The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-04-27
Victor and Vanquished
Washington Post)


 Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery has issued an order to his troops forbidding them under any circumstances to fraternize with the German people After warning that it impossible at this stage for them to distinguish between bad Germans and good ones the order continues:
 In streets houses, cafes, cnemas etc, you
 must keep clear of Germans, man, woman and
 child, unless you meet them in the course of
 duty You must not walk out with them,
 shake hands or visit their homes, or make
 them gifts or take gifts from them. You must
 not play games with them or share any social
 event with them. You will have to re-
 member that these the same Germans who
 a short time ago were boasting what they, as
 the master race, would do to you as their
 slaves who appauding the utter disre-
 gard by their leaders of any form of decency
 or of honorable dealings, the same Germans
 whose brothers, sons and fathers were c>rrying
 system of mass murder and torture o1
 defenseless civilians. You will have to re-
 member that these same Germans are planning
 to make fools of you again and to escape the
 oathing which their actions deserve -. Be
 just. Be firm. Be correct Give orders and
 don't argue.
 Sir Bernard admits that ito refrain from fra ternzation is not easy Indeed, this is pretty well illustrated by the story that Sir Bernard himself, after his great victory at Fl Alamein, invited the captured General von Thoma to dine his quarters. There was indignation in Britain about that at the time and is probable that Sir Bernards present order reflects the general attitude of his countrymen who have suffered so cruelty from wanton German warfare against civilians.
 Nevertheless it occurs to us that the attitude of icv rigidty that he now prescrbes for his men is likely to make the Allied administration of Germany more difficult rather than easier. If there is any where in Germany any genuine good will toward the British and Americans, any sincere desire among a part of them to work out modus vivendi with the conuuerors this attitude likely to destroy it. If as Sir Bernard suggests. Nazism is preparing to take the form of underground resistance move ment this attitude seems well calculated to play into it's hands.
 The problem of the administration and govern ment of conquered Germany is shaping up as one of the great headaches of the immediate future At this point one thing appears certain: that country of 90 million people can be effectively governed without the cooperation of very large number of them The failure of the Germans themselves to recognize this rather obvious truth in the countries they themselves occupied is among the principal reasons for the great disaster which has overtaken them Let us take Italy warning: in that country the present chaos in administration is in part trace able to our extreme purge policy in the working branches, of administration. Cooperation must have from some Germans If the Allied administration proceeds on the principle that every individual Ger man. including even children and perhaps the gen. eration not yet born is equally responsible for the crimes Of the Nazis, the German army and the Cestapo then it would seem that the problem cannot be solved at all.