Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-09-01
Germany Threat Only as Pawn
OF Big Power, Gen. Clay Says
Economic Revival
Will Take Until
1850, He Declares
BY Yves 6oIIoeher
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.

''S'ss fS's'SN SOf6tpOnGenr.
BERLIN, Aug. Silt. Gen. Lu-
cius d. Clay, deputy military gov
ernor Of the American zone in Ger
many, estimated today that it will
take at least" until 1850 to develop
German economy to even the COM
'paratively low subsistence level
agreed on by the occupation powers,
In an interview, the tall, angular
military government chief who has
carried out the American occupa-
ton since its start, gave his views on
the first year of occupation and the
possibilities of the future.
Emphasizes Five Points.
High points of his interview in
Guided:
l. Germany no longer has any
physical war potential of it's own
and could only be threat if big
power with the industrial where
withal used it as mercenary.
2. Left completely alone to 20 its
own way without reparations, with
out occupying forces, Germany still
could not develop physical war
potential in less thar 10 years.
3. The United States Army mill
tary government, with thirds of
its personnel already civilian, could
turn over its task to a civilian agency
on moments notice.
q. During the past year there has
been no noticeable change in the
German mass mind In the way of
democracy, but I'VE have found many
examples emerging of German lead
ers truly repentant and determined
to find the democratic way"
5. Liquidation of the job of guard
ing surplus army property and the
displaced persons problem coupled
with the establishment of central
government would allow the Amer
lean Army to Withdraw the bulk of
its forces now in Germany. leaving
truly only handful" to supervise
German government g
Administrators Developed.
Gen. Clay said the most outstand-
ing thing he felt had been accomp-
lished by military government in the
past year was the development of
local government in Germany on
democratic procedures if not in
spirit"
While explaining the mass Ger
man mind has made little progress
toward education on democratic
lines, he added, I'VE have developed
a group of local administrators who
are following democratic procedures
with sincerity and enthusiasm and
they will provide a nucleus to edu-
cate the masses"
Such an education must come
from within the Germans them
selves, he said, and could not be
forced down by outside forces, no
matter Of what nation.
physically the disarmament of
Germany is complete" the general
added, lin spiritual sense it is not"
He explained that while some
estimates of Germany's industrial
strength left from the war went as
high as IS per cent, many of the
factories might be standing that
were obsolete, others were in areas
where residential destruction was
and there was no room
for workers, and there were COM
available only to sup
port fraction of production.
Because of these industrial factors,
1t would take until 1850 to develop
the industrial subsistence level the
four powers agreed on IF a central
lied government were established"
Gen. Clay said, and even under the
best of conditions the Germans, II
left completely alone. could not
restore any of their war potential
inside of 10 years.