DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Memorandum of Conversation
Date: April 29, 1949 Subject: Berlin Air Lift
Participants: Sir Oliver Franks, British Ambassador The Secretary of State Mr. John D. Hickerson, Director for European Affairs
Copies to: U, G, C, GA, EUR, Amembassy, London
Sir Oliver Franks, the British Ambassador, in the course of a conversation with me at 12 noon today on other subjects, allowed me to read a telegram which he had just received from Mr. Bevin in regard to the Berlin air lift. In this telegram Mr. Bevin pointed out that he feels that the U.S. and U.K. Governments must in no circumstances either completely stop the air lift or allow this magnificent organization to deteriorate. If the blockade is lifted in consequence of the Jessup-Malik conversations, Mr. Bevin said that we must take into account that a Council of Foreign Ministers meeting may be unproductive of results and the Russians may re- impose the blockage. The telegram went on to point out that in Mr. Bevin's view we should maintain intact the air lift organization until we are positive the blockade will not be re-imposed although he feels that it would probably be desirable to reduce somewhat the number of planes flying daily into Berlin.
I told Sir Oliver that we had been thinking along somewhat the same lines as Mr. Bevin but that we had not discussed this matter with the Army or the Air Force and had not reached any decision. I told him that I was glad to have Mr. Bevin's views which would be fully taken into account in reaching our decision about this matter.
EUR:JDHickerson:mss