Evening star., 1945-09-30
Breaking Up Germany
Moy Be Resisted
Commentator Sees French Idea
Opposed by Allies
BN RAYMOND koley

OPPo$u Oy 1AIIleS
BY Raymond koley
The French proposals for the western
frontiers of Germany, under discussion
hy the Council Of Foreign Ministers,
once more raise the question of the old
Freneh desire to hreak UP Germany and
to deeentxa1ize her politically and eco
nomically. France stin holds to her de-
sire to internAtinnalize the Rhineland
and Ruhr, presumably under French
management. The French proposal
does not press for . decision now,
but It's general import Il that nothing
be done to make later decentralization
impossible. That means, according to
the French, that decent1ahzed admins
tration should be continued and that
no decision to eentrali1e Germany
should be made at this time.
fhe French position b understandable
and very Old. France has been sarnpls
and direct tn her policy toward Ger
many for IS years. Her policy has been
and 10 that whatever veakens Germany
favoss French safety. The nemory Of
three great invasaons keeps that policy
alive.
The basic French idea is to set up
several genuinely independent German
states. such ~ Bavaria, Saxony, Han
over and Baden.
The opposition to this idea makes .
convincing case.
Modern Germany came into being
because economic unity became 30 ap-
parent that political unity followed -
4 matter OF course. The chief event in
this early economic unincation was tbs
Customs Union Of German States. which
went into effect in 1884. Long before
the German Empire was proclaimed In
Versailles in 1871. Germany bad grown
to be an economic unit. Every element
In economic, technologieal and cultural
life made political union inevitable.
The tact Is that modern Germany,
even with reduced industry, is inter-
dependent. The strong agricultural re-
gions of the east provide the food, while
the heavy industries Of the west provide
the iron, steel, chemicals and coal es-
sential to every part OF the nation
Since Upper silesia Is gone, ali the fuel
necessary to life must come from the
west, except for small amounts In Cen
tral Germany.
Since 50 much food production is al
ready under Polish control, moreover.
it Is still more essential that free inter-
change Of what food is left be provided
by . national transportation system.
The railroads were built up under
centralized state system. Two-thirds
Of the electricity comes from the Ruhr
and Rhtneland and Is carried through
out Germany through 4 high-tension
grill system. To break that up votld
ny In the face Of high costs and low
cred efficiency. There are also gas
pipelines and canal systems which
know no state boundaries.
4 (
Russia Is unpredictahe, but there u
every reason to believe that the Soviet
will oppose the French idea. The weak
enins Of Germany essential to Russian
safety Is gong on in Eastern Germany.
Russia needs the products Of Western
Germany, and further division there
would destroy production for export.
Britain anticipates profitable trade With
q measHrahly restored Western Europe
There seems to BE- no sentiment IN
America. oncially or unoncialy, for the
French idea
Nor is France likely to get her visa
to manage the Rhineland and Ruhr
under some international control Ths
French have No capacity for the mAn-
agen.ent Of such an Industrial system,
and mismanagement would intensity
the problem of the Americans and the
British
The ideal Is the retention Of ece-
nomic unity, with . restored federal
system tn Germany. Without federal
government, under q constitution which
strictly defines the distinction between
federal and state power, Germany can
work toward rehabilitation.
tRsiessed b, the Associated Newspapers, 1neJ