American Airpower Comes of Age

AMERICAN AIRPOWER COMES OF AGE
British and Russian soldiers lined street at intervals all the
way from the airport to #96 Berliner Strasse where Marshall,
McCarthy, Sheffield and I live. 38 Our house is very well furnished,
soldier cook, just who lived here I do not know. Marshall
and I called on the Secretary of War and had a long talk
with McCloy, Bundy and the Secretary mostly re ultra-scientific
developments. 39 Back to house and study for conference
at 10:00 tomorrow.
Monday, July 16, 1945 [Berlin, Germany]
The water here is awful, full of chemicals, the lake at the back
of our house is like a sewer. The countryside is beautiful, trees
about like the Main Line. 40 The British and our delegation have
areas side by side. The Russians have the rest of the city as far
as I can see now; the US and British have parts of city, but we
must be within the Russian area. 41 I will find out more today.
In order to secure houses and equipment for British and
American areas for this conference, Russians used following
very effective system: they notified all Germans living in area
(it is the Hollywood, the movie colony district, of Germany) 42 to
get aboard trains for Russia. They entertained no protests;
when one woman objected and refused to move they shot and
buried her in her front yard; there were no other protests. The
houses were vacant, completely furnished when we arrived.
First meeting of JCS agreed to agendas, procedure at meetings,
program to be submitted to CCS this P.M. 43 Had 15 minutes
with President, and he agreed to:
(a) Proclamation re Air Force day. 44
(b) Supreme CO in Pacific (principle).
(c) AAF recommendations for handling matters brought up
by Prime Minister or Uncle Joe. 45
Saw Harriman for a few moments. Portal called my attention
to bet made in 1942 when I bet him $10.00 that a bomb would
land on Washington, check in Washington. Made another bet
with Portal, dinner, that Jap war would be over nearer to
December 25th [1945] than to Valentine Day, 1946. 46 CCS
meeting all according to Hoyle, no untoward instances; gave
[presentation on] air situation in Pacific. 47
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