Evening star., 1948-07-06
U. S., Britain, France Demand
That Russia Immediately Lift
Blockade of Berlin West Zones
Notes Are Handed to
Soviet ENJOYS in
Three Capitals
By the Associoied Press

The United States, Britain and
France demanded strongly of
Russia today that the Soviet land
blockade of the western sectors
of Berlin be lifted Immediately.
Secretary of State Marshall pre-
sented the American note of pro-
test personally to Soviet Ambassador
Alexander S. Panyushkin in WASH
ington. The British and French
protests were delivered to Russian
Ambassadors in London and Paris.
Immediately after Mr.. Panyush-
kin saw Gen. Marshall State De-
partment press officer Lincoln White
issued this statement:
Ambassador Panyushkin called
on the Secretary at 1l:3O O'CLOCK
this morning and was given a note
regarding the situation in Berlin.
THE Ambassador was Informed
that it is not the intention OF TINS
Government to make the contents
of the note public until the SOVIET
government had a reasonable perloo
of time to study the note and make
its reply.
Contents Of Note Withheld.
Mr.. White officially gave no lntl-
nation of the line which Gen. Mar
shall took.
Other diplomatic informants SAID
there appeared no doubt that he
demanded the immediate lifting OF
the Berlin blockade, and protested
Russias recent policies in the Ger
man capital They said he argued
that the Soviet Union must directly
accept responsibility for any lack OF
supplies among the millions OF Ger
mans living in Berlin.
Mr.. White did not define what
was meant by a reasonable period
of time in which the Soviet gov
ernment could study the American
note, but presumably it meant sew
eral days. at least.
The contents of the notes from
the three western powers are not
expected to be disclosed for several
days
Mr.. Panyushkin said Gen. Mar
shall had not expressed to him dl-
rectly any view on Berlin. He did
not say what they talked about dur
ing the time he was in the secre-
tary's Office
Mr.. Panyushkin told reporters as
he left the department that he had
received a note from Gen. Marshall
but didn't know what was in it. He
was in Gen. Marshall's Office for IA
minutes.
Bevin Calls Zarubin.
In London, Foreign Secretary
Bevin summoned Ambassador
Georgi Zarubin to the Foreign Of
flee for an interview which lasted
only few minutes, and handed him
Brltain's note.
In Paris special messenger
handed the French protest to AM
bassador Alexander Bogolomov at
his Embassy.
A French spokesman said the
main differences in the notes were
these: The American note referred
10 a letter from President Truman
to Prime Minister Stain; the Brit
ish document referred to the Pots
dam Conference.
The Paris spokesman refused to
discuss other details prior to pub
lication of the texts, but he SAID
the notes did not constitute an ultl-
matum. Other sources said the
three notes made up one of the
strongest protests the Western Al
lies yet have made to the Soviet
Union
These sources said all three notes
offered to negotiate overall settle
ment of Berlin problems if the Rus
slams would lift the blockade of
Western Berlin. One diplomatic
source in Paris said he doubted
whether the Russians would raise
the blockade for anything less than
general four-poWer discussions on
the future of all Germany.
Notes Drafted After Talks.
The notes we're drafted after 10
days Of talks and constant commu-
nications among Mr.. Bevin. Ameri-
can Ambassador Lewis D, Douglas
and Sir William Strang, Mr.. BeVin's
German expert.
Both the American and French
Ambassadors in London we're said
to have reported almost hourly to
Washington and Paris on steps to
be taken if and when Russia rejects
the joint protest.
Mr.. Bevin furnished top-ranking
ministers of Prime Minister Attlee's
cabinet with the latest developments
at No. 10 Downing Street this morn
ing.
Red Propuoondo Found