Evening star., 1948-07-04
Russians Refuse
To Promise End
OF Berlin Siege
SokoIovsky Declines
To Give Assurances
After 3-Power PIeu
By the Associoted Press


BERLIN, July 3.-The Russians
refused today to say they would
lift their Berlin food blockade
and Allied airmen prepared to
give up their Fourth of J',ly holi-
day to continue the flying bread
line.
An American spokesman an
nounced that Marshal VASTLY D
Sokolovsky, Soviet commander, met
with American, British and French
military commanders for 30 minutes
The spokesman said Marshal Sok-
olovsky refused to give any as
surances about raising the blockade
The meeting was in answer to q
letter by the British military gov
ernor, Gen. Sir Brian Robertson
asking that a date be set for re-
moving the blockade.
The Russian version of the meet
ing, given late tonight by the
Soviet news bureau, quoted Mar
shall Sokolovsky as blaming the
Western powers themselves for the
present difficulties in Berlin.
According to the Russian agency
Marshal Sokolovsky told the West
ern leaders that the railway link
between Berlin and the West "natu-
rally needed repairs" after three
years of hard use. He added that
insuring the supply of needs fo1
10000, 900 Germans in the Soviet
occupation zone was an important
concern of the Russian military
administration at the present time
the news agency said.
Western Powers Blamed.
1t qouted Marshal Sokolovsky as
saying: American. British and
French occupation authorities them
selves created the present difficulties
through their separate actions and
maneuvers splitting Germany.
The participants in the London
conference which decided on COM
pleting the division of Germany
obviously should have thought of
the consequences of their decisions
and of the Berlin question.
at should have been logical in
deciding on the division of Germany
also to have thought of the diff
culties to which this necessarily
must lead.
Soviet occupation authorities re-
garded it as their holy obligation
to protect the interests of 10000, ,O00
Germans and the economy of the
Soviet occupation zone in view OF
separate currency reform in the
West and other measures of Western
occupation officials which are di-
rected at disorganizing the economy
of the Soviet occupation zone
The agency said Marshal Soko-
lovsky criticized the Western lead
ers for taking up only the issue OF
the Helmstedt-Berl
railway line.
Air Lift to be Increased.
As the top officials met, airborne
supplies streamed into Berlin, and
after the fruitless meeting with
Marshal Sokolovsky. Gen. Lucius D
Clay, the American military COVER
nor, announced the air lift will con-
tinue and be increased.
I'VE will keep it up as long as the
American people want to keep it
up" declared Gen. Clay. Il remem-
Der that we kept one up over the
hump to China for over. a year
Gen. Clay added he thought the
French would take part in the
emergency air freight service to feed
the 100000 residents of Berlin's
Western sectors, and that they
would contribute what they could.
Those representing the Western
Allies at the meeting, held in Mar
shall Sokolovsky's Babelsburg villa
on the outskirts of Berlin, where
Gen. Clay. Gen. Robertson, and Gen
Roger Noiret, deputy French mill
tary governor.
Assurances Asked.
The American spokesman said the
three went to Marshal Sokolovsky to
tell him the two-week blockade OF
Western Berlin was becoming a
serious matter and they wanted some
assurance that technical difficult
ties" to railway traffic would be
overcome. The Russians said tech
nical difficulties" caused the ban on
rail traffic at the start of the block
ade.
I'VE were able to obtain no as
surances and the meeting was ad-
journed," the spokesman said.
The situation remains unchang-
ed"
He said the meeting was held in
(See BERLIN, Page A-11D