POLITICAL APATHY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26197, 6 July 1946, Page 7

POLITICAL APATHY

THE GERMAN PEOPLE CRITICISM OF BRITAIN PETTY AND INSPIRED (From A. W. Mitchell, N.Z.P.A.. Special Correspondent) LONDON, July 4. The human question of how the Germans are taking their defeat is one of the most interesting aspects of any visit to Germany to-day. It is a difficult one for anybody to assess during a visit of only three days, but by accompanying an official party of New Zealanders and meeting high officials of the Military Government it is possible to make a summary of responsible and informed opinion. ( Docility, co-operation, and apathy, yet with criticism of the British, appear to be the outstanding characteristics of the Germans in the British zone, and all were commented upon by responsible officers. The docility and co-operation come from defeat and the inherent habit of obedience to discipline which is characteristic of the German people. The apathy springs from . lack of food, a sense of- resignation, war weariness, and a mood of frustration. The criticism is human, an easy form of conversation, and feeds on propaganda. No Independent Opinion

Discussing these points, several British officers remarked that the Germans appear to be completely unable to form an independent opinion and to act upon it. When asked for their opinion, they will hedge and theorise, waiting for a lead. If it is suggested to them that a certain line of action might be advisable, they will readily regard it as an order, even though they may disagree with it or have some mental reservations. This is the baffling and irritating position that faces the British Military Government in its endeavour to build up a German civil government. German decisions and opinions have been formed from above for so long that the people apparently lack the self-confidence to make up their own minds. At the same time they are ready to follow a lead from any quarter, particularly if it is a strong lead. British officers remark that the result is that the Germans are extremely pliable and yet equally intolerate. Once a lead has been given and they have accepted it, they can see no other point of view, no middle course. This inability to form an opinion is _ said to have much to do with the political apathy that exists in Germany to-.day among a large section of the people. No strong lead is being given, but Russia is feared, and there is a belief that she may dominate Europe. The result is that many are awaiting developments, and, as one officer remarked, if the Communist Party appears to emerge as the strongest political unit many will accept it. Political activity at present is largely confined to the urban areas, and is being centred on the local body elections, which are to take place in the autumn. One estimate is that the Democratic Socialists will poll 45 per cent., the Christian Democrats 40 per cent., and the Communists 10 per cent., with the remainder of the votes going to minor parties. Important Influence An important influence among the people, and one that it is thought may grow, is the strengthening of the Roman Catholic following, due to the influx of refugees from the East, which includes a high proportion of Catholics. Discussing German criticism, British officers observed that much of it was petty and inspired by propaganda, although some of it was justifiable. One recent absurd criticism was that the British were collecting food from the farms, not for distribution in German cities, but for export. That the British would ration themselves to feed Germany is, therefore, regarded as propaganda. On the other hand, the summary removal of people believed to be Nazi criminals, and the sending of them to concentration camps, from where no news reaches their families, is said fo be Nazism all over again. This, it is admitted, has happened. Another characteristic that is plainly apparent to-day is the lack of sympathy of the German people for one another. More than one British officer has remarked how villages and small communities with stocks of food resented the idea of its being- collected and sent to the bombed cities. So long as they themselves are comfortable they have little regard for anybody else. In some case? armoured cars had to be sent to aid the collection. The same attitude is displayed towards refugees from the East. Over 4,000,000 have entered the British zone, and they are still coming at the rate of 3500 a day. They are German people, homeless and hungry, yet their kinsfolk resent them and criticise the British for allowing them to enter. Practically without exception, British officers remark that Nazism is dead, at least temporarily. They say there is no interest in it. though the extreme of misery might result in a resurgence or swing to Communism. Hitler, they declare, was discredited over a comparatively minor point. This was his refusal to allow letters from prisoners in Russian hands to reach their families. It is said that when this fact became known fairly recently it was the final straw. •

At the same time, particularly in country districts, many Germans find it difficult to believe that the old order has passed. For instance, farmers always bred light horses equally suitable for farm work or the Wehrmacht. They resented the order to reduce the horse population, believing there would still be an army market. Extent of Bomb Damage

Personal impressions of Germany are vivid and kaleidoscopic. While the country districts are neat and regimented and the swarms of children seem healthy and carefree, the German cities have to be seen to be believed. No photographs or descriptions can quite convey the atmosphere or extent of the bomb damage. To drive for miles in Hamburg, Bremen and Kiel and fly over the- Ruhr and see acres of buildings either heaps of rubble or gaunt, fire-licked skeletons is both astonishing and depressing. In the cities there is a motley collection of clothing, some moderately smart, the majority slovenly. The orders are that no old uniforms may be worn unless dyed. Some are dyed, others are not, and the result is a scruffy jumble. Probably the bestdressed German to-day is the policeman, who wears a light green uniform and a shako. To be a policeman is one of the few definite desires among the young men of Germany to-day. How long the German people will be docile and apathetic is difficult to estimate, and is chiefly dependent on the food situation. To say they are “squealing and doing nothing about their cities,” as one member of the New Zealand farmers’ party remarked during a speech in Holland, is not altogether correct. The remark incidentally was strongly rebutted by other members of the party. The problems of Germany are gigantic and the solution largely dependent on close co-operation between the four Allied zones. Of that at present there is little sign.