Milford chronicle., 1949-05-06

Inat OfnCer, MAJ. RlcIltIlo1lu y.
by the Airlift's record tonnages, have
been gaining weight right through
the winter and into spring.
A fortnight ago, American and Brit
ish fiiers brought in a total of l2,94O.9
tons in one day-equal to % freight
trains of so cars each. The minimum
for bare subsistence of western Ber-
Inns population had been placed at
4,500 tons daily
Three times within the past fort
night, airlift daily hauls went over
$500 tons. The average is far above
minimum levels.
Blockade a Boomerang
The airlift has turned the Russian
blockade of land and water transport
into the German capital into BOOM
erang.
The counterblockade set up by the
western powers is squeezing the econ
omy of the Soviet zone. Largely agr1-
cultural in nature, the eastern zone
desperately needs coal, machinery and
manufactured products from the
American, British and French occupa-
ton districts and from European
states to theswest.
Soviet-trained German police are
reported having difficulty keeping re-
sentful Germans in line.
It is against this background that
Russian offers to end the Berlin block
ade if a Big Four meeting is called
must be evaluated. The Russian offer
was made originally on March 21 aft
er a United Nations Security Council
session at Lake Success.
Five-Week Delay
Last week Tass, the official Soviet
news agency, barred the offer publicly
in a statement datelined Moscow dis
tributed in London. The Soviet view
was that western powers must stimuli
taneously lift their counterblockade
of the Russian occupation zone and
the Russian sector of Berlin.
In Washington, reaction to the So
Wet proposal was favorable. The State
Department in a 1,200-word statement
declared the way seemed clear for
lifting the blockade, provided no fur
ther. conditions were imposed.
For weeks Germany has been full
of rumors that the blockade would be
lifted soon. Observers discounted
them as wishful thinking on the par
of hard-pressed Germans or as an
other Soviet propaganda device.
Official publication of the five
week-old offer by Tass is regarded II
some quarters as a belated effort t.
buttress the rumors and stall off for
nation of the proposed west German
state. If that was the Russian pur'
pose, the effort was too little and toe
late.
Western German political partiei
had been wrangling over setup of th'
proposed federal government. Re
gardless of party, Germans were bit
ter at a statute which would make al
most every act of the governmen
subject to Allied veto, despite assur
snces that supervision would be ao
ministered solely from a securit
standpoint.
New State
Last weekend the United State
rushed Robert D. Murphy, its to
trouble shooter on Germany,
Frankfurt where the conference w;
held, Three days later, accord W;
reached on the constitution for fec
eral republic uniting AS million Ge
mans west of the Elbe.
Occupation powers expect the ne
German constitution will be rattle
by the Bonn Assembly by May
and that-it will be placed before Il
German people in referendum b
fore July Is.
Gen. Lucius D. Clay. American m
itary governor in Germany, said t
only sure way to peace lay in the fc
nation of an association of the fr
nations of western Europe, includi
Germany. His declaration was in
message sent to the annual meeting
members of The Associated Press
New York.