Evening star., 1944-07-23
Big Three Must Solve
Many Peace Problems
End of War Will Necessitate
Cooperation of Leaders
BIZ Ot1en L. Scott.

~ OtDen l.. Scott.
Roosevelt t-Churchill-Stalin now are
firmly up against the problem OF de-
Gliding the fate Of Germany. They must
fix the terms of any armistice. arrange
for occupation, decide upon the COM
position of any interim government Of
German territory.
All basic questions Of strategy In the
European war have been determined.
1t Is only q matter of months before
that strategy yields a surrender. This
means that the issues that hereafter
will concern the big Three" are issues
Of politics, diplomacy and economics.
These issues are to prove more dificult
than those Of military strategy which
always simmered down to a simple
question of what the generals and ad-
mirals decided could be done. That was
q problem in engineering.
Today's problem. the one with which
Roosevelt for the United States, Church.
i'll for Great Britain and Stain for
Russia, now must deal Is more a prob
lem Of attitudes than Of mathematics.
1t is an urgent problem because Russia
soon may be in possession of German
territory and may establish a pattern Of
rule, If there is no previous agreement,
that could differ from that favored by
this country and Great Britain.
So far as attitudes are disclosed, the
outlook for Germany Is about the one
that follows:
This country and Great Britain ap-
pear not to favor a violent revolution
within Germany. They prefer to retain
| political control in the hands of indus
trlalists, f1nanciers and other property
holding groups. This attitude was dis
closed clearly in Italy where the British
sent in men to run the military govern
ment who came from the top layer of
Brltain's finance and industry.
| The British cannot afford to break
their ties with the commercial interests
OF Europe. Russia, on the othar hand,
Is inclined to take a ruthless attitude
toward the men in German industry
and finance who did so much to back up
Hitler Many might be nquidated, If
Russia had her way.
| *+4
There then is the question of occupa-
tlon OF Germany. 1t is taken for grant,
ed that the whole of that nation is to
be subjected to military occupation.
on the basis of tentative agreement.
Russia Is to occupy the eastern part of
Germany, England the western and the
united States the southern part. AS
yet however, there is no agreement upon
overall policy that will prevail in the
occupied. areas or upon the division of
authority In the top occupation COM
mand. A decision has to be reached
upon these points.
Both Britain and Russia have reason
to ask for how long a period American
troops will be available for internal
policing OF Germany. The urge after this
war, as after the last one, will be to get
Americans home, 50 Churchill and
Stain will want assurances ON this
point
| A basic difference of opinion between
Roosevelt-Churchill on one side and
Stain on the other arises at this point.
too.
| Britain, in particular. is dependent
economically upon a strong postwar
Europe. Yet, if Germany is weakened
TOO much In the center of Europe, the
whole continent will feel that fact IN
| loss OF markets, unemployment. finan-
clal trouble. AS result, it is not to the
| British interest to reduce GERMANY to a
| permanent level of economic weakness
RUSSIA, on othe other hand, desires to
| 90 everything possible to weaken the
postwar Germany. She fears that the
Germans. II given chance. at once will
start to prepare for another war against
| the Russians.
1t may be that differences on tbi,
point can be reconciled by agreement on
partition of Germany to weaken her bv
| removing control of the postwar German
government over large number of Ger
mans. Hitler brought together about
oo'ooo,o0O Germans or German-spea akinp
| peoples. The idea apparently is to whit
tie down that number to around so .o00-
ooo or less for postwar Germany proper.
Poland is being promised East Prussia.
the territory in which German Junkers
nave their estates. Austria already has
oeen promised independence. When
FRANCES Gen. Charles de Gaulle was in
washington, he intimated that French
desires and has been promised long,
tlme occupation and virtual possession
OF the German Rhineland with its large
population and heavy industry. Other
pieces OF Germany may be Clipped off
mere and there Russia would favor a
complete breakup of Germany into a
group of small states.
| yet a Germany broken up into pieces.
or even whitfield down, would be a sullen
| Germany and not prosperous one. It Is
only reasonable to expect that Germans
IN industrial areas would engage in an
other long drawn out showdown strike of
the kind they carried out when France
occupied the Rhineland after the last
war. Russia would not be concerned bv
development of this kind. but Brita in
would be. In fact, Russia is ready to in
slst That an important segment of Ger
man industry and segment of German
popuiation be devoted to work in post
war years to help rebuild Russian in
oustry and Russian cities that Germans
| destroyed.
Roosevelt-Churchill, however, cannot
accept large reparations from Germany
IN the form of goods without taking
markets from American and British in
oustry' Also, II Germany it to be work.