Good Start Made in Educating German Youth

Grey River Argus, 13 October 1949, Page 8

Good Start Made in Educating German Youth

(By Jack Smyth, Reuter Correspon-

dent in Berlin)

Although numerous problems and difficulties have still to be overcome’ in connection with the education of Nazified German youth in the ways of democracy, Dr Alonzo Grace, Director of the United States Military Government’s Educational and Cultural Relations Division, believes that a good start has been made. The collapse of the Hitler Youth Organization at the end of the war together with the invalidation of its Nazi teaching, left the youth of the nation without any form of positive leadership. Postwar problems such as unemployment, housing shortage, lack of educational facilities and the general social disorder attendant upon such an upheaval fell especially heavily upon the young people of Germany. The United States Military Government therefore endeavoured first of all to help such forces as existed inside Germany to provide leadership and direction for youth. Next they aimed at fostering an atmosphere in which the positive elements could find expression in society and third, they tried to ensure that there would be no recurrence of any totalitarian or militaristic tendencies among youth organizations.

Today, although much remains to be done, much has been achieved. The total membership of voluntary youth organisations, for example, has increased 700 per cent since 1946. Some 1,500,000, or approximately 25 per cent of young people between the ages of ten and 25 belong to one or more youth organisations. More than 4,000 youth leaders have received training in the fundamentals of democratic youth work, while 50 selected German youth leaders have studied youth work in the United States. The services of eight American and 23 European youth leaders have been enlisted to advise the German youth organisations.

Self-help programmes developed include over 100 projects for rebuilding damaged buildings and the construction of new dormitories. These were carried through without publicity and without knowledge of the general population. The task which lies before the German youth organisations was summed up recently by Dr. Grace. “Youth organisations,” he said, “must liberalise their programmes, become less competitive and more co-operative. The average German citizen must learn to volunteer his time, ability and money to advance co-operative youth programmes. Although limited in extent, certain nationalistic tendencies must be eliminated. The ultimate test of our success in helping German youth to help themselves is simply this: Will youth develop the character, the moral and spiritual power to resist the nationalistic trend? Will youth, if they don’t stand for something, fall for anything? I believe that the youth of the world will help the youth of Germany to create a world of law and order, humanity, social justic e and peace. I believe that a large number of German youth, in spite of the Hitler era, are already willing and eager to do their part; but the change will not be accomplished overnight.”