Evening star., 1949-05-19
Soviet Modifies
Restrictions on
Berlin Supplies
Trucks Now Halted at
Border Permitted TO
Proceed TO City
BY the Associoied Press

BERLIN, May 19.-Maj. Gen.
George P. Hays. deputy American
military governor. announced to-
day that the Russians are modify
ing their new restrictions on truck
traffic from West Germany to
Berlin.
He said the Soviet Military Ad-
ministration informed him that
freight-laden trucks from West
Germany now halted by the Rus
slams at Helmstedt on the inter-
zonal frontier will be allowed to
proceed to Berlin without written
permits from the Soviet Zone Eco
nomic Commission.
But, he added, the Russians will
demand that any other trucks
crossing the frontier bear such
permits.
Gen. Hays said the Western
Allies would try to get the Rus.
slams to drop that demand in
further negotiations. He called it
"a new restriction and therefore
@ violation of the four-power
agreement in New York for lifting
all blockades."
May Send Protest.
IF we can't settle this differ
ence, then I will send a protest
to the Russian military governor.
Gen. VASTLY Chuikov," Gen. Hays
said.
But I don't take a pesSimistic
view. / think the Russians issued
the restriction to improve their
bargaining position in the talks we
have been having with them about
an interim agreement between
Eastern and Western Germany"
Gen. Hays expressed the opinion
that 1.-The Russians did not act in
bad faith"
There is every indication they
wish to reach a trade agreement.
he continued. THE situation is
not stalemated. There are always
bound to be difficulties, but they
can be settled"
His statement marked at least
q measure of progress in effort to
reach some real understanding of
the confusing developments. The
restrictions had followed such an
erratic pattern that nobody really
was able to appraise just what
manuever the Russians were UP to,
now.
Trucks Banned on Highway.
The Soviets banned all loaded
trucks from the Helmstedt-Berlin
superhighway. even those that
had Eastern permits to enter the
Soviet zone.
On other major roads between
the British and Soviet zones,
however. truck traffic was de-
scribed as normal, with Russian
sentries not demanding Eastern
issued travel permits from the
drivers.
AS a result. nobody knew for
sure whether all this was the
forerunner of new Berlin block
ade, or whether something else
was behind the maneuver.
Only $50 trucks reached Ber-
lin Tuesday from West Germany
after crossing the intervening. 100
miles of Soviet territory. Yester-
day only 40 trucks arrived. Only
six were known to have come in
this morning up to 10 am. The
drivers of these said they Travelled
over country roads in the Soviet
zone.
Meanwhile, freight destined for
rail movement from West Berlin
to Western Germany piled up in
railroad yards, with no Soviet
operated locomotives on hand so
it could move. The Russians in
sist that their locomotives draw
trains between West Berlin and
Western Germany.
The British American airlift
and II daily incoming trains re-
main the only reliable source OF
supply to Western Berlin. The
airlift is the only secure route for
West Berlin's exports.
At Helmstedt, West German
police were diverting more than
200 trucks to another frontier
crossing point 20 miles away at
Budstedt.
Truck drivers. unable to cross
at Helmstedt with their cargoes
of perishable foods and other
items. camped all night besides
fires over which they cooked their
meals.
At one time during the night
there were 400 cargo-laden trucks
there, awaiting permission to pro-
ceed to Berlin and with no indi-
cation when they could go down
that highway.
Only passenger cars and buses
(See BERLIN Page A-4.)