Evening star., 1945-01-14

Poles or Czechs will the Germans fint
defenders. Even Luxembourg will no
forgive the Reich. America is far off
but truth crosses even oceans. The fac,
of Germany is becoming clearer to tn.
Americans every day"
1t is vain for the Germans to count
on dissension among nations, he warned
I'VE will come to an understanding
Germany's crime was committed against
all and the verdict will be passed by ALL
Sees New War in Mercy.
In an article entitled "The Strategy
of Mercy" in the Russian publication
"War and the Working Class" A. Trainir
said: "The strategy of mercy is only
one of the links in the campaign for 6
lenient peace launched by the Hitlerites
and certain circles which support them
Accordingly, plea. for mercy to the
butchers is plea for a compromise
peace, a plea to leave in Germany the
| hotbed of future wars and future atroc-
! tiles g"
Andrei Gromyko, Soviet Ambassador
to the United States, also had made ii
clear that discussions about hard or
soft peace are considered academic. Ad-
| dressing the American-Soviet Friend
ship Rally last November Is at Madison
Square Garden in New York, he said
:" Would it not be better, instead of
these abstract definitions severe and
SOFT to speak of the kind of peace that
would deprive the German militarists
of the possibility of unleashing a new
war and inflicting upon the peace-loving
countries still more severe wounds?
Would it not be better to talk of the
kind of peace which Nazi Germany de-
serves and which would correspond to
the degree Of her crimes?"
Peace terms commensurate with the
degree of Nazi crimes might conceivably
call for the destruction of much of the
German state, but even the Russians
have urged no such retribution. In No.
vember, 1943, when the tide of battle
already had turned in favor of the Red
Army, Marshal Stain said:
1--WE do not pursue the aim of destroy
ing Germany, for it is impossible to de-
stroy Germany just as it is impossible
to destroy Russia -. We do not pur-
sue the aim of destroying the entire
organized military force in Germany,
for every literate person will understand
that this is not only impossible as re-
CARDS Germany, just as it is in regard
n ht1{ fc al 3y,o = IL
the point of view of the victor"
Want Peaceful Relations.
Russias intentions with respect to
postwar Germany eventually shake down
to the question of Soviet foreign policy.
Writing in the Soviet Embassy Informa-
ton Bureau few weeks ago, Col. A..
Calm listed the basic principles of Rus
sian foreign policy as including mon
intervention in the internal affairs of
other nations" ano peaceful relations
with all states irrespective of their po-
litical systems"
From the foregoing we can outline
Russia's stated aims as follows: It
wants, first of all, to agree on a long
range control program with the rest
of the Allies, for it knows that disa-
greement would wreck any program.
Within this framework. we know that
the Soviet favors the destruction, not
of the German state but of the Nazi
party and the Prussian military caste
system. 1t proposes reshufling of
social classes to eliminate the power of
the Junkers. We know, too, that Rus
sia will want great manpower repara-
tions to help rebuild its devastated lands,
and it may also demand reparations in
terms of heavy industries and essential
plants.
The Russians grant that one key OBJ
jective is the creation of a new Ger
many that is friendly to the Soviet
Union. They may point out in turn
that the United States also wants a
friendly postwar Germany, as do Britain
and other nations. after an indetermin-
ate transition period of control and re-
education.
Over and above these broad objec-
tives the Russians have gone on record
as favoring boundary readjustments of
the Reich There is no evidence to show
that they 60 along with radical pro-
posals for the dismemberment of Ger
many. 1t is known that Russia is ir-
reconciliable in its determination to
keep Eastern Poland to the Curzon line
an area wrested from the Soviet after
the last war. 1t is not deferred by the
necessity of transferring large segments
of population. It wants Poland to take
all or much of East Prussia and Silesia
from Germany and Stain has stated
his desire to see strong and independ-
ent postwar Poland.
Would End Military Caste.
Above ALL the transcending concern of
Russia is that the military caste and
Prussian aristocracy not be left intact
to wage another war of aggression
against the Soviet people and others q
few years hence. 1t Is the one point
stressed most insistently by Russian
spokesnen and writers.
'"The whole world knows that Prus-
sianism is one Of the sources of German
Fascism," said Russian Writer D. Zas-
lavsky. But Prussianism is not so much
a geographical as socio-political con-
cept. Prussianism means the domina-
ton in Germany OF definite circles-the
landed, industrial and military aristoc-
racy, the barons and counts, the big
wigs and reactionary generals. = Only
the smashing of the imperialist dens in
Germany will cut the ground from unde,
all the attempts at underground Fascist