AIR LIFT SECURES BERLIN ITS FOOD

Chronicle (Levin), 15 July 1948, Page 5

AIR LIFT SECURES BERLIN ITS FOOD

Eeceived Wednesdav, 7 p.m. LONDON, July 14. * Eussia may not repty at all to the Three-Power protest on the Berlin blockade, according to German political circles in close touch with the Soviet administration. They quoted a highrauking Russian political officer as saying: "It has not yet been linally decided to reply to the Western Notes. For the Western Powers it is a matter of urgency that they reeeive a reply so that they can eonsider their next steps. There is no urgency at all for the Soviet Union. " The Dailv Telegraph's Berlin correspondent states that the United States Military Government has announced that the Western sectors of Berlin now have sufficient food for at least four weeks. In the United States sector there is sufficient fat for 57 days, sugar for (57 days, cereals for 47 days, flour for 28 davs, and potatoes fo'r 10 days. Further supplies of dehydrated potatoes are being flown in. With no indication of any relaxation in the Russian blockade, a greater effort than ever will now be made by British aircraft to flv in supplies of food and eoal for the city's Western sectors, as long as the necessity remains, says The Tinies ' Berlin eorrespondent. On concluding his inspection of the air faeilities, both in the British Zone and at G-atow Airport, Mr. Arthur Henderson, Secretary of State for Air, gave an assurance that all air resources that could usefully be empioyed, woulod be used to defeat the blockade. "All possibilities, including the use of gliders and more flyingboats, 1 are being considered, ' ' he said, adding: "We are carrying out a humanitarian operation in order to save Berlin 's inhabitants from being used as pawns in a political contest which is not .of our clioosing. " While he had no authority to speak for the IJnited States Air Foree, he was confident the Americans had the same spirit of determination as the R.A.F. The air lift was essentially a joint enterprise — one which he described as the greatest peacetime air transport operation ever undertaken.