BERLINERS MEETING CRISIS CALMLY

Chronicle (Levin), 13 July 1948, Page 5

BERLINERS MEETING CRISIS CALMLY

IJocci ved Monduv, 7 p.ni. l.OXilOX, Julv 12. Ib.-iXf for the eabn uianiier iu whn'ii ih-ili ;ire ineetiug the erisis in theu is givj'ii by correspondents oi Ibiii'i nowspapers. • ' Tlo-re is liardlv any outward sign 0. i ! : f ■ . i.u ity of the erisis in and abon; I ;>■! lin, ' ' sfiys The Times' representa1 'm'. "Life has the sanie appearanee • ii laaiaslie nonnality to be found in every devastated city in (lermany. In 1 iu- three Weslern sectors, the Britis'i

an4 Aiperiegn air sprvices have made it possible to maintain the Ipvel of rations. The blaclt rnarket iirfood has dishppearedl with tf]e intrar]uetion 01 theTwo new eurrencies. The picture in the honie is roughly what it has bee.n in any of thp three post-wgr winter.-.. \yithput the added rigours of winter." Re adds that there is sonie cqnfusioii over the rival eurrencies and the eut rency refonu has tended to tuni away attention from the niost serious resuh • of the Russian bloekade. The averagBerlinej' has nqt gqt VQMnd to thiuking abqut the uneinploymei't prqspects 0. '* the erisis for his horizon does 'no; streteh that far. The eorrespondent pays tribute to the cairn and eourage of eitizens, especiallv those of the Western sectors, who have everything to fear from the extension of Russian authority in the city. ile adds that the cairn and eourage extend bevond political parties to the common inan. The unaffeeted loyalty of simple (iermans — secretai'ifs, ear drivers. household servants — to their Briti,sii employers. continues unabated. They realise what is involved in the present erisis luit it is rare to meet oue who shows signs of panic. Tlie Daily Telegraph's eorrespondent says: "I have been in Berlin exactly three years and it seems to me th;i : German feeling against the Eussians is stronger tlian ever it has been sinee 194-5 w-hen the Ited Army, in the tlusli of victory, eomnjitted the unforgettable rape of Berlin. Today adniiration oi' Anglo-Amorieans on the part of Berliners, has 11 ever been higher and in deed it could hardlv be higher. Th» Germans are not by nature a nation partie.ularlv blessed with the virtue 01 gratitude as we know to our eost by our history books, imt there ean be no (piestioning the possibly ephemerai gratitude they feel as 'thev tuni their eves to the skies and wateh the planes eoining in mul going ont in an nnending procession. " The Xew York' Ilerald-Tribune reports that in iinposing drastie eleelrie itv ents, the Western Powers called 011 the dennan population to "nieasure up to the role history has given vou." An official in the food oftiee of Ihe American Militarv Goveriiment, said that the food picture was "good — \ ory good ; in fact better ihan in the Russian sefton" |fis Jigures, liowever, i'ndical ed that up to the end of last week, tlu Anglo-Anierican air lift liad brought little more tlian oue week's supply.