740.00119 Control (Germany)/5–3149

Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State

top secret

Meeting With President, Tuesday, May 31, 1949

possible courses of action in event berlin blockade is renewed

The President informed me that he had read the Joint Chiefs of Staff paper on possible courses of action in event the Berlin blockade is reimposed,1 and that he had no particular comment on this paper. I judge from his discussion that although he agrees that the reinstitution of the air lift is probably the only answer, he would like for someone to come up with a better answer, and would not be averse to reconsidering the possibility of breaking the blockade if some means of surface [Page 820] transportation showing reasonable possibilities of success could be found.

James E. Webb
  1. The paper President Truman was referring to is printed as Appendix A to NSC 24/2, infra.