https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/9da24612147243b4aca0969559b5ca92.pdf 337d4600854efc8dfa2fff9004c149c9 PDF Text Text ,- , Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act • Document divulgue en v<?rtu de lo Loi-sur /'occes a /'information • CANADIAN' . t No• C, tJ BERLIN, . .+. ! . ~·- ~lt..LNI~ ···· •" •' ' '/1' • You will, have seen s J . ....___ 2 -· 3 - 4) of recent Soviet the West. The_first eleven trucks non-ferrous .6 7 9 '.', January 30th, 1950. ·_.·1tw~r-v-- .1 l Sir, q RESTRICTED MISSION @ .' . .' ., .. \.. MILITARY .. .... H> - I interferences with traffic• incident from Berlin between Berlin occurred ori January 13th ,men were detained and thei,r loads of scrap removed. • A large number of furniture were subsequently and turned back on the grounds that vehicles the c·onsignment papers were not in .order or that the owner did not accompany each vehicle. A number of ·other trucks from Western Gennany have also been held. up and barge loads of s,crap have been impounded, while one United States military train has been detained for six hours because the Soviet· authori.ties claimed that consular in United States officers were not.in and one German .civilian the possession of correct travel two Brazilian empioy documents. i i Apart from the temporary hold-up of the .United States military train, authorities there intend are still in any way to restrict Occupation Forces. at Helmstedt have been any further • .L hindrance. in December there incidents of the Western Sinoe our own do. not even appear to w::tth vehicles At the present the Soviet truck supply convoys Military Missions here. specific problem is the freedom of .circulation and interference The Secretary of State for External without that traffic The. usual United States have been coming into Berlin e~eriences no indications time, belonging to the therefore,·the of German vehicles, with thest;1 has. taken two forms in particular. Affairs, , O. T T· A Vi A 9 ... .. 000369 �Document disclosed under the Access to /nformotlon Act Document dwu/gul en vertu de lo Lo, sur /'occjs a /'mformot,on \ 000370 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de lo Loi sur /'occes a /'information ... Firstly, sisted 2 ... Soviet personnel on docwnentation at the interzonal additional check•point to the usual have in- standard form (W"arenbeglei ts chein) whi oh accompanies vrestbound goods, and also on the stamping of the Warenbegleitschein German authorities in the case of the short list goods exported from Berlin. subject of considerable blockade. Secondly, deliberate that discussion delaying or Eastern of restricted It will be recalled quadripartite in checking documents, object by the Soviet this before tactics was the the have been adopted inspecting freight, eto. 6 with the apparent of reducing German fr~ight traffic on the autobahn to a trickle. it was believed, ferences initially• might have constituted that some of these int~r- reprisals for the temporary occupation by Western Sector police but without the knowledge of the United States Soviet-controlled (acting Reichsbahndirektion United States Sector. attributable in part 1s on United States Collml8.ndan~)of the building situated They might also# it was thought, to the keenness orders of the new Soviet in the have been control de- tachment at the interzonal boundary in applying designed to prevent goods from being smuggled into the certain Soviet Zone illegally. atives of the Western Laender were meeting in Western Berlin the time to discuss Federal What is of greater the regulations interzonal Government was considering which includes a federal German firms who place orities, trade guarantee contracts who are certainly in the economic doldrums, significance, questions represent- and the German a draft law to help Berlin against the risks in this city. of Western The Soviet auth- anxious to see Western Berlin may well have considered continue it an appropriate moment to remind the Western Germans (and for that matter Western Powers) that trade with Berlin at the may be a somewhat risky undertaking. Meanwhile interfere~ce with German freight traffic on the 000371 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de lo Loi sur /'occes a /'information ... .. autobahn persists. 3 .. In degree i~ fluctuates from day to day. Twenty-four hours ago, for example, vehicles through with much greater Tomorrow tte situation change for the worse once again, although is as yet nothing to support the alarmist bf some newspapers that represents the first 5. It is reported, the headquarters to consider speed. were being cleared accounts stage however, that continues that reply to the effect address, Control against that Commissi?n on January 27th Commandants had written restrictions. The v'i8.staken to send a polite the protest since the control of the blockade. the traffic the decision it a meeting took place at 'V'rhichthe Western the day before protesting report in the"re-imposition of the Soviet the letter there may had been sent to the wrong of German traffic ~one had now become the responsibility through the Soviet of the Eastern Ger.mans; in consequence the Western Germans should approach the Eastern Gennans if there were any difficulties. It is also reported the decision tactics after to indulge the decision in interference of the United States and have the Reichsbahndirektion these reports authorities plans seem reasonable felt already 1s was taken shortly authorities building and they suggest that worked out to enhance the position have failed a responsible observer form the Soviet I would reiterate of an intention Such tactics of the Eastern a measure of to create the fact there who would predict that propose to resort is that as many-traffic is to reimpose the bloc~ade. the Soviet on their to find present to them again. authorities difficulties the shaky economy of Western Berlin. are fully as possible, . the limits of prudence and tfestern patience, to cracking that once and it is almost impossible authorities IDiat does seem probable within the Soviet recognition. no indication prepared Both the time had come to begin to put into operation In conclusion still to back down evacuated. German Government and to secure for it at least de facto that with a view There seem.~ to 000372 �,, Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulgue en vertu de lo Loi -'icur/'occes a /'information .. ... . 4 be little bolster doubt that they are also motivated the prestige So far the pressure ... to of Pieck 1 s Republic in every possible way. has not been applied extent, but it may well be that the current by methods only too familiar of a larger by the desire and carefully in its initial stages. feeling of pessimism that Copies of this to an.y appreciable interferences to the Berliner with traffic are one manifestation conceived Soviet programme which is still It is this thought which has produced the now pervades Western circles dispatch here. are being sent to London and Paris. I have the honour to be• Your obedient servant. Head of Mission. PTM:o 000373 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDBC00313 Title A name given to the resource Canadian Military Mission, Berlin, to SSEA, despatch no. 81 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 30-Jan-50 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "BERLIN. Political Situation. Relations between West and East Berlin," RG25-A-3-c, Volume 4072, File number: 10937-40, File part: 1, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource LAC ATIP A-2024-01457 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Berlin Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English