Thinking, Thinking

Reports would not down that Russia was trying to find a way to lift the Berlin blockade.

Technically, the Russians had the power to keep it up indefinitely, and for all the West knew, they might try to do just that. But the fact was that the blockade had embarrassed the Russians more than it had the West. Since the Western powers refused to let any trade pass into the Russian zone while the blockade was on, the economic situation in Russia's Germany has become increasingly serious. East Berlin's Communist Mayor Friedrich Ebert last week publicly proposed that trade between the two sections of the city be resumed. Behind the scenes, Germans in the Russian zone--apparently including Communists--urged the Soviet military government to come to terms with the U.S. and Britain. One of last week's countless rumors was that Moscow had sent an emissary to Washington to talk over a possible lifting of the siege.

The West remained cagey and noncommittal. It seemed content to sit back and let Russia make the first move. Whatever the Russians tried to do, Allied airmen last week proved that they could go on supplying Berlin until Joseph Stalin laid his cards face-up on the table (see below).

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