ameri-
can occupation, when Gen. Mark
Clark drank vodka with Gen. Zhel-
tov. and his chief, Marshal Ivan
Koniey. ~
aThe Russians granted American
and British correspondents permis-
sion beginning this week, to cross
the Soviet zone on the shortest
routes to Czechoslovakia, Hungary
and Italy. For several months news
papermen and other western ma
tionals have had to travel west to
Germany and then to Prague, for
instance, in order to go east to
H11nparv