MISTAKES IN GERMANY

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 February 1947, Page 6

MISTAKES IN GERMANY

CONTROL CRITICISED IN COMMONS DEBATE “WRECKING CIVILISATION” LONDON, Feb. 5. Conditions in the British zone of Germany were described in the House of Commons to-day in the debate asked for by the Opposition. “We are piling up by our muddle, our mismanagement, and our good intentions the seed of a third German war,” said Mr. Richard Law, opening the debate. “The problem in Germany is the administration of a policy of far widei’ range than charity. “It is my own conviction that the Germans are as odious in defeat—-as abject and self-pitying and unwilling to face up to facts—as they were arrogant and vicious in victory. We hftve lost the respect of the German people by our inefficiency.” 111-conceived System. “The British system of administration is ill-conceived and entirely inadequate,” said Mr. Law. “The Government is trying to find hypothetical solutions instead of dealing with matters of emergency as they arise. The denazification policy has created a vested interest in favour of a war of revenge.” Dealing with denazification, Mr. Law said that no German who had been an officer in the Wehrmacht was allowed to go to a university. “We have got to realise that everybody in Germany had to be a member of the Nazi Party, but a very great number of Germans were just professed members,” he added. Mr. Law continued that the intense centralisation of administration in Berlin was a terrible mistake. The administration was extremely efficient but remote. “We should abandon the idea of trying to run the Germans for their own good and our good,” he said. “We should seek to control Germany so that she can not make a third world war.” Mr. Law, emphasising the Germans’ pitiable condition, said young Germans below 16 years of age came 'out of their holes in the ground to loot and pillage and live by their wits. Toddlers were sent out by their parents to pick up cigarette ends to trade in the black market. Mr. Hynd’s Reply.

The Minister in charge of the zone (Mr. J. B. Flynd), replying, said he « was surprised to hear the House told ' that 18 months after the end of the war we ought to stop denazifying and ■ ought to leave big German land- : owners and agriculturists untouched, i “We have not achieved all we might have done, but we are not the Government of Germany and in con- • trolling the British zone we have to observe fundamental understandings ■ and agreements with the Allies,” he ’ added. , Mr. Hynd emphasised that 1500 ■ calories was not the standard ration in the British zone, but only the basic : ration for 36 per cent, of the popu- • lation in the British zone who were J non-working. The remaining 64 per ■ cent, received rations ranging from t 250 d calories in 3966 calories. Seven--1 teen hundred thousand German ■ school children were receiving, free } meals in addition to the ordinary ’ ration. Mr. Hynd said the British authori- ■ ties in Germany were worried about I the serious problem of tuberculosis. ’ The number of cases had risen from 3730 in January, 1946, to 5140 in No- ■ vember, 1946. Nevertheless, the > death rate in the same period had ' fallen from 28,000 to 19,000. Mr. Hynd said that houses in the Ruhr were being repaired at the rate of 4000 a month, and 109,000 miners’ houses had been repaired out of 128,000. 7 German Trade. Mr. Hynd added that the development of German trade production in the British zone was proceeding apace. Trade was being opened up with countries besides Britain and the United States. Plans were in hand to secure the necessary raw materials to get German industry into production in order to make possible those exports which it was tended should in the next three or four years pay for imports into the western zone. Mr. R. R. Stokes said the British showed insufficient moral spirit and lacked vitalising force in 1 their task in Germany. There should be a more crusading spirit and a time limit to the denazification process. ■ Commander D. Marshall (Conservative), defending the Control Commission, said it was difficult to live midst vice and filth without being infected. He contended that if Britain continued her present, policy she would wreck western civilisation. “We are forging a race of bitter, revengeful cave-dwellers who won’t forget the reason why they had to go through this tragedy,” he said. “They will only remember they went through it under our rule. They will forget they brought it on themselves.” * The New Zealander, Mr. J. PlattsMills (Labour), said Britain wanted a strong Germany with her fangs drawn, but the heads of . German heavy industry who made Hitler still retained their vital positions. ANGLO-AMERICAN PLAN FOR NEW STATE LONDON, February 6. The British and American Governments are planning to set up a new European State of “Western Germany,” if next month’s Moscow conference results in a stalemate on theGerman problem. The Daily Express Berlin correspondent makes this announcement, adding: British and American officials in Berlin already have drawn up bluer prints for a new State. The correspondent says the new State will be launched at the moment that London and Washington give the signal.. It would consist of the present British and American zones, which are now fused economically, with a “reserved seat” for the French zone, if they want to join.

The capital would be Frankfurt, in the present American zone, and elections would be held for a Constitutionmaking Assembly early in the summer. The elected Government of the new State would have its own diplomatic representation abroad, and it would receive British and American official loans and credits.