The Wilmington morning star., 1944-09-19

us here at home pause and reflect
before we line up, dig in, and
start throwing brickbats at one
another about how the Germans
should be treated. We do not know
who the Germans will be that come
forward as the army, the Gestapo,
and the organization of the Ger
man national states fall apart I'm.
der the blows of the Allies.
Until the character and the pur-
poses OF these post = war Germans
have become manifest, no final de-
cisions can be reached on such
questions as whether Germany
should be partitioned or decentra-
lized, on whether the German ma
ton is to be regarded as a liber-
ated or as conquered people.
The one thing we must avoid
like the pest is the assumption that
ours is the responsibility and the
power in determining what h e
post war Germans are to be. Per-
haps I do here an injustice, t
as 1 read what is written by Miss
Dorothy Thompson, I get the i'm
preston that she thinks it will be
our fault, especially Mr.. Church
ills and Mr.. Roosevelt's. if there
is not a strong, brave, freedom
loving democratic movement in
Germany. Their terms are too
harsh. They demand unconditional
surrender, and they make no prom
Use that the German Reich is to
emerge intact after it's attempt to
conquer Europe.
Now say that this argument
puts things upside down. 1t is be-
cause there is no evidence yet that
there is a strong, brave, freedom
loving democratic movement in
Germany, that so many serious
people are driven to contemplate
the extremely difficult projects Of
a drastic peace. If the Germans
were fighting for freedom, Miss
Thompson would not have to argue
with Lord Vansittart. The n w s
reporters would settle the argu-
ment for her. The difference be.
tween their views is that Lord
Vansittart says that as a matter of
fact he sees no signs of an effective
German democratic movement.
whereas Miss Thompson feels sure
that, signs or no signs, the demo-
cratic movement exists, but that
we are too stupid to see it, too
prejudiced to encourage it, and so
benighted that we are throttling
the tender elusive little thing.
I am sure that almost every one
would be greatly impressed and in
fluenced by a German democracy
fighting for freedom. That there
have been many Germans who
have fought for freedom, and paid
for it with their lives, is certain.
But when we see how the Poles
and the French organized under
ground, and resisted and defied the
Gestapo, have we not the right to
ask where is the comparable Ger
man resistance movement?
AT the time the generals rebelled
last July there was no German
popular movement. Is it reasonable
t otell us that the generals were
ready to accept our terms but that
the people had not organized ma
tlonal resistance to Hitler because
they thought our terms were too
severe?
The crux Of the German prob
lem is the absence of effective
German popular resistance to
Nazism, militarism and pan Ger
manism. If it had existed, if there
had been a German democracy,
there would not have been Hitler.
Because as yet there are no reli-
able signs that a German democ-
racy is coming forward, we are
driven as a mighty poor second
best to consider all the measures
which no one in his senses likes
amy better than MiBs Dorothy
Thompson likes them.
The military government Of O.
country like Germany, the prolong-