Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-17
Reported
on
Reds in Berlin
Krupp's Moedebure
Workers Declared
Striking for Food
BY the Associated Press

economic troubles were reported
today in the Russian zone oil
Germany as a boomerang of the
Soviet blockade of Berlin.
Workers at the Krupp plant al
Madgeburg were reported to have
struck to protest food shortage
Some strikers were arrested.
The British-licensed newspaper
Social Democrat told of industrial
and commercial shutdowns in the
Russian zone because of lack Of
supplies which formerly were OBJ.
tanned from Western Germany.
The supplies, chiefly coal and steel
from the Ruhr, were shut off wher
the Western powers stopped trains
from entering or leaving the Russian
zone. This was a conference.-the
to the Soviet land blockade of Der.
lin, started late in June.
The newspaper said the Madge.
burg strike protested Russian reoui-
sltioning of occupation zone foods
for Berlin.
Shortages Not Denied.
The Russians have not denied
persistent reports of food shortages
in their part of Germany. Shortages
were said to be aggravated by seiz-
ures of stocks to support the Rus
sian promise to feed the entire city
OF Berlin, including the blockaded
Western areas.
The American zone of GERMANY
had food trouble also. A crowd of
10000 demonstrated at Hof in
Bavaria against high food prices and
shouted approval of a resolution
calling for a buyers strike.
The Russian news agency ADM
said the Soviets are importing hard
coal from Poland to keep factories
and public utilities in their zone
going. The Russians, however, were
said to be paying Poland dollars
for the coal whereas they had OBJ
tanned the Ruhr coal for German
marks in interzonal trade.
The same agency reported further
punitive actions against economic
saboteurs." Jail terms were melted
out to hoarders of food and indus
trial supplies.
American and British planes sup
plying the 2,050,000 Germans in
Western Berlin started freighting in
shoes and cigarettes, as well as food
and coal. The planes took in 1890
pairs of shoes made in Western
Germany and 100000 cigarettes
from surplus United States Army
stores.
Rocket Guns Reported.
The British licensed newspaper
Telegraf said the Russians have
sealed off an area of the Soviet
British border near Salzwedel and
erected rocket guns there.
Some observers thought the re-
port might refer to Soviet army
summer maneuvers near the zonal
frontiers. A report from Hamburg
yesterday quoted German border
police in the British zone as saying
these maneuvers were nearly over
| German border crossers in the
area reported seeing heavy Russian
artillery and tank columns moving
around Salzwedel, apparently in
maneuvers.
The Telegraf previously claimed
to have learned from German wit
nesses that the Russians were
digging trenches and building a
security border" on their zonai
| frontiers.
Former Policeman Kidnapped.
The American licensed Dena news
agency said a former German DO
| liceman had been kidnapped by the
Russians across the American Soviet
frontier.
The man was identified as Willie
Koehler, who formerly lived in the
Russian zone, but reputedly moved
to the American zone when he re-
fused to take employment offered
him by the Russians. The Dena
report said he was lured across the
border by call to fetch a package
and then seized and dragged of
into Russian captivity"
Rumors were revived that Marshal
VASTLY D. Sokolovsky, Russian COM
mander in Germany, has been
superseded.
The American-licensed newspaper
Tagesspiegel charged that three
German engineers had been kid
mapped by the Russians. One of
these, the newspaper said, lives in
the American, one in the French
and one in the Soviet sector.
British authorities announced
they have asked the Russians to
return an Raj jet fighter which
made forced landing in the Soviet
occupation zone yesterday and have
asked the release of the pilot. The
announcement said the plane was
only slightly damaged, and the pilot,
unhurt, was being held by the Rus
slams.