"Where's the Fire, Bud?"

Through Berlin's U.S. sector, along the superhighway toward Potsdam, a limousine zoomed along at 65 m.p.h. (the U.S.-enforced speed limit is 20 m.p.h.). "It was going to beat hell," remarked an American MP later. A U.S. traffic patrol, consisting of a jeep and an armored car, promptly raced in pursuit. After a two-mile chase they overtook the limousine, leveled machine guns at it. Frantically the Russian driver pointed to the back seat and screamed: "Marshal! Marshal!"

A U.S. sergeant called for a lieutenant. The lieutenant called a colonel. The colonel recognized the limousine's passenger as Marshal Vasily Danilovich Sokolovsky, Soviet commander in chief in Germany. After what had been almost an hour's delay, the marshal drove off, well within the speed limit. U.S. General Lucius Clay sent apologies. But the G.I.s who had slowed the speeder down were reported to be not remorseful.

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