Evening star., 1948-08-20
Berlin
Continued From First Page.D

to withdraw after the raid. The
soldiers saw him, and several left
the truck to give chase. Mr.. Bur-
roughs lodged into a crowd of Ger
mans and scurried to the safety OF
the British sector.
Soviet sector police. headed by
Moscow = trained Paul Markgraf
have been seizing Western sector
police on sight since the split OF
the Berlin Police Department sew
eral weeks ago. Markgraf has de-
clared his forces will not recognize
sector boundaries in their opera
tions. Thus far the West has moi
struck back with any similar tactics
Col. Frank L. Howley, American
commander in Berlin, described
Markgarf's forces as criminals. De-
nouncing last nights raid at Pots
damer Platz, he said Markgraf's
forces had recently been expanded
by 300 men imported from the sur
rounding Soviet occupation zone.
"The lawleSsness indicated in yes
terday's activities in the Soviet Sec
tor is regrettable," Col. HoWley said,
but it is understandable that police
in the Soviet sector are having
difficulty maintaining law and order
and maintaining the respect of the
population in the face of the known
criminal records of their leaders. y
Jeered on Withdrawal.
The Russian zone police, riding
in open trucks, were escorted in
their raid today by Soviet army
tommy gunners in American-made
ieeps. There were jeerS as they
Withdrew. Five minutes after they
drove off, the square again was
packed with new group OF black
marketers and buyers.
British forces converged on Pots
damer PlatZ, where at least five
Germans were injured late yesterday
in a riot. BerlinerS yesterday stoned
the Russian-controlled police, who
responded with gunfire as they re-
treated. The American, Russian and
British sectors of the blockaded
city meet at the Potsdamer Platz.
BY the time five truckloads OF
British military police and soldiers
arrived at the sector borders, the
Russians and their faction of the
German police had corralled many
Germans in the square.
The arrested Germans were placed
on trucks and hauled off to Jail.
There was no brush between Brit
ish and Russian forces. The lieu
tenant colonel commanding the
Britons talked amiably with the
Russian troop commander after the
raid.
Police Open Fire.
The tension was greater last eve
ming. Police opened fire when the
crowd stoned them as they over
stepped into the British and Ameri-
can parts of the square.
Germans in the crowd yelled
Communist pigs" at the police. 1t
was a question, however, whether
the shouters were sincere anti
Communists or just piqued black
marketers.
Five hours after the smoke had
cleared and the Soviet-sector police
had retreated, the black market
trade was going on as usual.
Markgraf said four of his po-
licemen were injured in the rioting
He said his men fired q shots
Markgraf said the black market
raids would continue.
Soviet Flags Reported Burned.
The incident yesterday was the
most serious since the Berlin police
force was split into two rival fac
tions, one backed by the Russians
and the other by the Western Allies.
The city was rife with uncon-
frmed rumors after the action died
down.
One German reported to Amer
lean authorities that some demon
Strators burned several Soviet flags
in the shell of a ruined building
This could not be verified. Nor was
there any confirmation of reports
that there was one fatality in the
skirmish.
During the rioting British anc
American military police appeared
on their sides of the square anc
Russian troops on their ground
They were not involved in the fight.
ing, however.
In previous raids in the Pots
damer Platz Russian soldiers o.
military police usually have been in,
Un1vnd