Evening star., 1944-09-24


duced no real talent. She deteriorated
until Hitler came to power.
The Fuehrer and his gang snuffed out
the last vestiges Of an honorable civiliza-
ton which had existed for hundreds Of
years In the kingdoms and small prin-
eipalities in the German territory. He
subjected all activities and all thought
to what he described as the interest Of
the state. Instead Of following the free
flow Of thought which had made their
predecessors great, writer's, poets and
artists now had to follow the rigid Nazi
pattern or 60 to q concentration camp.
Divided Germany Considered.
Regardless of how much the German
people may have been "indoctrinated" in
the last II years, they may consider
themselves fortunate if the main
punishment" inflicted on them will be
the revival Of the small units which
may not have given them much military
glory-except in the case of Prussia
but certainly permitted them to develop
intellectually within the narrow confines
of their native states.
The idea Of splitting Germany up into
a number Of republics of various sizes
is strongly in the minds OF the Allies at
this time. But there is a strong
divergence Of opinion as to whether
sections of the Reich shall be annexed
by the Allies because of strategic
requirements. Many American observers
feel that these should exist.
With Italy out of the running as
military power, Germany split into its
component parts, France seeking to
straighten out complex internal pic
ture and Britain keenly interested in the
preservation of at least some parts of
her extended empire there can be little
chance that any of the European ma
tions will be ready to resume a war of
aggression if the peace terms are such
that they will feel they have not been
made the pawn Of power politics.
In this both the United States and
mind. Russia, however, has given indi-
cations that she is still concerned over
a possible aggression against her and
from available indications from Moscow
she desires to annex in some form or
another sections of Germany which are
inhabited 100 per cent by German ma
tionals. We already have had a strong
hint from the Soviet capital that East
Prussia, with its capital, sKonigsberg,
will have to be taken over by the U. S. S.
r. in order to afford an adequate naval
base for Russian naval and air power in
the Baltic.
Moreover, we have been told in so
many words that Pomerania, with her
two important cities, Stettin and Bres-
lau, both about 80 per cent inhabited by
Germans, win have to be given to Po-
land ruled by government friendly to
Russia In compensation for territories
Poland will be compelled to yield in the
east. The Polish government in exile is
opposed to this grant, since it realizes
what insoluble problems are involved
in dealing with lands inhabited by over
whelming minorities.
Governments Stimulate Wars.
The people in these areas, of course,
will be cowed at first. They will be too
afraid to resist any authority imposed
on them. But the feeling of fear does
not last long in the countries of Eastern
Europe, which for hundreds Of years
have been fighting to maintain their ma
tionality.
Friendships and enmities between ma
tiohs are seldom the result of hatred Of
the masses. They are carefully prepared
and exploited by the governments in
power. In the past the underlying
causes Of wars have been a desire for
loot. This was coated in appealing
forms, such as the defense of christian
ity-which produced most of the wars
between Turkey and Russia-or the de-
tense Of the weaker nations against the
greed Of the stronger nations, as was
the case in 1914 when Russia jumped
to the defense of Serbia and Britain
rushed to assist Belgium. In 1899 it
was poor, helpless Poland which was the
object of protection of one group Of
world powers.
Such incidents inevitably will recur
and produce the same results unless the
men who have 1t in their hands to en-
force peace based on justice are de-
termined to do so. In previous major
European wars. all the European nations
involved had one thought in mind when
the fighting was over-either to acquire
new territories or new zones Of influence,
which eventually are challenged by those
on the losing side.
The United States, which is fortunate
enough not to need any new territories
for the sake of economic explorations,
is peace loving and ideaistic We in
jected ourselves into the European
squabbles in 1917, but President Wilson
was not able to convince our partners
that his IA points offered solution for
lasting peace. Even then the Euro
peU powers were more interested in
the prof1ts-as negligible as they proved
to be-than in what they frequently de-
scribed as lofty theology.
Once more we have found ourselves
compelled to participate in Europe's
wars with more power than ever before.
Prior to entering the conflict President
Roosevelt attempted to make sure that
the peace following the war would offer
the foundations of lasting peace. His
and Mr.. Churchill's ideals were en-
bodied in the Atlantic Charter, which
none of the leaders of the big three
even bothers to mention these days
except as casual reference for domestic
purposes.
But the charter does contain the
grains of peace which, after the pas
sions of war have been calmed. could