Evening star., 1948-11-11
u. ). and Britain DEFY
Soviet Threat Against
Berlin AirIiff Planes
BY the Associated Press

ply IOuCC W oCAAA bOOdy III Gllc
face of Russian threat to force
down planes straying from the
20-mile- wide air corridors to the
former German capital.
The American answer to the Rus
slams threat, made last night, was
a terse promise from Gen. Lucius
D. Clay American military governor
that I'VE will keep them flying"
Both British and American au-
thorities said publicly the Russians
would be held responsible for any
action they take.
The Russians, citing long list
of alleged violation of their terri
tory, also said they would force
down "all aircraft without identi-
fication marks of nationality" flying
over the Soviet zone, including the
three air corridors.
Soviet Move Discounted.
The second threat presumably re-
fers to nonmilitary planes, which
do not carry nationality markers
The Russians have complained of
commercial flights in the Berlin air
corridors.
Some official sources tended to
discount the Soviet note as another
move in the war of nerves."
Although both Britain and the
United States have said in the past
they would use fighter escorts II
necessary to keep the airlift going
American pilots said they had stand
ing. orders to obey any Soviet fight
er plane seeking to force them to
land.
A senior American air officer who
declined to be quoted by name said
IF this is a Russian bluff-and
1t looks like one-we called it. Now
st remains to be seen how far they
intend to 60"
More Serious View Taken.
Another group of Allied officials
took a more serious view Of the
Russian threat They pointed out
previous threats of action against
the airlift had been threatened in
the Soviet press but the Russians
had not heretofore committed
themselves in official notes.
The new Soviet move was dis
closed when Brig. Gen. c. K. Galley,
Gen. Clay's chief of staff, replied to
q letter from Gen. G. S. Lukjants-
ehenko, Russian chief of staff.
Gen. Galley noted the Soviet
tnreat to force planes Ito land on
the nearest airfield in the Soviet
zone" and said:
You are informed that full and
complete responsibility will rest on
the shoulders of Soviet authorities
should any injury be sustained by
any of our personnel or any damage
occur to our planes as a result of
Soviet action taken in this connec-
ton.
The three air corridors between
Berlin and Western Germany were
established by four power agree
ment. They are approximately 20
miles wide each, In addition there
is an international air band around
Berlin 20 miles wide.
%vs~ers Fog Cuts Operations.
The Russians have tried to alter
the corridor agreement and recently
claimed no such agreements existed
The Western powers have rebuffed
the Soviet moves.
The American section of the air.
lift was sharply curtailed this morn
ing as fog shut down the Frankfurt
and Wiesbaden loading bases. Oper-
ations officers at Tempelhof Airfleld
said they hoped planes would begin
landing again after noon.
The British Gatow Airfield was
busy landing planes from Fassberg
and Wunsdorf in the British zone.
American planes also fly coal from
FaSsberg to Gatow.
The British made no formal an
swer to the Russians, but a spokeS-
man said British pilots remained
within the air corridor. The So
viet-controlled Adm news agency
said the same notification went to
the French. The French fly only
an occasional plane, however, and
do not participate in the airhft.
The Soviet note came as winter
weather approached and made fly
ing within the narrow corridor
more difficult.
Western Rule Unchanged.
"Our f1iers are all carefully in
structed to remain within the
bounds" an American official said.
But they have got to be especially
careful now. For instance, there's a
bad spot approaching the Frankfurt
Berlin corridor around Fulda, about
80 miles from the Soviet zone. Here
strong winds can blow plane out of
the corridor and if the radio beam
Is poor the plane can stray out of
bounds. Pilots have to be briefed to
navigate this spot"
This officer said accurate proof"
would be demanded from the Rus
slams about any allegations of cor
ridor violations they might present
He added that pilots and all other
should keep calm and stick by the
regulations-and that means on
both sides"
Rules about fights of Russian
planes over the American and Brit
ish zones of Germany remained un-
changed. They are required to give
advance notice Of the time and
route Of flights.
Contrast Is Puzzling.
Some Allied observers here found
the Soviet threat puzzling in con-
trast to the attitude of the Russian
controlled press about a Truman
Stain meeting to iron out East
West problems.
All the Soviet-controlled neWspa-
pers here carried front-page stories
about a possible meeting under
hopeful headlines. These papers
also played prominently reports
about new efforts in the United
Nations to settle the Berlin dead
lock.
The Russian controlled papers,
which ordinarily do not speak IA
vorably of the Vatican even seized
on suggestion in Osservatore Ro-
mano, the Vatican City newspaper,
that Mr.. Truman and Mr.. Stain
ShoilId meet