Evening star., 1961-08-17
BERLIN
Continued From First Page

areas worst problems, with
remaining badly overworked.
Communist troops turned
back Bishop Otto Dibelius,
Germanys leading Lutheran
churchman and a bitter anti
Communist, when he tried to
go to East Berlin for a regular
meeting of the church leader
chip. A church spokesman said
no reason was given.
Ambassador UndiSturbed
British Ambassador Sir
Christopher Steele made an un-
eventful 15-minute drive from
West Berlin through East, Ber-
lin via the tank-guarded Fried
"ichstrasse railroad station,
where all subway and elevated
train passengers to and from
West Berlin now have to
shange.
Communist police saluted and
waved the ambassador along
when they saw the Union Jack
Tapping from the radiator of
his car
British troops put up a 1000
yard-long fence and tents to
house a guard platoon at the
Soviet war memorial in the
British sector. A British army
spokesman said regular pa
trolls will be made to protect the
memorial. where two Russian
soldiers ordinarily stand guard.
Two Soviet officers drove IN
from East Berlin and de-
manded an explanation. Told
of the British aim to guard
against any outburst there by
West Berliners, the Russians
grumbled that the matter
should have been settled first
by negotiation and then re-
turned to the east sector, the
spokesman said.
U. S. Troops Maneuver
A couple of companies of
United States troops maneuv-
cred in Grunewald Park. Amer
lean officers said the exercise
was the kind held every day
or so-with troops camping
overnight in woods and prac-
ticing attacks and Withdrawals.
The uniformed defectors
from communism were among
Ehe thousands of police, troops
end militiamen jammed around
West Berlin to prevent the
escape of refugees. Instead of
stopping others, they chose to
flee themselves.
A soldier of the East Ger
many army and a member of
a factory militia unit, both in
uniform, on Tuesday managed
to dash through the barbed
wire cutting East Berlin off
from the West.
Railroad Seizure Asked
Mayor Willy Brandt, mean
while, sought Western approval
to seize the Communist-run
elevated railway in West Ber-
lin despite another Red threat
to blockade the city in retalia-
ton.
The fiery mayor was to press
his plan for action more than
words" at a meeting with the
Western Big Three comman-
dants, who must approve any
takeover since Berlin is still an
occupied city.
Mr.. Brandt told 100000 West
Berliners at a rally yesterday
to demand allied action against
the Communist closure of the
Berlin border that the Allied
commandantS were giving ia
vorable consideration to the
rail seizure. The East German
regime controls and nets a neat
profit from the elevated lines
that run through both West
and East Berlin.
Mr.. Brandt declared it was
intolerable for West Berliners
that their train fares were
going to buy barbed wire to
fence in" East Berliners.
Blockade Threatened
Official East German ra-
dio commentators brushed off
Mr.. Brandt's call for a boycott
of East German cultural and
trade events, including the big
Leipzig fair, but rose to his
threat to seize the rail lines.
"Let Brandt take over the
railroads" they warned. He'll
be surprised what will hap
pen"
The East German news
agency Adm said Western seiz-
ure of the railway property
would lead only to blockading
West Berlin" as the Commu-
nists did in 1948-49. West Ber-
lin-isolated 110 miles inside