Evening star., 1961-10-29
BERLIN
WithdrowoI of Tanks Averts Doneer
Of Military Clash for the Moment
Continued From First Page

oACeo ~ WA 6CeA OAAAJ Will 1k0c-
slams in matters concerning
Berlin under World War II oc-
cupation agreements. The
Kremlin has threatened to sign
q separate peace treaty with
East Germany, in effect trying
to force the West to deal with
the East German Communist
regime.
The flights. particularly the
one at such q low level and cir
cling q Soviet tank concentra-
ton. thus had the look Of q
United States intention to carry
into the air its insistence that
all Berlin must be regarded as
q four-power city before there
can be any approach to nego-
tiations on easing the crisis.
Assertion Of Rights
Such q test, while it might
recharge the atmosphere, had
Q political look, Just as the
tank facedown throughout the
night at 200-yard range, for an
its atmosphere Of extreme peril,
seemed more q political than q
military performance.
On the United States side.
1t was an assertion Of the claim
to having rights throughout all
Berlin. It brought the Russians
directly into the picture. and
thus, in q sense, forced the
Soviets into tacie admission |
that they still retain obligations
In Berlin as an occupying
power, despite their claim that
the Red German regime Is
sovereign in East Berlin.
This will be q key question
nnegotiations regarding Berlin
between the Soviets and the
West. It involved rights Of
access to the city across East
Germany, the inviolability Of
the air corridors to Berlin and
the integrity Of Berlin itself.
The tank facedown ended
with q last fleeting minute Of
electric tension as Soviet tank
men started their motors. At
that moment United States
tankmen were on the alert, but
It was soon. apparent the
Russians were going to with
draw.
Soviet Forces Superior
The danger Of a military
clash was over, at least for the
moment. II 1t came. the ques-
ton would be how long United
States forces could hold out.
Soviet forces. for example, have
10 tanks now in East Berlin
and hundreds in the Soviet
zone around the city. The
United states has about 20.
possibly q few more. The
British have IS Centurion tanks,
and the French have q few on
hand. /
But the Russian withdrawal
answered the question which
most frightened the city. Would
either side give ground? i
Suddenly, while q tense crowd
Of West Berliners watched from
a,distance, East German police
LVopos-began clearing away
a small knot Of East Berliners
from the area Of the Soviet
tanks. Something was about to
happen, and q chill went
through the spectators.
The jocular Russian tank
men began shaking hands all
around. The Russians, in their
black coveralls, climbed into
the matches Of their machines
and started the motors. Theyt
started forward for a moment,
while watching United States
tankmen on the West tensed.
Then the Soviets pulled away.
Both Sides Probe Border
Quickly a United States Army
sedan with five uniformed
Americans passed across the
checkpoint and drove into East
Berlin in the oily path OF the
Soviet tanks.
United States cars-and So
Wet military cars as well-had
been probing and checking
across the border all through
the night. A group Of East
German army officers came to
the sector border and looked
over the situation.
Soviet army sedans twice
snaked through the checkpoint
into West Berlin. and the
watching crowd booed and
jeered and attempted to push
over the Russians cars. United
States military police had to
escort the vehicles. One Rus
sian driver tapped his finger
to his temple, indicating con-
yiction that all Berliners were
crazy.
Around the border in the area
Of the ugly wall the Commu-
nists have erected across East
Berlin, the attitude Of West
Berlin throngs seemed to be
growing more boisterous all the
time, adding to the tension of
the area. The overall situation
remained highly inflammable.
The Communist = run East
Berlin radio hailed the with
drawal of United States tanks
and American warnings against
civilian visits to East Berlin as
a victory for reason" 1t said
nothing about the Soviet tanks.
No word about the Soviet
tanks has so far been allowed
to appear in East German news
papers, the reports Of the off,
cial news agency Adm, or on
radio broadcasts.