Evening star., 1948-12-02
Berlin Bracing Self
For New Red ATTEMPT
To Disrupt Election
BY the Assoeioted Press


BERLIN, Dec. 2.-Divided Ber-
lin braced itself today for new
Communist attempts to disrupt
Western sector election plans
after Red hecklers last night
tried to break up a Western po-
litical rally.
In Russian occupied Eastern
Berlin the new hand-picked Com
munist government gathered for its
first meeting in the former central
City Hall from which the legally
elected government had been ousted
In Western Berlin, the elected
city assembly, which has declared a
state of emergency, called another
meeting.
Western Allied liaison officers at
tached to the city government were
withdrawn today from the central
City Hall.
Col. Frank L. Howley, American
commandant in Berlin, said: 1--WE
are going with the legal government
We only stayed there yesterday to
witness the illegal act of the Com
munists of locking out the elected
city officials"
Western sector German police
forces were on the watch to break
UP raids on anti-Communist election
campaign rallies, prior to Sunday s
elections
Howley Pessimistic on Accord.
Col. Howley said the Russians
have broken so many agreements he
doubts the wisdom of trying to
reach a new one in the German
crisis.
The statement was made at news
conference in which the called the
Communists who set up rump city
government in the Soviet sector
criminals"
Col Howley said the action was
taken with full Russian accord and
marked lust one more. step in q
long line of broken agreements" "
The colonel said that for two years,
the Russians Systematically have
broken AL the solemn agreements
reached by the four occupation
powers.
rs it really worth all the effort
to try to get additional agreements
with them?" he asked.
Crisis Held Artificial.
He said the Russians erected "an
artificial crisis" in Berlin that
could be removed with one word
from the man who imposed it"
Russian-controlled German police
halted a British truck when 1t
tried to drive away from the City
Hall with records and equipment
from the British liaison Office. The
Western powers said yesterday they
are closing liaison Offices in City
Hall, which has become the seat OF
the Communist rump regime.
About IS police stopped the truck.
The Americans have packed their
equipment, but planned to move it
out probably tomorrow.
Col. Howley said the airlift has
provided SO days supplies of flour
and SO days supplies of meat for
the Germans of Western Berlin.
I'VE must admit that the brutal
Russian blockade has hurt the peo-
pie of Berlin, but the airlift is here
to give Berliners a chance to be free
men and women" Col Howley said.
Campaign for Huge Vote.
Undaunted by attacks by Com
munist rowdies Western Berliners
stepped up their campaign to get
out a huge vote under the slogan
Berlin answers the Russian block
ade."
One such rally resulted in flst
fights and police intervention last
night when Communist hecklers
tried to break up Social Demo-
cratic gathering in the American
sector.
German police arrested nine
hecklers, whom they identified as
members Of the Russian-sponsored
Socialist Union (Communist) Party.
One was an editor Of the Soviet
licensed Berliner Zeitung. All
were released today after question
ing.
The Western press claimed some
of the demonstrators were imported
from towns in the surrounding Rus
sian zone to create election dis
turbances.
The America n-licenSed news
agency Dena said the Communists
are planning to interrupt elevated
rail service to Western Berlin on
Sunday. This could keep from the
polls 100000 Western Berliners who
work In the Soviet sector.
The Socialist Telegraf published
o statement attributed to Karl
Ebert, eldest son Of Germany's first
president in the Weimar Republic
after World War I and brother of
the Communist Mayor" Friedrich
Ebert.
Karl, who lives with his mother
at Heidelberg in the American zone,
appealed to Berliners to vote anti
Communist.