Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-21

serves to stand by and speed to sec
tor boundaries "if necessary" ac-
cording to the American-licensed
radio.
Potsdamer Platz was the scene Of
a similar Soviet-controlled police
raid Thursday. 1t resulted In an
anti Communist riot in which four
Germans were wounded by Russian
sector police sbullets. Several Ger
man police were injured by stones
thrown by angry Germans denounc-
ing Communist pigs"
East and West police have been In
a state of near civil war since the
force was split several weeks ago
one controlled by the Russians, the
other backed by the Western Allies.
The Soviet licensed German news
agency said that $500 persons were
arrested in the two raids yesterday.
An American official called the
raid, in which the German police
men were abducted, clear violation
of American jurisdiction.
Despite eyewitness accounts Of
shooting by Russian-backed police
in q similar raid Thursday, Col
Jelisarov said the stories "are in
ve1ltions and provocations.
Col IelisaroY said the "outcries"
of the Western Berlin press are
"a very awkward maneuver" aimed
at distractipg the Germans from
the failure" of the British-Amer-
lean airlift supplying the blockaded
Western sectors of Berlin.
Neues Deutschland, organ of the
Soviet-sponsored Socialist Unity
Party, today published a cartoon
entitled, THE Front at Potsdamer
Platz,' scene of the police raids.
The cartoon showed German black
market operators standing behind
the protective arms of three Ameri-
can military policemen.
The Communist press continued
its jibes at the air lift.
Taegliche Rundschau. official
Soviet organ, said only prestige con-
siderations are keeping the organiz-
ers of the lift from calling off the
air farce"
Asserting that there have been
frequent accidents in flights" the
newspaper said this proved the
poor quality of American planes and
the ircapacity OF British American
pilots to deal with the simplest
difficulties"
Accident Rate Low.
British-American officials have
considered the accident rate to date
amazingly low. There have been two
fatal American accidents costing five
American lives. The Royal Air
Force has not had any fatalities.
In q two-column editorial entitled
1.-THE Bluff Lift" the newspaper
said that as "a demonstration Of
power these efforts are, Of course,
ridiculous"
Quoting press reports that the
American Air Force transferred
planes from Japan to the lift opera
ton, the editorial said: How can
you speak of power If planes must
be rerouted thousands of kilometeers
for such insignificant operations?"
The newspaper said that according
to "air experts" the lift was cost
ing the German people $40 O00,0 900 to
$50 900 900 a month" 1t implied that
the cost would be charged up to the
new German state being formed in
Frankfurt.
The Berlin Observer, organ OF the
United States military post, today
cited figures showing that the lift
costs the United States about $40, 600
a day, without counting the cost OF
food itself or salaries Of Army per-
sonnet.
Conditions Of Return Rejected.
In Heidelberg United States Army
headquarters disclosed last night
that q Russian offer to return two
Americans picked up at the Soviet
zone border August 5 had been re-
fused because the Russians de-
manded admissions Of guilt"
The officials said the Russians had
produced the pair at the American
Soviet zone border August 10 and
said they would free them if an
American liaison officer would sigr
a receipt, drawn by the Russians
admitting that the two men had:
/. Entered Russian territory with
out authority.
2. Carried a camera and took pic
lures of the border while in Rus
sian territory.
The liaison ofiicer refused on the
ground that he was empowered only
to sign a simple receipt.
The Americans, 1t. Sherman s
Turner, jr., of Council Bluffs, Iowa
and Roland M. Myers Of Brooklyn
both members of the United States
Military Government, have not re-
turned since to the American zone
The American ofiicer. who saw the
! two men on August 10, said they