Evening star., 1945-06-16

any future moments. What they
have got to think about is the pres
ent. All the German problem Is,
from my viewpoint as a soldier,
divided into two parts.
The first and most important part
is that OF the emergency problem.
We should not begin worrying about
long term government and rules and
methods that we are to apply to Ger
many until we can get the critical,
emergency problem settled. This Is
going to reach its height this winter.
So, my own idea is that their future
vision should try to pierce no fur
ther than next spring, when they
can begin to plant crops in the
proper way. They are planting with
the delayed months this year. Their
future should be centered on this
next winter.
Records To Be Publicized.
@. viii records and files of Allied
operations in this theater be made
available to correspondents-fe-
cords, orders, files Of correspondence,
ETC.?
A. You are asking me a question
that I hesitate about because / am
not quite sure about the procedure.
You see, unquestionably there would
be so many passed in secret codes
that they would have to be para
phrased. I would know of no reason,
of1hand, myself. why everything that
is of an official nature-and let's say
that didn't involve personal argu-
mentS between me and another the
alter commander down in the Medi-
terranean, where We were trying to
arrange little details-anything that
is strictly official, 1t would seem to
me, should be made available to the
public within q reasonable length of
time. l cannot answer the question
specifically from the viewpoint OF
how soon you people can get the rec
ords and see what happened. l don't
know. Therefore, I would hesitate
to answer. 1t would seem to me that
they belong to the public and will
certainly eventually be made avail
able to them in all their official de-
tail.
Q.-Could you say anything at
all about the probable duration of
the occupation of Germany, and
also Of the possibility Of using the
Rhur, for example, for the assist
ance of other countries as we'll as
for Germany?
| A.-Certainly. 7 could say moth
ing on 1t except my own ideas, be-
cause I don't know what the gov
ernments are going to find it neces-
sary to do, and wise to do. Now,
while I have my own little pet
schemes for promoting and, let us
say, maintaining peace, they are
mine only and they are no better
than yours and possibly not so good.
just have those that any other citi-
zen has. Outside of that, I am the
American executive of policies that
will be laid down by the heads of
governments.
NonfraternizatiOn Discussed.
@. Have you any opinion. as
commander, whether there will be
any amelioration OF nonfraterniza-
ton, such as the British are now
letting soldiers pat children on the
head, and also your views on the
value of the franc?
A. The order to United States
troops was issued five or six DAYS be-
fore Field Marshal Montgomerys to
British forces. I had determined
long ago that the exact nonfrater-
nization orders that carried us
through the operational phases had
to be somewhat modified. To my
mind, very young child is really OF
no nationality. A person achieves
his nationalistic bent, let us say.
through education or propaganda,
but he achieves 1t after he is be-
yond, let's say, the age OF mere
childhood
Therefore, from that viewpoint. 1t
would be better. as / see it. to place
before them an example of kindli-
ness and ordinary human feelings
than 1t Is to pretend that you can
make the American, British or
French soldiers kick children around
That would be just impossible, any
way, and I. for one. certainly would
not want 1t. So that order was
merely held up in its issue while we
examined its language very, very
carefully. because you have some
people in the world who are ex-
tremists and, particularly, the fur
ther away they are from the scene,
they think they can solve the prob
lem with greater facility. So it
was held up in order to get the
thing clear and unmistakable, but
so worded that 1t did not appear
that, because I wanted to allay nom
determination in respect to children,
at the same time I wanted to free
Goering or to give him banquet.
Exchange Is Problem.
With respect to the 2-cent
franc, don't know anything about
it. I am not an economist I should
say again, 1t is problem for the
governments to solve. There are
greater issues involved here, if I
have any inkling of international
finance. There are greater issues
involved than as to whether a
soldier can buy champagne at a
low rate, or any other thing he
wants. than at a high rate. Both
armies, American and British, are
bringing every possible thing into
this country to give their soldiers
entertainment, recreational facil-
tiles and every kind of social life
that We can so they don't have to
spend their money here. Still, the
soldier wants to spend his money
here. How could you help having
high prices here? Just the mere re-
valuation Of the franc will not help.
There are no goods here to sell.
This country has been blockaded
1t needs everything it has got, so
there is bound to be high prices.
1 have very definite views on it.
doubt whether just the mere
shiffinu of tho value of tho fror,c