The Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1946. THE GERMAN PROBLEM.

Evening Star, Issue 25927, 19 October 1946, Page 6

The Evening Star SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1946. THE GERMAN PROBLEM.

Will Goering become a hero for the German people because, though he could launch his aeroplanes against defenceless Warsaw, ho could not face the scaffold ? It will be another extraordinary illustration of German mentality if he does. There was nothing here of the bravado that in old time excited another nation’s admiration: Sae rantingly, sae dauntingly Sae wantonly gaed he, He sang a sang and danced a jig Beneath the gallows tree.

In any case, too much can he made of the irregular death. Germans at, the present time, it is plain, have the' most opposite thoughts about it. The important thing is that they should cease to think about it at all except ill conjunction with the ancient moral, “ So perish all who do the like again ”; and that will depend not on argument about a trifle, hut on what better things they are given to think about in the years to come. Some things will not he wholesome, unavoidably. Minor war criminals cannot be allowed to escape, but, after ten months of Nuremberg, one shudders at the idea of further trials and hangings making the main atmosphere for another year. No countrv should live too long in the shadow of a seaffmd. The shortest shrift that is consistent with justice must meet remaining criminals. And some definite hone now should be given to Germans that a reasonable life 'still lies before them provided they are willing to live it reasonably, with regard for their neighbours. There are few signs of that prospect at the present time. Lord Beveridge. has just criticised “ the horrible mess we are making in Germany.” After a tour which he has made of the country he has described the conditions of life there as “ intolerable,” and it would be strange if that .description were not correct. Owing to the differences of Allies there are four Germanies, not one of which is an economic entity, all isolated from one another. The British and American zones will not be an economic entity when they are joined, while the French and Russians prefer division. The only idea that they have is to keep Germany as weak as possible, for as long as possible, hut a desert in the midst of Europe would profit nobody', and eighty million people, filled with complete despair, might he a worse menace than the same number under Nazism. Some middle way must be found, and soon, that will deprive Germany of means of aggression, while giving her some incentive to live a new life. There has been much talk of democratising Germanv. That is much to he desired, but democracy will not be commended by executions, whatever other purpose these may serve. It will not be assisted by hunger, and most Germans now must be very hungry.' Two thousand calories has been laid down as a minimum subsistence food level,. arid Germans have been getting fifteen hundred and fifty, with uncertainty of how long that allowance will continue. No. one knows what future boundaries will he or how much must be found for reparations or how: the country will be governed in future. . The German who tightens his belt will not reflect that food is short in Britain and every country of Europe; he will .only conclude that democracy works worse than his old creed. He will not consider what that creed cost other peoples in suffering, having been told, probably, very, little about it. It is announced that the American Education Mission has drawn up a new education programme for German schools,- under which it is proposed to send large numbers of German teachers abroad to study democratic teaching methods. That is an idea to be commended, but much more will be done when democracy can be shown to advantage in practice.