U.S. POLICY IN GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26032, 8 February 1950, Page 5

U.S. POLICY IN GERMANY

STATEMENT BY HIGH COMMISSIONER REARMAMENT NOT TO BE ALLOWED BERLIN, February 6. There must be no German army nor air force, the United States High Commissioner in Germany (Mr John J. McCloy) said to-day. Mr McCloy, who >has returned from consultations in Washington three days ago, was “restating certain fundamentals of American policy in Germany.” He said thgt German security would best be protected “by German participation in a closely-knit Western European community.” The fundamentals of policy included Germany’s collective guilt for the war.

Mr McCloy said that he expected an end to the arguments of those Ger- • mans who would not only deny their own guilt, but seek to place responsibility for the consequences of that guilt exclusively on the shortcomings of other people. Mr McCloy said that in the months ahead it was imperative that the German people, their leaders, and Parliaments aeal with the problems of unemployment, of refugees, and of youth. Hie German people, he said, should be integrated into a free Europe and should, “when they and their Governments have demonstrated their readiness and responsibility, share fully in free Europe's economic benefits, and correspondingly assume its obligations.” “A sensible, statesmanlike solution can readily be found for the Saar,” said Mr McCloy. “Far too much is at stake to permit this issue to become again a starting point for internal political manoeuvring, which would lead only to embittered French-Ger-man misunderstanding.” Discussing the revival of Nazism, Mr McCloy said: “We shall rjot hesitate to use all our power and influence to expose and counteract any subversive influence which condones or encourages the revival of Nazism in German life. If the German people hope again to take their place in the community of free nations, they must demonstrate their will to insist upon honest and vigorous enforcement of that policy.” Mr McCloy added that the Americans were in Germany, not exclusively to feed the Germans and promote economic recovery, but to “help the German people to establish a political democracy in which they can live as free men and enjoy the benefits of their freedom. “German?/ cannot be allowed to develop political conditions or a military status which would threaten other nations or the peace of the world. That means that there will be no German army nor air force.” Mr McCloy said that utterances by •certain spokesmen in Germany.” asserting that other peoples and other countries w ere responsible for Germany’s post-war difficulties, did incalculable harm and set hack Germany’s cause. He said that the Western occupying Powers were guided fundamentally by the same purpose, in spite of differences of opinion and interest from time to time. All constructive efforts to help towards the goal of unifying Germany on a democratic and federal basis would be made.