Evening star., 1947-03-03
Sins Of YoItu, Potsdom
Need Correction Now

| Need Correction Now
Allies Seen Required to Make
Adjustments Now at Great Cost
By Dapid laurence
The sins OF the Yalta and Potsdam
Conferences. only now are beginning to
be visible clearly to the naked eve.
| The whole world Is in critical stu.
alton because the United States was
unable or unwilling during the war to
make the right kind Of agreements with
Russia and with other nations as to what
was to be done after the war.
The clamor to destroy or dismember
Germany was loud because the spirit of
revenge and the atmosphere of war were
uppermost. Little was it realized in
l945 that the Yalta plan for dividing
Germany merely meant economic chaos
| and disintegration and hence a period
OF famine and poverty for men, women
and children which America, with her
humane instincts, was not likely to
ignore.
But even if America were disposed To
allow the German people to suffer, little.
thought was given to the possibility that
an Underground resistance would start
cut OF sheer desperation and that armies
OF occupation, paid for by American and
British taxpayers, would be needed in.
definitely.
Inc whole chaotic situation of Europe
today could have been foreseen. This
correspondent and others, as well as
public men familiar with the aftermath
OF World War I, spoke their warnings.
But the attitude toward what was done
at Yalta and later at Potsdam was one of
lndinerence generally. Now America
faces bigger bill and bigger problem.
Further Aggression Remote.
Germany, 1t appears now from the
report OF former President Hoover "a
IN terrible plight and anything like
a return of aggression Is remote If not
wholly fanciful. German industry has
been destroyed to the point where the
nation cannot Immediately make this
things 1t needs for survival. From thu
outside world now relief plan will be
organized or else the people of Germany
Will be crowding into other lands nearby
and creating more problems for France
ana neighboring countries.
Also disintegration of Germany and
Austria means that continental Europe
Will remain unsettled for a long time
to come. The Balkans will be adversely
affected and Britain's chance for some
KIND OF commercial relationship with
the continent, to enable her trade to
survive, will be seriously threatened.
All OF Europe needs economic rehabil-
ltation. America is expected now to help
out, but 1t would have been far less ex-
pensive If the problems of reparation
and the unification of Germany as an
economic nation had been better handled
In l945 when the Na1 armies were
beaten into surrender.
Nearly two years have gone by and
the situation has drifted from bad to
worse. All the theories about what should
be done to punish Germany have beer,
expressed, but 1t Is condition and not
a theory which faces America and the
world today. This means q burden on
British and American taxpayers already
weighed down by the heaviest debts In
history.
1t is fortunate that the coming Moscow
Conference Is to discuss treaties for the
settlement of German questions. Russia
+ Will have to be more realistic about
the fate of Germany, too. For II the
German people are not fed, they will not
be easy to police. Russia cannot afford
to maintain armies in country which Is
without food. There always is the danger
that the Russian armies may become
breeders of discomfort that will reflect
itself inside the Stain regime.
Britain Leaving Middle East.
The whole world situation is danger
ously critical. Great Britain is pulling
out OF the Near East and is passing the
buck to America to bolster up Greece
and that area of the world where 1t is
believed Russia wants to extend her
domination.
With Britain in difficult financial and
economic straits, America must decide
whether she is willing to let Russia take
over in all of Europe and what this
aAAPAiSo toh pllC Vi GIlc
States both in political and economic
sense. =
These are grave moments In history.
The presence of Gen. George C. Mar
shall in the post of Secretary OF State Is
lucky. For he sees straight. He has no
political or theological handicaps. When
he finds it necessary to speak out and
tell the American people what has to
be done, his words will carry weight.
The answer is not to be found, Is
had been supposed, in the United Ma
tions-at least not yet. For that organ
ization is hardly on its feet and Is, OF
course, no stronger than the three major
powers who support it-Russia, Britain
and the United States.
It. was easy to run along and take .
superficial look at the Yalta and Pots
dam agreements as most people did-but
the mistakes of those conferences are
coming home to roost. What was left
unsettled and unavoidable then must be
settled and made workable now-and at
heavier expense-M there is ever to be
any economic stability in the world.
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Glass Distinctions?
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