Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-07
Rough Time Forecast
In Berlin if Russians
Menace Allied Planes
BY the Associofed Press

BY the Assoeiafed Press
BERLIN, Aug. IAN Ameri-
can Air Force official said today
that things are going to be
pretty rough around here" If the
Russians try to force dowr
American and British planes
flying supplies to blockadec
Berlin.
The Official Soviet news agency
ANB limited last night that Alice
planes could be forced down To-
flying over unauthorized areas. I,
charged British and American air.
craft with 81 such violations be-
tween July 81 and August 4.
The American official conceded
that technically speaking" planes
which violated flight regulations
could be forced down.
However" he added, "once thi
starts things are going to be pretty
rough around here. 1t would re.
quire some pretty high level actor
to say the least"
Intentions Not Clear.
The Soviet agency claimed Amer
leans had provisions for forcing
down planes which departed from
prescribed routes over the American
occupation zone. They implied the
same could be applied over the
Soviet zone routes to Berlin.
The American official said it could
not be Immediately determined
whether the Russians were lust
talking" or really intended forceful
action.
MOI was it known whether the
statement distributed by ANB had
been forwarded to American and
British authorities as a formal let
ter of protest.
The Russians have made fire.
quent allegations of fight rule
breaches since the gigantic night
and day air lift to supply Western
Berlin was instituted nearly two
months ago Most of them have
been rejected as unfounded. Amer
lean authorities have expressed the
belief they were chiefly intended as
harassing tactics against the lift.
Western Allied authorities have
said the airlift will not only con-
tinue as long as needed, but will be
doubled
Currency Accord Reported.
On the diplomatic front, Russian
controlled newspapers carried on
their front pages a dispatch from
Washington claiming that Presi-
dent Truman and Secretary of State
Marshall had agreed in principle
that the Western-sponsored currency
should be withdrawn from Berlin
and only Soviet-sponsored money
circulated throughout the city.
The dispatch, carried by ANB
claimed that this information was
learned from Informed Washington
circles"
1t said the currency problem here
has to be negotiated by the four
Allied commanders in chief and
indicated that the issue was con-
nected with discussion of the Berlin
crisis in Moscow
On the contrary the Western
powers are isuing more Of their
money here.
Blocked Funds Not Freed.
Western authorities said last
night that attempts to reach salts
factory arrangements for the release
of blocked East-Mark accounts
-"have now been brought to nothing
because of the insistence of the
bank of issue Gin the Soviet sector
upon clearly unacceptable condi-
tons"
AS a result, the three Western
powers authorized loans in West
marks for Western sector firms
whose East-marks have ben blocked
so they can pay wages.
The British said Thursday thai
the Russians had released enough
funds for the city government tt
meet its weekend payments. Las
night, however, it was reported thai
the city had only been able to ge,
a small percentage of its estimated
needs.
ANB reported that the Russians
had protested to the British Thurs
day against "organized currency
speculation" in the British sector.
The agency said the Russians de-
manded the immediate closing OF
German-operated currency ex-
change Offices which recently were
opened in the Western sectors. ANE
described Berlin as lying in the
Soviet zone and economically part
of it."
WeSt-mark Favored.
Last nights papers said one West
mark brought two marks, 40 pfen-
nings of Soviet-sponsored currency
while it required two marks. 70
pfenrings of Russian money 10 buy
one West-mark.
The West-mark has been pegged
at 80 cents for the purpose of foreign
trade. The new Russian mark has
been given no set value, although
the Russians claim it should be ex-
changed equally with the West
mark.
However, since the introduction Of
the two currencies. the West-mark
has been favored In all sectors of
Berlin and has been exvhanged at
premium, because of its sounder
basis.
yLF