Importance Of Berlin Airlift

Chronicle (Levin), 12 February 1949, Page 5

Importance Of Berlin Airlift

Reeeived Friday, 7 p.m. LONDON, February 11. An assuranee that plans were in hand to increase the Berlin airlift, was given hy Mr. Bevin to the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Iierr Reuter, it is reported. The Yorkshire Post's diplomatic correspondent . states tliat Herr Reuter, who left London after a four-day visit, was told that tlie airlift would be maintained as. long as the blockade continued. Plans were being made to build up stocks during the summer months against next winter. Last autumn there were grave doubts whether the airlift could be maintained on a sufficient scale throughout winter but thanks in part to mild weather, the success of the airlift surpassed all expectations. Politically, says the correspondent, the effeetive maintenance of the airlift is of great importance. The Western Powers. feel that Russia ean no longer use the Berlin blockade to exert pressure for a one-sided> agreement on the currency problem. In fact, the barg&ining position of the Western Powers has enormously increased and it is thought that Russia now realises that the Western Powers ean remain in Berlin at will. - For the first seven months the airlift cost Britain £4,000,000 and the United States £28,000,000.