Evening star., 1948-06-28
White House ParIey
I0n Soviet Blockade
|0f Berlin Indicated
BY the Asseeiatsd Press


BY the Associated Press
A white house conference on the
Russian blockade Of ground trans
port to Western Berlin was indicated
today.
There was no public comment on
the situation, which has prompted
the United States to rush a fleet Of
huge cargo planes to Germany.
But Presidential Secretary Charles
@. Ross, In response to questions at
news conference, called attention
to the fact that President Truman
had a noon appointment with Un-
dersecretary of State Lovett.
Mr.. Ross said he assumed the new
Berlin crisis would come up for dis
cussion then.
AS food supplies dwindled for
2,000, 900 Berliners, diplomats pre-
dicted the Western powers shortly
would make q direct demand on the
Kremlin to lift the traffic moose
from their sectors.
50 Cargo Planes Sent.
Air Force headquarters an
nounced here last night that about
80 OF the big four-engine C-54
planes had been ordered to Ger
many to help ferry food and other
urgently needed supplies into the
American sector OF Berlin. They
were to leave their bases singly or
In groups as they are readied.
One squadron was to come from
the Alaskan Tactical Air Command,
flying by way of Westover, Mass,
air force base and the Azores to the
Frankfurt area.
Another was to come from the
Caribbean, flying from the Panama
Canal Zone via Bermuda and the
Azores.
A third squadron was to come
from Bergstrom Air Force base at
Austin, Tex, via Westover.
About 825 officers and men, in
cluding spare crews and mainte-
nance personnel, will make the
flight.
Besides the fleet headed for Ger
many, fourth squadron OF about
l3 C-54's has been ordered from
the 7th Air Force in Hawaii to
Westover on a long-range training
mission. That flight will involve
about 425 men.
/ Determination Shown.
l.
cation of the determination OF the
United States, along with Britain
and France, to stand fast and resist
Soviet efforts to block rail. highway
and canal transport into the city.
Officials here interpret the Rus
sian actions as designed primarily
to force the three western powers
out of Berlin and then convert 1t
into the Communist-controlled cap
ital of an Eastern German state.
A British Foreign Office spokes-
man said yesterday in London that
the western nations were consider
ing direct approach" to Moscow
evidently in an effort to obtain an
order from Prime Minister Stain
which would reverse the Soviet pol
icies in Berlin and ease the highly
dangerous situation developing
there.
State Department officials had nc
comment on the British statement
The London spokesman did not
make clear what form the "ap.
proach" would take, whether IN q
single note or three similar notes.
Right to Be in City.
However, arguments the three
powers have made to date against
the Russian actions indicate the
approach probably would be based
on two major points.
/. They could argue that under
agreements made at the end of the
war the Western powers were &C.
cepted by Russia without qualifica-
ton as joint occupants Of the cap
ital of defeated Germany. Their
right to be in the city, they may
also argue, includes the more spe-
cific right to transport food AND
other supplies through the Soviet
zone and that the Russian zone
commander has no legal power te
deny access.
2. They may warn Moscow in stiff
terms that the Soviets have created
powder keg in Berlin and mus
bear full responsibility for the con-
sequences if they persist in theil
present course.
Diplomatic speculation on the Rus
sian response to such note give!
high priority to the possibility thai
the Kremlin may propose a new
meeting of the Council of Foreign
Ministers to try to iron out ths
difficulties.