-2-4290, MAY 22 FROM BONN. ~ . ' 2. MOVEMENT OF M7108 TO HELMSTEDT RAILFOAD YARD THE SAME DAY AS DELIVERY OF NOTE. CACTION AGENCY: USAREUR> 1 -s NOTIFICATION, .THROUGH NORMAL TECHNICAL CHANNEL THE SAME DAY AS DELIVERY OF NOTE, OF SPECIFIC DATE FOR SHIPMENT OF M~08. · .. D-uAY .. H7HOUR-PRESENTATION OF TRAIN WITH M-108 AT HELMSTEDT. '"CACTI ON AGENCY: USCOB> .. APPROX H PLUS 1 -IN THE EVENT. CLEARANCE IS NOT GIVEN, A PROTEST CSEE PART III FOR PROPOSED TEXT> WILL BE MADE AT .EITHER MARIENBORN · AUTOBAHN CHECKPOINT OR RAIL CHECKPOl~T AT DISCRETION OF uscOB. · COMMENT: PURPOSE OF THIS INITIAL PROTEST IS TO DEVELOP SOVIET INTENT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SINCE NO SOVIET OFFICIALS INSPECT TRAIN AT . HELMSTEDT IT BECOMES NECESSARY TO GET PROTEST INTO SOVIET CHANNELS ·AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND PRECLUDE POSSIBILITY. OF BEING FACED WITH GDR INSTIGATED HARASSMENT ONLY. . ( APPROX H PLUS 6 -IN THE EVENT CLEARANCE IS NOT RECEIVED, DELl"ERY I ,I f ' \ PAGE 3 RUFHOL 035 I D E T I A L . OF A CINCUSAREUR TO CINCGSFG PROTEST IN BERLIN BY \ LOCAL I FORMATION OFFICERS. APPROX H PLUS t 0 -DELIVERY OF PROTEST NOTE IN MOSCOW C0920 MOSCOW , TI E) O , IF CONSIDERED MORE APPROPRIATE, · APPROX H PLUS 17 -DELIVERY OF PROTEST" NOTE IN WASHINGTON <0920 A H NGTO TI E) cACTION AGENCY. SEC STATE) · co CLUSION OF PRE-PL~NNED CHRONHOELLMOGsiE·D~s~e~i~1~if~~~~g~ENgiEP~~I­ GRA TE , RAI ILL REMAIN AT llcAL AC I 0 S ) • I C.>4 -0 w l> I • ~ t-f +:-­ n N \..; H \0 ..... 0 t-f ~ ::r.: ..­ -3-4290, MAY 22 FRuM BUNN. PART II ' 3. CC) THE FOLLOWING OPE1RATlONAL PROCEDURES ARE RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION: A. MOVEMENT, AND ANY ACTIONS RELATED TO IT, WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGH1 NATIONAL CHANNELS, I~~. USCOB/USBER, USAREUR, AMERICAN EMBASSY BONN, AND EUCOM. ASB WILL ijE KEPT INFORMED BY USCOB AS REQUIRED, AND tIVE OAK BY ASB AS REQUIRED. ' . I B. FREIGHT 'TRAIN WILL HAVE NON-~SSENTIAL CARGO AND ENTIRE TRAIN WILL REMAIN IN HELMSTEDT PENDING CLEARANCE OF M'... 108. TRAIN ' WILL NOT BLOCK TRACK. I --' ' C. PASSENGER TRAINS WILL PROCEED NORMALLY PAGE 4 'RUFHOL 035 ' -. D. IN THE EVENT CLEARANCE IS GRANTED IN NORMAL -FASHION AND MOVE­MENT OF TRAIN IS WITHOUT INCIDENT NO ANNOUNCEMENTS TO SOVIETS OR . PRESS WILL BE MA E. , PART III 4. CHECKPOINT PROTEST: •1 WISH TO INFORM YOU OF THE FAILURE OF SOVIET AUTHORITIES TO GRANT CLEARANCE FOR THE PASSAGE OF A US ARMY FREIGHT TRAIN. THIS FREIGHT TRAIN IS PRESENTLY AT HELMSTEDT AND WAS TO BEGIN MOVEMENT TO ·BERLIN AT;., ____ ;..HOURS THIS EVENING. YOUR GOVERNMENT WAS INFORMED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IN WRITING OF THE SCHEDULED MOVEMENT OF THIS FREIGHT WIT~ AN ITEM OF OUTSIZED CARGO. THIS INFORMATION WAS ALSO FORWARDED THROUGH TECHNicAL CHANNELS THE SAME DAY. r . 1us AUTHROITIES THEREFORE HOLD SOVIET AUTHORITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR ·GRANT­ING IMMEDIATE CLEARANCE FOR THE MOVEMENT OF, THIS FREiqHT TRAIN TO BERLIN ... • . 5. cc> CINCUSAREUR TO CINCGSFG PROTEST: '· BEEN "I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT A US MILITARY FREIGHT TRAIN HAS T,ENIED CLEARANCE AT HELMSTEDT FOR MOVEMENT ro BERLIN. I • "" -... ~-·· ......~ ~ I -4-4290 , MAY 22 FROM BONN . -' /' . ON--------THE .US GOVERNMENT STATED IN WRITING TO THE SOVIET GOVERN. · MENT THAT A us MILITARY FREIGHT TRAIN WITH AN OVERSIZED ITEM OF us~ EQUIPMENT WOULD BE SCHEDULED AT AN EARLY DATE FOR MOVEMENT TO BERLIN ON THE SAME DATE ADMINISTRATIVE CLEARANCE. FOR THIS OVERSIZED ITEM OF· · EQUIPMENT WAS REQUESTED FOR-------. . . . I MUST PROTEST EMPHATICALLY THI S UNW.ARRANTED ACTION WHICH CONSTITUTES PAGE 5 RUFHOL 3035 D E T A L ) UNACCEPTABLE INTERFERENCE WITH THE US RI GHT .OF UNRESTRICTED. ACCESS TO BERLIN . . ~ . I EXPECT YOU TO TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO GRANT CLEARANCE FOR THE ENTIRE TRAIN NOW DETAINED AT HELMSTEDT AND. ALLOW IT TO PROCEED TO ITS .DEST·INATION... · 6 •. CC).. PRESS RELEASE: "THE UNITED STATE' ARMY, BERLIN, ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT A ROUTINE RAIL SHIPMENY TO BERLIN WAS REFUSED CLEARANCE BY'·THE SOVIETS TO ENTER EAST GERMANY YESTERDAY. THE FREIGHT TRAIN I S PRESENTLY AT HELMSTEDT, I IN WEST GERMANY, AWAITING CLEARANCE TO PROCEED TO BERLIN.· i "ARMY OFFICIALS EMPHASIZED THAT THE DELAY, .CAUSED ·sy FAILURE OF SOVIET AUTHORITIES TO TAKE NECESSARY ACTION FOR PROVIDING ROUTINE ADMINISTRATIVE CLEARANCE FOR AN OVERSIZED SHI PMENT , WAS .A "FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES ACCESS RIGHTS TO BERLIN". THESE SPOKESMEN DECLINED TO SAY WHAT THE ARMY• S NEXT ·-STEPS WOULD BE. ' " THE OVERS !ZED ITEM OF EQUIPMENT IS A UNITED ST ATES ARMY SELF-. ' r' PROPELLED 105 MM HOWITZER, KNOWN AS THE M-108, A CONVENTIONAL ARTILLERY WEAPON, PRESENTLY ISSUED TO US FORCES ,IN BERLIN." PROVIDE TRI-PARTITE ACTIONS PERTINENT 7 USAREUR SUGGES TO THE ABOVE GP-4 MCGHEE BT • I •