The midland journal., 1946-11-08
School Plant Hit
Hard BY War

This is only one facet of the prob
lem with which the educators who
must guide German education will
have to deal. There are a great
many physical difficulties, too. In
the first place, there is a dearth of
buildings, of teachers, of equipment.
Many of the school buildings
are rubble. Many have been
requisitiOned for various uses
by the military government. In
the winter there is the question
Of heat-this winter probably
will be one of the w0rst-and
this is one of the most difficult
problems to overcome because
of the shortage of coal in the
American zone.
AS to teachers, more than one
half of the Germans were dismissed
because of their participation in the
Nazi setup.
There are few books. There is a
paper shortage because there is no
machinery to make paper. There
is no machinery because there is no
steel. There is no steel because
there is no coal. And so the vicious
circle continues, affecting the whole
question of supply and equipment.
There are, on the other hand,
some things on the credit side. For
instance, the fact that the Germans
have an inborn respect for learning
and after a generation behind the
''iron curtain" they are literally
starving for information concern
ing the rest of the world. I can
testify to. this from my own con-
versations with a number of the
young people, as well as the older
ones, who had had at least glim-
mering of the world before Goeb-
bells.
It is generally admitted that the
first two objectives of the occupa-
ton forces have been realized more
fully in the American zone than any
where else. I refer to denazification
and denlilitarization. These are i'm
portant but negative. On the positive
side, characterization lags. We
know very little about what is hap
pening in the Russian zone but a ma
ton that has progressed as far in
moulding the minds of it's own peo-
pie, undoubtedly Is not neglecting
its efforts in Germany. We know
that despite the terrible conditions
in Russia arrangements already
have been made for students from
the Russian occupied countries to
take courses in the Russian univer-
sites.
The recommendation out
lined i'm the missions report in
clude similar projects for the
future, as well as various other
steps extending beyond the
schools themselves and 0perat-
ing through the parents and
teachers organizations and other
groups. There is no intention to
superimpOse upon the Germans
any system against their will. So
far there has been excellent CO.
operation and educational circles
in Germany are enthusiastic
about the steps already taken.
They hope that trained educa-
tors will come to Germany; they
would be only too glad to send
their people to this country for
instruction. They may not know
what democracy is but there is
plenty of evidence that they
want to find out.
Presumably the report as for
warded to the secretary of state will
receive his approval, and congress
will have the opportunity to pass
upon the whole program but, as the
report concludes: ''The development
of this program is not the response
bility of the government alone.
Equally, if not more, important is
the intelligent backing Of the
American people in the reorienta-
ton of the German people. We have
committed ourselves to a program
In which education plays critical
role. There must therefore be no
turning back in our support of that
program so vital to the enduring
peace of the world"