The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-18
Germans Blame Germans

Although the results of an extraordinary
poll conducted by Allied officers in a small
district of Germany have been given some
attention by the press, they seem to justify
additional emphasis here
| Only 100 persons, all Germans, were in.
terrogated. The outcome, therefore, cannot be
supposed to represent the attitude OF the Ger
man mass. 1t does, however, show that the
old universal fear of speaking plainly, the
complete subserviance of the German people
to the Nazi Party and the Prussian Army
leaders, no longer prevails. Germans are be-
ginning to think for themselves. At least 100
for themselves
Details of the poll have been sent by wire
less to the New York Times by James Mac
Donald, with the British Second Army west
Of the Rhine. Mr.. Macdonald has done such
good job in condensing the outcome, we
are quoting from his dispatch: The majority
blamed the Nazi party leaders for bringing
about this war and held them responsible
for all atrocities. The majority also was con-
WINGED that the conflict would end in Allied
victory.
OF total Of 1875 persons who answered the
question whether they thought the Germans
should have the same right to food and cloth
ing, etc. from the Allies after the war as
the people of France, Belgium, the Neither
lands Poland and other countries overrun by
Adolf Hitler's armies; sxty-five declared that
they did and seventy said they did not. Others
did not answer at all.
lone hundred and forty thought the war
would finish in an Allied victory. One hun
dred and seventeen replied to the question
whether they thought the war was being pro-
longed for the good Of Germany or for the
good of the Nazi leaders. Only two thought
that prolongation was for the good OF Ger
many and lis felt that the Nazi leaders were
prolonging it for their own good.
Zone hundred and Twenty-Five blamed the
Nazi leaders for bringing about the war,
twenty blamed the German Army High Com
mand; one blamed the German people as a
whole and one blamed the Allies.
Seventy-three answered affirmatively and
twenty-three negatively when asked if they
thought the Germans had perpetrated atroci-
ties in occupied countries. Nine people held
the High Command responsible for the atroc-
ties.
Zone hundred and seventeen persons sub
mitted replies to the question of who ought
to sit in judgment Of the perpetrators of
arocities. Fifty-one favored an international
court that would include German representa-
tives; thirty-one thought atrocity trials should
be held in whatever country hey were COM
mitted; thiry-four favored International court
without German representatives and only one
thought the trials should be conducted by a
purely German court"
1t is reasonable to wonder what would hap
pen if the general results of this inquiry
should prevail generally throughout Germany
and the people decided to force the Army
to quit fighting, who what ground could
represent them in negotiating peace with
the conquering Allies? The United Nations
have made it very clear they will have moth
ing to do with Hitler, if hit still possesses
any influence with the ruling classes or with
the Nazls. Nothing less than unconditional
surrender would gain Allied approval. This
has been said with the full authority of the
Big Three time and again.
Presumably this could be forced only upon
the High Command Of the German armed
forces, and it is questionable if the powerful
gestapo, which seems to hold greatest power
in the Reich, would be party to any deal
ings between the High Command and the
Allies. More likely, Himmler's group would
purge the High Command and take over to
continue the war its own initiative.
Agreeing that Germany must be militarily
defeated SO that its war-makers cannot hope
to start another conflict for many years to
come the only term offered by the United
Nations for ending the present war-uncondi-
tional neutrality-suspicious. is complicat-
ing the situation and tends to prolong the
war and cause unnecessarily heavy losses in
the Allied armies.
Cut Own Salary