NEW NATIONALISM

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 July 1946, Page 8

NEW NATIONALISM

DANGEROUS DRIFT IN GERMANY ALLIED DISAGREEMENTS [N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.] , LONDON. July 30. “Behind the screen of Allied disagreements' there is growing steadily a new German nationalism which looks neither to Russia nor to the west,” says the Berlin correspondent of the Manchester Guardian. The correspondent says that while peace with Germany’s satellites is being discussed in Paris, a confused struggle for power in Germany seems likely to continue unabated in Berlin. “This renewed nationalism,” he continues, “may be powerless to exert a direct influence on German affairs at present, but its indirect influence can be great and its potential menace to the future of Europe greater still. New Heart “How new heart is being put into German nationalism by the continued lack of agreement over Germany is indicated by a poisonous little pamphlet which has been circulating clandestinely and has been brought to light by the Americans. It is about equally bitter against Russia and Britain, but seems to imply that since Britain, the West generally, and the Roman Catholic Church have all ‘failed to end the advance of Russia,’ Germany’s best hope of regaining independence lies in a cynical and timeserving alliance with Russia. “ ‘The German,’ says the pamphlet, ‘must recognise guiding principles for the future out of the moving powers of history. Either he will decide to connect his destiny with Russia, or with England—with the England that died in winning two world wars, or with the Russia which is the only continental Power of Europe and Asia. English Imperialism has resigned. The rule of Britannia is over, not only in India and Egypt. The sun is setting over the Occident. “ ‘The Catholic Church was the strongest spiritual pole of the Occident, but its political power is crushed as it never was before,’ the German pamphlet continues. ‘For the first time for 19 centuries there is no Catholic imperialism any more.’ Prediction of War “After a long digression on the history of what it calls the Slav movement in Europe, the pamphlet continues: ‘What is it that the West is still able to offer Germany? A plan of division, to dismember Germany; and the hope that miserable Germany will provide England once again with Hessian mercenary troops, just as it did once against America, but tomorrow against Russia. “ ‘A quarrel will come sooner or later, with the irresistible power of a law of nature. The history of war did not end with Potsdam. There were illusions in 1918, but there are not even illusions left. “ ‘There is no room in Euruope today {or two Germanies. One is enough, and there will be one. Who--ever will help Germany to become this will be her ally and her friend. That is the law of history to a nation, and Germany will live on by the authority of this law, in spite of everybody.’ ” Drift of Indecision

The correspondent comments: “As long as the drift of indecision about Germany continues, these _ underground nationalist and Nazi forces will gain in strength at the expense of those genuinely democratic forces which are trying to co-operate in the rebuilding of German life. Cynical adherence to Russia as the ‘most successful’ Power in post-war Europe may temporarily seem to strengthen Russian influences in Germany, but Russia can derive no real benefit from a German nationalism that is fundamentally hostile and which would transfer its entirely self-seeking allegiance to the West at any moment when the West seemed likely to be stronger than Russia. “These are the seeds of war in German soil, and their growth can be prevented only by planting this soil instead with real hope for .a democratic future. Whether this can be done still depends above all else on the economic unification of Germany, and the replies of Britain, France, and Russia to the American proposals inviting economic fusion, with the American zone are awaited with intense interest.”