Evening star., 1948-09-19
u. ). Air Force Flies
ssh Tons Of Coal
To Berlin As Bonus
BY the Assoeicied Press

STltlSH alr lOrCeS sent go cargo
fights into Soviet-blockaded Berlin
today in a demonstration of peace
time air power.
United States 1t. Gen. Curtis
LeMay's airmen few 651 sorties with
5,572.7 tons of bonus" coal for the
neediest of Western Berlin's 2,500, 900
besieged inha bitants. The record
smashing feat exceeded the famed
wartime hump" shuttle from India
to China.
The Royal Air Force few IA
fights with an unannounced cargo
and tonnage.
The huge armada filled Berlin's
skies with an endless roar. Even
bad weather will not halt the lift,
for the Americans flew 10 of the "a
hours ended at nooi. under instru-
ment conditions.
Blockade Three Months Old.
Today's flights were made as the
Soviet ground blockade became n
quarter of a year old. Exactly three
months ago at midnight the Rus
slams closed the highway to Berlin
and soon afterward severed rail
and water approaches.
The American haul surpassed by
1924 tons the previous record set
four days ago in 498 flights. 1t ex-
ceeded the hump record by 245,7
tons.
1t exceeded the target of 1000 to
5000 tons set by Gen. lie May yes
terday when he called on his air
men to celebrate the anniversary
Of the United States Air Force with
record -shattering flights.
The entire tonnage was loaded
aboard planes in l00-pound bags.
"A giant C-74 Globemaster carried
approximately 2500O0 pounds of
coal in six trips.
Gen. LIE May called it an out
standing achievement that will long
be remembered. He congratulated
all personnel.
Small Children To Benefit.
The total tonnage flown to Berlin
oy American planes since large-ScaleI
operations began June % exceeded
174,000 tons on more than $4,000
flights. On the first day of the lift
80 tons We're flown in 80 flights.
An Air Force announcement said
the coal flown today was over and
above the normal requirement for
the sustenance of Berlin and will be
distributed to the Germans Of the
Western sectors as bonus, in ef-
feet a tribute from the Air Force to
the people of that blockaded city"
About 100000 families with two
or more small children will get the
coal.
Meanwhile, the Western press
said A wave of terror against non
Communists had started in the
Soviet occupation zone. Several
prominent non-COmmunistS were
reported to have fled to Western
Germany.
Police "MiIifarization" Charged.
The American licensed Neue Zei-
tung said police IN the Soviet zone
were being built into half mill
tarist organization" armed with
rnachineguns and machine pistols
instead of the customary carbineS
The newspaper said the Soviet
backed Socialist Unity Party (SED) !
plans to use the specially drilled
police as the military arm of the
Communist movement" 1t said
many members of the wartime Free
Germany Committee formed in
Moscow we're on their way to Ger
many from Russia to command the
force.
An official Soviet spokesman told
the splinter Christian Democrat
Party in the Soviet zone that any
relations with Christian Democrats
in the West would be construed as
"a bridgehead against Soviet policy
He said Moscow took ''se-
rious view" of the anti-Soviet demon
strations in Berlin last week and
told the Christian Democrats "it
must not be forgotten that not SO
long ago the words German and
Fascist meant nearly the same thing
to the peaceful public opinion of the
World