Evening star., 1944-09-30
Morgen'hau Proposal
To Strip Reich Hit by
Senator, Technicians

Senator, Technicians
In the wake of President Roose-
velt's announcement that he had
ordered studies speeded up on
methods ito control Germany's
power and capacity to make war
in the future" criticism came from
two directions on Secretary of the
Treasury Morgenthau's reported pro-
posal that Germany be stripped of
all industry and reduced to an agri-
cultural state.
Senator johnson, Democrat. of
Colorado said the Morgenthau plan
would cost the Allies "a frightful
loss of life" declaring that before
its announcement "the Germans
were surrendering in droves; now
they are fighting like demons"
At the same time. a joint state
ment by the presidents of five ma
tional technical associations called
the Morgenthau plan "indefensible"
because of the destruction it would
entail, and said that specifically,
the fundamental fallacy of the pro-
posal for the indiscriminate de-
struction Of the German industrial
system is that it fails to differentiate
between the wartime and peacetime
economy OF the Reich"
Wants Something more Realistic"
Senator johnson, proposing his
own plan for dealing with Germany,
said the announcement of the
poorly conceived" Morgenthau pro-
posal has played directly into the
bloody purposes of Hitler and Goeb-
bels. The time has come for
something more realistic than
blunt demand for unconditional sur
render"
His plan includes:
The 1882 German borders to be
guaranteed except for East Prussia,
German population to be moved
from East Prussia. Czeclloslovakia,
Poland and the Baltic States.
Not to exceed $4,000 Germans ac-
cused Of war crimes to be turned
over to the Allies.
Germany to be completely dis
armed and forever remain so ex-
cept for necessary side arms for
local police: military training and
the production of military material
to be prohibited
Russia, Britain, and the United
States each to be permitted to
maintain in Germany not to exceed
100 intelligence officers as observers.
Permission for Germany to adopc
and maintain government of her
own choosing, except that she shall
not limit or abridge freedom of
religion, speech or press.
Military occupation Of Germany
by Russia. Britain and the United
States if any two of them determine
there has been violation Of the
foregoing.
Favor Control Of Industry.
The five organization presidents
who joined in criticism of the Nor
genthau plan-and also outlined
their own ideas-were Malcolm Pr
ME, American Society of Civil En-
gineers; Chester A. Fulton. Ameri-
can Institute OF Mining and Metal
| lurgical Engineers: Robert M Gates,
American Society of Mechanical En-
| gineers; Charles A. Powell. American
| Institute Of Electrical Engineers;
George G Brown. American Insti-
tute Of Chemical Engineers.
They called for a 'selective re-
striction and control of German in
dustry," rather than 'indiscriminate
| destruction"
"Germany's capacity to make war
would be eliminated" they said, by
the elimination of all synthetic oil
capacity. IS per cent of the syn
thetic nitrogen capacity and so per
cent of steelmaking capacity in
plants most capable of producing
| essential war materials. Concur
rently they advocated controls on
imports OF strategic materials.
Urge 50-Year Disarmament.
They urged also that German in
dustry be turned. in large part, to
the production of restitution ma
terialS" for war damaged countries.
and that she be disarmed for so
years.
The studies on postwar control an
nounced by the President are being
made by the Foreign Economic Ad-
ministration, and the letter to FEA
Administrator Leo T. Crowley dis
closing this program yesterday said
specifically they are to be carried
out under the guidance of the
State Department.
This was interpreted at first as
possibly settling the rumored cabi-
net committee dispute between Sec
retary Morgenthau on the one hand
and Secretaries Hull and Stimson
on the other. although it was said
authoritatively later that this in
terpretation was not intended by the
President.
The President. at his news con-
ference yesterday, discounted stories
of the disagreement which was said
to have stemmed from the objections
of Secretaries Hull and Stimson to
the Morgenthau plan for dealing
with Cermapr