Evening star., 1948-07-29
Mercy.Convoy to Berlin

To the Editor of The Star:
War-shocked mankind looks in agonized in
decision toward the shambles Of Berlin,
ghoulish symbol of Nemesis and the utter
futility Of hate and war. Soldiers and the
anxious fathers of soldiers fearfully recall
Sarajevo and the Chinese dead on Marco Polo
bridge. Little did we think they were grim
portents of two barbaric World Wars in which
there were no victors but death and infinite
sorrow.
Our worried leaders give us little hope that
the starvation blockade Of mortally- wounded
Berlin can be resolved without showdown Of
force. The high-level decision to fight famine
and plague in Berlin by doubling the mercy
runs of our airlift is a vicarious show Of force.
The atheist slavemasters Of the Politburo know
this and hesitate to call our dangerous hand.
Berlin is the best proof that our air power can
play other significant roles than break
starvation blockade by former ally which has
become predatory aggress0r. Yet cold logic
consoles them with the belief that bankrupting
cost and their old ally winter will make the
airlift-rescue an theological asset with dimin-
ishing returns The despair of the abandoned
will be the more paralyzing because it follows
breach of trust of our Nations honor in its
treaty obligations
The campaign battle cry Of Henry A. WAL
lace, gAbandon Berlin" forces a high-level de-
cision upon our perplexed leadership. Former
Vice President and now usurper OF the mantle
of the champion of the Four Freedoms. the
late Franklin Delano Roosevelt, MIR. Wallace
has become a sycophant and servile pleader
for the cynical masters of the Kremlin. Call
ing upon the gullible to abandon Berlin, we
safely may assume that Soviet-apologist WAL
lace is mouthing the atheist prayers OF the
Politburo with hypnotized servility. Now Presi-
Dental Candidate Wallace, betrayer of the
Four Freedoms, presents the hopes Of the
common man for peace, freedom and abiin-
dance with choice of evils Abandon Berlin
to the slavemasters of the police state or
break the inhuman starvation blockade with
force or It's infiammatory equivalent.
The plan herein proposed is predicated on
the belief that an armed convoy routed
through the besieging Soviet Zone via the
autobahn Is a poor choice of evils. Those
sponsoring the armed-convoy break-through
argue that by having the showdown with
pawns, the principals are not committed by
a local gamble with the dice. Both sides can
save face by saying the fate Of civilization
should not hang on the nervous trigger finger
Of either a bully or victim Of terror. THIS
would keep the cold war localized to small
perimeter Of undeclared war where active
belHgerency exists without formal declaration
of all-out hostilities. Even II the armed
convoy does not at this time precipitate all
out l,ostilities the lack Of final decision plays
into the hands Of aggressors
But an unarmed convoy carrying food,
clothing and medicine, bearing Red Cross IN
signals and the flag OF the United Nations
coa,,a break the starvation blockade In the
name Of common humanity. This would iorce
the predatory atheists Of the Pohtnuro 70 =
hirh-level decision of future policy and in-
tention. II they vetoed or denied entry TO
: mercy-convoy, they would declare their
crininally insane ruthlessness 90 that even
their own -nslaved people beyond the Iron
f.,rtatn would know 1t beyond reasonable
doubt. THOMAS Z. MATTTNGLY, N. p.