The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-15
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LIPPMAN
FROM PAGE ONE

+ha, wore united. But uley az
rivs,s. The effect Of this rivalry Is
to offer each European nation en-
couragement, opportunity, and me
means of independent ae'iun.
While the Big Three contest tne
control of Europe, the nations oi
Europe are arising to contest uie
control by the Big Three.
Tn q recent article / pointed OUT
that the probable result OF me
Anelo-Soviet duel in Germany
would not be that Germany tel
under Soviet or British control: II
would be the revival Of Germany
as a centralized state holding the
balance Of power between them.
This would be the malignant con
sequence of Big Three rivalry. IN
the liberated countries a benign,
and ever, b~eneficient, but similar
result is strongly indicated. That
is to say: they will be actors and
not merely objects in the recon-
struction of Europe. And in the
worldwide conflict of power be-
tween the Russians and the Anglo
Americans the Europeans will not
be disposed. as SO many think, to
provide the battlefields and the
mercenary troops. Their national
interests and their pride will cause
them to resist being aligned in the
Big Three conflict.
That, rather than lining up as
the brilliant second to the foreign
office, ought to be the American
position. If Il were, our European
policy would be in harmony with
the European future, and the in
fluence of the United States as a
peacemaker would be increasing
instead of diminishing.
In this connection, a correct
estimate Of European political de-
velopmente is necessary. 1t is not
easy to make it, and it is impos-
sib,e to present the evidence in a
short newspaper article. But, for
what it may be worth. l would say
that for Americans who cannot
consider the details and the varia-
tons, the first thing to note about
European politics is that the pat
tern is essentially the same in most
of the liberated countries, espe-
cially the bigger ones. 1t is that
a revolution which displaced the
former governing classes has al
occurred, and that now
there is a political struggle for
power as to how the new governing
classes are to be recruited and
directed.
We may compare Europe to a
forest which has been struck by
a violent storm. The older and
taller trees - the governing, man
aging, and leading class - have
been cut down. withered, bent,
twisted. and in large part, though
not wholly, uprooted. The new
forest is growing up through the
debris amidst which contend the
saplings, the scrubb, and the old
roots. We shall misunderstood
Europe if we concentrate our whole
attention on the new ideo1ogies.
What is much more important Is
the emergence of new men in an
old continent where the right, the
privilege and the opportunity to
rule and direct has been - by
standards-the preroga-
tive of a relatively small class. This
has been much more exclu-
sive IN Eastern Europe than in
Western Europe. But it has not
been wide open anywhere, and the
personnel were recruited
- on a basis of unequal oppor-
- from a relatively small
segment of the people.
This governing class has been
80 much decimated by death, tor
ture, and exile, and SO ~discredited
by defeat, corrupted by appease-
ment, ard compromised by collab-
oration, that it has ceased to be
the governing class. individuals
survive who have proved them
selves as aptroits. But the class it.
self coull not, did not, and ofteni
would rot. defend the nation
against its enemies: by that it lost
its title to rule.
The mas of the little people, de-
prived- Of their old leaders and
rulers, rallied around three main
centers of resistance and hope.
There were the faithful, who made
out Of resistance to Hitler a reli-
gious as well as a patriotic duty.
They became the nucleus of a
popular Catholic party. There were
the trades unionist, mainly social
democrats, who are the nucleus of
the non communist, or non-mus-
cov4te, socialist parties. And there
were the Communist cells. which
fought bravely and boldly in the
resistance, especially after 1871.
and because they were fiercely
prosecuted - acquired the legend
airy prestige of martyrdom.
These three popular parties
Catholic. Socialist, Communist -
appear to have at least three
quarters OF the people behind
them. AL OF them are by current
american or pre-war European
standards. parties of the left. They
are all advanced collectivists, and
While the Catholic party is usually
the most moderate of the three.
curIouSly enough the Comm1lnist