Milford chronicle., 1949-04-08
Enjoys Talk
On Germany

NHE State Department has ar
1 ranged quietly a three power
foreign ministers meeting on
western Germany to be held in
Washington early next week.
The parley is timed to take ad>
vantage Of the presence of British
foreign minister Ernest Bevin and
French foreign minister Robert Schu-
man at the signing Of the North At
lantic treaty on Monday.
Keyed TO issues delaying final uni-
fication and further economic devel-
opnent Of western Germany, it is
scheduled Immediately after that.
The sessions viii be very informal
The issues uL for discussion bv
us. Secretary Of State Dean Acheson
with Bevin and Schunaan include the
drafting Of an occupation statute, di~
vision of powers between the pro-
posed central German government
and state governments, reparations
and the degree OF reviving Ruhr
heavy industries.
Seek Broad Agreement
The Washington conference is not
expected to settle these issues in de-
tail. American officials hope for
agreements in principle so that dep
uties can work out the details later.
Meanwhile in Berlin, Gen. Lucius
D. Clay, the American occupation
commander, declared that il the Ger
man people want a separate German
government the RUSSIANS. even if
they lift the blockade, cannot prevent
its formation
The Russians have indicated in
their Official press that at least part of
their price for lifting the blockade
would be abandonment Of plans for
setting up a west German state and
a new foreign ministers conference
to reopen the entire German problem.
Communists have advanced plans
for a separate government in east
ernt Germany and recently adopted
constitution for such state.
Marshal Sokolovsky was replaced as
Russian occupation commander in Ger
many. by Gen. VASTLY l. Chuikov, Ths
transfer is a definite promotion for
Sokolovsky who becomes deputy mlIn-
lister of ali Soviet armed forces. This
shift is Interpreted as a prelude to pos
sible stiffehing of the Soviet attitude
IN the Berlin crisis.
Border Shift
The western, powers last week
switched 50 square miles Of German
land to its western neighbors, Meth
erlands, Belgium, Lux en- BIO urg,
France and the Saar The transfer
was made to improve conimunica-
tions and administration. The terri-
tory, contains population Of emily
1880.
Some close students of Germany
view this transfer as major diplo-
matte blunder. In the propaganda
war between east and west. they say,
this shift provides ample ammunition
for the Russians
Previously the western powers hac
criticized Russia and Poland for wha
they called illegal seizure of a large
segment of eastern Germany since
border changes should await a peace
treaty. Now, these critics say. tbs
west has done precisely what it criti-
cized Russia for doing.
Communist newspapers in Berlin
headlined it: Robbery b. the West.
The German political outbursi
against the west last week was the
bitterest since the end of the war.
Protests came from anti Communists
as well as Communists.
The Allied airlift has set a new
record for the transport of supplies
to blockaded Berlin. AL the seven
days ending March 26. it moved ST.
O49 tons, breaking the previous high
by almost 5000 tons.
The daily average of American and
British crews now is only 300 tons
short of what German officials say is
needed for western Berlin to func-
tion as though blockade did moi
exist.