Evening star., 1948-07-11
ey the Associoted Press

BERLIN, July 10.-New Rus
sian bars on the highway exit
from Berlin tonight all but ma
rooned Western Allied nationals
in the city! Americans said they
would not submit to any new
restrictions.
The air corridor became almost
the only link between Berlin and
the British zone 120 miles to the
west.
The Soviet-controlled news agency
ADM said tonight that the Russians
Yesterday sent another protest to
the British and Americans on pre-
sumed violations of flying rules.
The protest complained, the
agency said, that flights were going
over the Soviet zone without prior
warning and that basic flying
rules" were being violated. The pro-
test called for an immediate stop
of irregular" flights.
British authorities cancelled all
leaves for their garrison. The
Americans announced that leaves
would be granted to their personnel
only if they obtain seats on COM
mercial airplanes.
The British-American action fol-
lowed a Russian announcement in
their official press that westbound
Allied traffic out of Berlin from now
on would be permitted only on spe-
cial permits issued by the Soviets.
They said automobiles will be sub
ject to search.
u. S. Standing Firm.
The Russian announcement was
read to Maj. Gen. George P. Hays.
United States deputy military gov
ernor. over the telephone.
He said: There is no change OF
our attitude regarding free access
to Berlin. We do not intend to sub
NIT to any new restrictions. We
have a right to free access and we
intend to get it
The Russian order left the air
corridor the only exit not con-
trolled by the Russians.
Highway travel to Berlin from the
west has been stopped since June
Is when the Russians closed the
road in the wake Of the. currency
reform for Western Germany. A
few days later they laid down the
railway blockade.
Westbourd automobiles. however,
had been allowed to proceed.
In the meantime, the British
American food and fuel lift con-
tinued to stream into Berlin,
The United States Air Force again
out-did the 1.000-ton mark, flying
l,035 tons of supplies in 202 sorties
in "a hours. The British made 1877
flights.
British Loading Protested.
The Russians today protested that
the British had loaded certain Soviet
Zone barges in the Ruhr with Ber-
bound coal instead of manganese
ore. The Russians had sent the
barges in for manganese, they said.
The Soviet representative said
that the British action made 1t inn
possible for them any longer to carry
on inter -zonal traffic" British an
nouncement said.
The British denied the charge and
asserted that British-Soviet agree
ment for interzonal navigation does
not provide for selection Of cargoes
on return trips.
They pointed out that interzonal
traffic has been suspended for the
past three weeks anyway because OF
alleged technical difficulties' In the
Russian zone.
Coal Supplies Dwindle.
Although the big British and
American air shuttle continued to
ply through rain and overcast. les
sening coal supplies forced a so per
cent reduction in gas consumption.
This reduction followed earlier cuts
which shut down most of Western
Berlin's industry. Power reductions
also darkened the homes Of Berlin's
Is. 900 Allied nationals and the
British colony was put under an
"austerity regime"
| The third week Of the siege" hit
Berlin hard as coal supplies began
to run out.
| Berliners said the power cuts were
the worst since the toughest days
of the war, when power was turned
on only to transmit air-raid warn
ings.
Allied officials expressed conf
dence. however. that the airlift
would allow them to keep the food
ration at its present level.