Evening star., 1948-07-11
Extremely Serious

NN'SS'y SSisO0S
The text of our note to Russia on the
Berlin blockade leaves no room for doubt
that the Stain government must either
retreat from its present position or take
the responsibility for situation that
conceivably could explode into military
showdown.
For the note, delivered simultaneously
with British and French notes identical in
all essentials, solemnly warns that the
United States, together with Britain and
France, will not be induced by Soviet
threats, pressures or other actions" to
withdraw from Berlin. Bluntly, vigorously,
in the plainest possible language, it calls
upon the Kremlin not to make the grave
mistake OF Understanding our determi-
nation to hold fast to our rights and
remain where we are. In sum, by obvious
implication, 1t makes grimly clear that
nothing short of war can drive us out
Accordingly, to avoid an explosion and
to see to it that the more than 1000 900
Germans living in the Anglo-French-
American sectors are supplied with food
and other items indispensable to the
maintenance of life, we have joined with
Britain and France in suggesting-"as a
first step"-a four-power conference to
negotiate friendly settlement of the out
standing disputes with Russia in Berlin.
But as an essential precondition to. such
conference, we have demanded that the
Soviet government act without delay to
end its "intolerable" blockade policy-a
policy whose continuance would offend all
the rules Of comfy and reason"
In other words, the three Western Powers
have served notice that they will not yield
an inch or enter into any four-power nego-
tiations for a Berlin settlement unless and
until the Krenlin shows its good faith
and its desire for a peaceful solution by
promptly abandoning Its brutal and in
human effort to force us out by threatening
the starvation of well over 100000 inno-
cent men, women and children This Is
not an ultimatum, but 1t leaves everything
up to the Russians. If they respond favor
ably, then a four power meeting should
be able to work out a satisfactory agree
ment on the city and serve as >an I'M
portant first step" toward "a later full
dress conference on Germany as whole.
On the other hand, If the Soviet gov
ernment rejects the AngloFrench-Amer-
ican notes. as some fear it will do then the
next step will be to take the case to the
United Nations But there the Russian
veto can immobilize action, in which case,
moving on their own, the Western Powers
may find it feasible to resort to economic
or other sanctions against Moscow. That
in turn, of course, would strain relations to
the breaking point, and with the blockade
continuing, with the Red Air Force perhaps
interfering with our food-supply flights
into Berlin, dangerous incidents could
multiply and finally strike sparks setting
off a catastrophe armed conflict.
1t is not for nothing, therefore, that
Secretary of State Marshall has described
the current crisis as an Extremely serious
international situation" Neither the
American people, nor any other people,
least of all the Russians, should minimize
its gravity The Western Powers cannot
abandon Berlin without exposing the whole
of Germany and Europe to eventual Soviet
domination. In the circumstances, unless
the Kremlin backs down, whatsoever or
later-will become more probable than
possible, The outlook is as simple and as
grim as that.