710. J/4–248: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at Bogotá1
Telmar 21. Eyes Only for Secretary Marshall from Lovett. Clay indicated in a conference with Royall and Bradley this morning that the situation in Berlin has settled down considerably and that they are not facing any immediate crisis. Highway and air traffic conditions are normal today. Civil freight for the Germans is moving normally and military freight into Berlin appears to be normal and so far has been free from attempted search. Passenger trains are not moving and there has been no outward movement from Berlin of military freight in view of the Soviet action reported in Telmar 17.2
Clay states that they can continue under present conditions indefinitely and he strongly recommends that this course be followed, even though it will require a substantial increase in air passenger lift. He believes that any compromise proposal would play into Soviet hands and have a seriously adverse effect for the western powers throughout Europe. He does not favor the evacuation of dependents from Berlin. Despite the imaginative reporting of some correspondents in Berlin, Clay reports that the Americans are calm and continuing their everyday life normally.
[Page 890]Clay does plan to speed up the transfer of employees to Frankfurt, to remove gradually unessential employees and to allow dependents who are nervous to go home. Otherwise he believes we should sit tight for the time being and await the next Soviet move, which he anticipates within the next few weeks. He does not favor any governmental action at this time. The British show a partiality for seeking some compromise arrangement, though Robertson has personally given assurances he would stick with our position. The French are firm now but Clay fears they are not wholly reliable.