DRIVE AGAINST COMMUNISM

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25328, 30 October 1947, Page 7

DRIVE AGAINST COMMUNISM

AMERICAN DECISION IN GERMANY SOVIET CRITICISM TO BE ANSWERED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, October 29. The Military Governor of the United States zone of Germany (General L. Clay) has ordered a new drive against Communism in the .United States zone. His action follows repeated attacks on the American conception of democracy by Soviet officials in Germany. These have hitherto gone unanswered. “I do not intend,” said General Clay, “to enter into a series of recriminations and charges, but I do intend to defend the principles in which we believe, and we certainly do not believe in Communism in any form.’-’ He would not, he added, be put in a position where the German people would have the opportunity of hearing only about one system of government.

“We have always tried to spread the advantages of our type of democracy,” he said. “We have tried to avoid making unfavourable comparisons with other types of political philosophy. We will no longer avoid that.” General Clay said that he expected every representative of the United States in Germany to state frankly his views on Communism.

“I certainly do not intend to have Americans in the United States Military Government who do not believe in the principles on which the American way of life is based. That would certainly include those who support Communism.”

The Berlin correspondent of “The Times” says that this aspect of American policy in Germany is new only in its public statement. Officials of the United States Military Government, ne says, were recently required to complete a “loyalty form.” which included questions about their origin, history, and political views. Americans say that almost all officials who could be regarded as supporting Communism have already left Germany.