Evening star., 1948-09-02
ber|in0fficiaIs
Demand Voicein
Big -Four Par|!eys
Soviet Veto Expected
As Military Chiefs
Resume Conferences
BY the Associated Press


BERLIN, Sept. Berlin's
anti Communist city government
demanded today voice in the
four-power deliberations here on
the German crisis. The appeal
faced a virtually certain Russian
veto as the four military COVER
norS conferred for the third day.
Today's meeting lasted an hour
and half
The city governments appeal is
understood to have asked the mill
tary governors for an end to East
West strife in this Soviet -blockaded
city; restoration of a unified city
administration under the elected
government; guarantees of pro-
lection for the city assembly and
guarantees of restored freedom of
travel between Berlin and all four
occupation zones
Twice last week Communist
demonstrations prevented meetings
of the elected city government. The
Russian commandant and the Rus
sian controlled police in the So
Wet sector, where the City Hall, is
located, have refused to interfere
with the demonstrators, who have
threatened to repeat the perform
ance each time the assembly tries
to meet.
Committees Continue Work.
The four-power working COM
mittees on trade and finance con-
tinued their negotiations on tech
nical problems, but the other COM
mittee, made up of transport ex-
perts, did not meet.
An American member of the
transport group, which would deal
with the lifting of the 71-day- old
blockade. refused to say whether the
groups work was done.
I'VE might meet again." he said.
However, as you know, the lifting
of the blockade depends only upon
the word go from the Russians.
We've got plenty of coal and sup
ply trains lined up at the zonal bor-
ders ready to proceed to Berlin when
the word comes"
The Russians, when they closed off
the rail line between Berlin and the
West, said it was because of "tech-
nical difficulties" Yesterday the
French sector newspaper Der Kurier
said these difficulties had been
solved.
Specific Proposals Made.
The four governors went into
their third conference at pm. %
am. EDIT, to consider specific pro-
posals on the blockade, Berlin's cur
rency tangle and interzonal trade.
The working committee weighed
these problems yesterday.
There has been no official state
ment on the progress of the talks.
Some quarters saw in this an in
dication that hard bargaining is
going on, with the Russians de-
manding both trade and currency
concessions as the price for lifting
the blockade. Some believed the
Russians sought permanent controls
over travel and trade between Ber-
lin and the Western zones, even
after land transport has been re-
stored.
The City Assembly Cancelled a
scheduled Friday meeting because
the Russians failed to guarantee
it protection against Communicated
demonstrators. Assembly leaders
said its activities would be suspend
ed Indefinitely. Apparently this was
to await some solution of the crisis
in the current talks.
Clay Grim After Session.
Gen. Lucius D. Clay, American
occupation commander, looked grim
mer than after the previous meetings
as he left the meeting of the
militray governors.
Asked whether he had any state
ment to make, he said no"
Russian Marshal VASTLY D. So
kolovsky was the first to leave the
conference room.
An American official said the
military governors would meet again
tomorrow. This session probably will
be to hear further reports from the
three working committees on fl
nance, trade and transport.
Soviet Paper Confident.
Taegliche Rundschau, official Or
gan Of the Soviet military admins
tration, predicted confidently that
the Soviet-sponsored east mark will
be adopted as the single currency
for Berlin very soon"
Political necessity and geographic
logic finally triumphed," the paper
said. 1T means heavy defeat and
catastrophe for the entire anti
Soviet policy in Berlin"
The financial experts are believed
to be trying to work out single
currency system for Berlin, where
Soviet and Western sponsored marks
are now in competition.