Evening star., 1947-01-11
Letters to The Star
Calls for Realistic Dealing With
All German People
no theEditor ef The Star:

All German People
To theEditor CT The Star:
Much Is being said OF Germany these
days and little OF it is good. We hear
far more of what was wrong with the
Nazi regime than how 1t could have
been prevented. We accept the glory of
defeating those evils but seldom claim
credit" for our part in bringing them
about. We are reluctant to put on
shoe that fits too well. We choose to
look around the Treaty of Versailles,
overlook our appeasement at Munich
and now vote down an investigation of
the occupational force lest we lose face.
Are We ashamed of the truth? Do we
really want answers to the problems in
Germany? Mrs. Roosevelt warns that
we should listen to no Germans, partic-
ularly Pastor Martin Niemoeller who
suffered because he saw fit to take a
stand against Der Fuehrer. On the sur
face, this seems to be narrow-minded
approach to subject that will require
all Of the light which can be thrown
upon it.
General Patton was condemned fo1'
comparing Nazis and nonNazis with
Democrats and Republicans, when he
probably never was closer to the truth
in his life. Aside from the displaced
persons, there are three distinct groups
in Germany today-the Nazis, the non-
Nazis, and remnants Of that little band
of heroes who conscientiously resisted
Hitler and all that he represented. The
non-Nazis generally are accepted to be
just what the name implies but actually
they were potential Nazis who had not
made the grade, not by choice but
through their own shortcomings. If we
eliminate the first Two groups, who is
to receive the blessing of this "democ-
racy" which we seemingly are intent to
bestow in the American zone? Obvi-
ously, little resembling governing po-
tential will remain to promulgate, much
less sustain, such political monstrosity
after the Nazis and non-Nazis have
been disqualified. We abhor such situa-
tions as those in Mississippi where but
Is percent of the potential voters par
ticipate, and yet we propose a similar
evil for Germany, broken land of rub
BILE that hardly knows whether it is
coming or going. But We only lull our
selves into false sense of security with
such folly. Practically every one who was
any one in Germany in the past Is
years was Nazi-the brains. the in
fiuence. the property. Attempt to ex-
clude this comparatively prosperous ma
jority from any longer-rapge program is
idiotic.
Even now. we are getting the Versailles
treaty into operation again. looping
off big chunk of Eastern Germany
We learn from history that Germany
frequently is inclined to fight, but from
that same history we refuse to learn
that the intellectually strong seldom re-
main long under any occupation. Very
little rummaging through the Reich is
required to discover that the Germans
are not mental midgets. A land SO
fertile for revolt can live in peace If
shown the way; but, so far, we have
stressed vengeance, the unhappy trait
with which the Germans already are
too well acquainted.
Our program for Germany, if indeed
we have one, lacks the ingenuity and
aggressiveness which marked our VIC
tory. The answer lies in the education
OF the whole rather than the punish
ment of the majority. This is no job
for teen-agers. It will require far more
understanding, patience and genuine
effort than has been Forthcoming to
date. No one condones Nazi brutality
or the hostile inclinations of the Ger
mans, but these people do not need to
be shown the bitter fruits of war
they have harvested bumper crop of
such fruit and must live in the midst
of it. They need to be shown the bless
ings of peace, not the few but the
many. 1t is the adolescent and future
generations that need particular atten-
ton. The youngsters have known
nothing but Hitlerism. the unborn have
seen no war They should not be con-
fronted with Versailles Treaty which,
in time, they may feel must be recti-
fed.
. Our task in Germany is to lay the
groundwork for peace, not to kindle
hatred ito culminate in another war
The task is to deal with Germany as
whole, utilizing the best that 1t can
offer so long as it. remains the best
Under close surveillance, it must be
guided down the straight and narrow
path to civilization that will be cher
ished because it is full and peaceful
not risked because it is inadequate.
This cannot be accomplished with a
few planes, few recon cars and
handful of schoolboys. The recent
headline, Amnesty for the Little Nazis,"
gave hope that the truth had begun to
assert itself-the so-called outcasts are
people that must be dealt with; there
are too many of them to be ignored.
Whenever we arrive at four by placing
two and two together. perhaps there
will be peace in our time.
DISCOURAGED DOUGHFoOT.
'Slasher' of Yesteryear Recalled
To the Editor of The Star: