The Wanganui Chronicle. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1946 GERMANY AND EUROPE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 89, 17 April 1946, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1946 GERMANY AND EUROPE

WITH over sixty millions of nationals, occupying a central posiW tion geographically in Europe and having developed her technical skills to a very high degree, Germany was well placed in 1914 to make a major contribution to the economy of Europe. She abandoned this for a Viking adventure and lost.. The attempt was made to re-establish Germany in the comity of Europe, but things had gone wrong in the world and eventually a breakdown occurred in world economy. This breakdown was called the Great Depression. Germany’s outlook was then gloomy indeed. She had taught the world to do without her and it had learned well the lesson.

It cannot be too often emphasised that the Great Depression and Germany’s hopeless outlook were the main causes of. Hitler’s rise to power. Nazism was a counsel of despair. If the German people are again plunged into a condition of greater despair, will that end the problem which is confronting the world to-day? On the evidence of the past this does not appear to be a promising line of conduct for the United Nations to follow.

In world politics counsels of perfection are as stupid as they are annoying. This world is not being run by people who are perfect. The only perfect man known to society is the first husband of the widow who remarried and he exercised no influence on public opinion that counts. The statesmen of the world can only move as far in any direction as far as public opinion will allow them. It is pointless blaming statesmen for doing no more than they can get backing for: statesmen may lead and they may initiate action, but they must secure endorsement. Dictators may act differently for a time, but even they must take public opinion into account if they are to remain dictators. “Power, power, said Mr. IL 11. Asquith, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, “you think you are going to get it, but you never do.” The task of dealing with G ermany to-day is the task of finding out chiefly how far the public will permit action in respect to Germany being beneficial to the German people. From the standpoint of the British peoples the conduct of the German population to the prisoners of war has been highly commendable, while the conduct of the German army was decidedly correct. While much conduct towards the Slavs and other peoples cannot be condoned, the satisfactory conduct does make it probable that insofar as British and American public reactions are concerned these will not be so averse to re-establishing Germany as they were when the war closed. On the long run Germany must be brought back into the European economy. The world has need of this highly skilled and industrious people. Europe having been turned into a shambles twice in a quarter of a century, the experience cannot be lightly forgotten. Were it possible to re-establish the German people without bringing into existence again a menace which has threatened Europe since 1870, America and Britain would probably be willing to make the experiment. But at the present time there are other matters demanding more immediate attention. Europe is starving, as is China. In Japan the situation is likely to grow worse before it gets better. The economy of the whole of the Orient has been disturbed to a degree which is not yet generally appreciated. Gigantic tasks lie ready to be attempted. The future role of the German people must wait for the time being. There must be time for thought; the public will accept no precipitate action there. The German people must now set about the task of building up their own establishments. In the British zone alone, out of about 5.500,000 houses 2,000,000 have been totally destroyed and 1,400,000 damaged. Germany must be allowed to build up these devastated areas, and in order to do this she must have tools and machinery. Can Germany be trusted not to again go Berserk in a world which may offer her even less than it did in 1918? The rights or wrongs from an idealistic standpoint may be argued, but the fa.L remains that the American and British public opinion would not countenance running any risk of Germany rearming. The implications of this attitude are not yet to be divided, but it will certainly slow down Germany’s rehabilitation. That fact, however, is something that public opinion will not as yet regard as important. In order to prevent Germany again waging war nine special industries have been selected which are forbidden to Germany. The manufacture is forbidden of heavy agricultural tractors and heavy machine tools, in addition to primary aluminium and magnesium, synthetic ammonia, ball and taper roller bearings and certain chemicals. General agreement has been reached among the Allies that Germany shall be reduced to a land of agriculture and light industries. But even a country engaged in agriculture and the light industries must import many products, and Germany cannot do this unless she can export the products of the factories that are allowed to her. These exports will comprise coal, coke, electrical equipment, leather goods, beer, wine, spirits, toys, musical instruments, and clothing. Before the war Germany’s main exports were heavy machinery and similar products. Germany’s production <jf heavy machinery will henceforth be limited to her domestic requirements. Will these permitted exports be sufficient to finance her needed imports? This is a problem which will have to be studied leading to a revision of decisions. Should Germany, operating under the limitations placed upon her, succeed in increasing her exports of unexpected products she may cause other countries greater difficulties that have not yet been perceived. To be helpful to Europp and the rest of the world the elimination of the German menace must be accompanied by the absence of any other menace to world peace. To this end the work of the Security Council of the United Nations is of the greatest importance to world recovery and the re-establishment of civilisation.