ALLIED CONTROL OF GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25299, 26 September 1947, Page 7

ALLIED CONTROL OF GERMANY

RUSSIAN ATTITUDE CRITICISED

“POTSDAM PLAN HAS BEEN SCUPPERED ” __ „ . LONDON, September 24. The Soviet’s failure to honour its obligations to operate Germany as an economic unit had caused, the whole Potsdam conception of governing Germany on quadripartite Imes to founder* said Lord Pakenham, Minister in charge of German affairs, at a press conference. “The Soviet attitude has been a bitter disappointment. The whole world has been paying a terrible price for the way in which the Potsdam plan has been scuppered.” Lord Pakenham said that Britain would never accept as final any breach between the East and West, but she had no intention of being permanently hamstrung in her efforts to enable Germany to b ecome self-supporting. We have no intention of quitting Germany,” he said. “We have to perform a special duty there to our own people, the Germans, and the world. We are inflexibly resolved to perform it. we mean every word we say to the Germans about offering them hope. The rest of Europe cannot prosper Suhntil a ? d ean '? ot prosper without the rest of Europe,” Lord Pakenham added that if he were asked whether the German people had yet given evidence of a clear change of heart since Nazi days he would hesitate about his answer. There was a general repudiation of Hitler and all Ms works, but it would be affectation to say there was any firm conviction among the mass of the people that democracy had much to offer in the way of practical results. Democracy and the other ideals for which the Allies had fought the war would never get a real chance in Germany until the German people were fed at the minimum standard—a standard which only a small proportion was enjoying at present.

EXECUTION OF MR PETKOV

COMMENT BY VATICAN NEWSPAPER

(Rec. 7 p.m.) ROME, September 24. The semi-official Vatican newspapef, “Osservatore Romano,” condemning the execution of Mr Petkov, the leader of the Bulgarian Peasant Party, said: “His accusers and judges sit in the defendant’s bench themselves before the great tribunal of public opinion.”