Evening star., 1944-09-24
Subdividing Of Germany
Held One Path to Peace
Greatest Scholarship and Art Attained Before
Bismarck United Small States and Kingdoms
Into Empire Which Sought World Rule
By Constantine Broun.


the world began that hate breeds hate
and murder breeds murder. We are
now on the threshold of another era
In history. Whether it will answer our
most frantic hopes that for some time
at least violence and war will be done
away with depends to great extent on
the wisdom of the statesmen who will
preside at the armistice table and
pave the way for peace conference.
At this time it Is too early to fore
see whether they will endeavor, for
the first time In history, to establish
q peace without rancor and hatred or
will follow the old pattern and attempt
to obtain temporary territorial eco
nomic and financial gains.
We came very close to having a real
peace after the World War when Presi-
dent Wilson's ideology of a peace with
out territorial aggrandizements and war
indemnities was accepted by our Allies.
Unfortunately. after the war was won
our associates kept their pledge only
in form and not in substance.
Annexations of the foes territories
were called mandates and the indem-
mites they were required to pay-but
never did-were labeled reparations.
Both led to another political orienta-
ton among the nations of the world
and eventually brought about the pres
ent war, more costly and more de-
structive than any other previous war.
Picture MT Ton Ro~v
While the future peace depends
largely on how strongly the American
Government will insist on a construc-
tive peace in which the sovereignty of
all nations which suffered from ag-
gression should be restored and in
IDENTITIES of all kinds should be avoided,
the picture Is not particularly rosy
at the moment. America, which is
emerging from this war as the strong
est power in the world both as a mill
tary and an economic factor, can at
this eleventh hour still assert herself
If our leaders overlook personal deals
and commitments and consider only
the interests Of the hundreds of mil
lions Of people who under certain con-
ditions would be willing to forget old
animosities and hatred and Cooperate
with each other.
OF course, 1t is difncult to obtain
a clear-cut formula at a time when
passions are at q high pitch and the
harshness Of our enemies Is still clear
in the minds of every one But those
who are studying the pattern OF the
postwar world believe that a good
beginning could be made If the big
three showed their desire to live up
to their pledge which provides that
they viii not seek territorial ageran.
dizement and will restore the inde-
pendence and sovereignty of all nations,
big and small.
There seems to be no argument
among al thinking people that Ger
many, As it has been since 1871, must
cease to exist. The splitting of the
Reich into its component parts can
bring no hardship to any one, including
the peoples Of that country.
Danger Followed Unification.
The Germany Of Goethe, Schiller.
Heine, Bach. Handel, Schopenhouer,
Kant and Hans Holbein was not the
Germany of empire days. The German
philosophers, poets, artists, musicians
and painters thrived when the country
was composed of a number Of kingdoms
and principalities. The rulers some
times were more proud of having an
intellectual court protecting and assist
ing nonmilitary talent than of having
armies.
The Reich became a danger to all its
neighbors and to the world only after
its uniflcation by Prince Bismarck fol-
lowing the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
From that time on united Germany had
visions Of dominating and domineering
world power. She wanted a colonial
empire and when this failed she wanted
to expand to the east and to the west.
She came up against the old British
Empire whose existence since the days
OF Queen Elizabeth was predicated on
colonies and overseas possessions. She
came in conflict with Russia, whose
lands in the west and particularly in the
Ukraine she coveted.
In the days Of the two Emperors
Wilhelm Germany enjoyed more prestige
than at any other time in her history,
but those who have known that country
well admit that thi( newly acquired