The Wilmington morning star., 1947-12-13
What Can They Tell?
Bv ANNE O,HARE MCCORMICK

/ NV ANNE HfANL NACSO1SNAkOA
| LONDON-An interesting feature of the
Council of Foreign Ministers is the pres
ence of German reporters at the news
briefing given daily by the four dele
cations. There are ten of them, two each
from the American, French an d Soviet
zones and four from the British. Not only
are these correspondents the only repre-
sentatives of Germany at a meeting on
which the fate of their country depends:
they are the first Germans to attend an
Allied conference since the war. It took
six months of top-level discussion before
the American military government decid-
ed on this step, with the result that other
occupying authorities promptly followed
the United States initiative.
American zone reporters are Dr. Erlk
Roger of Tagespiegel, published in Berlin,
and Hilga Brockhoff, representative OF the
Dana news agency in Bad Nauheim Reg
er, veteran journalist OF pre-Nazl days,
makes daily broadcast to Germany on
the highlights of the conference.
Since American and British news agen-
cies serve newspapers in "Bizonia," the
German reporters here confine themselves
to comment, features, and background
stories and general Impressions These i'm
pressions seem to be mixed. In contrast
with their own stripped, stagnant, and iSo-
lated land, London is place of abundance,
freedom and animation. DR.. Roger says he
looks below the surface to the strain and
hardships of the people, but for Fraulein
Brockhoff, who has never been out of Ger
many before, the first plunge into COM
paratively normal world is an exciting if
somewhat painful experience. Both are a
little shy and selfconscious in the crowd
of American correspondents, but they listen
more intently and anxiously than any of
us to the reports of the arguments over
Germany batted back and forth to no end
across the conference table. They do not
appear as anxious as the Americans, how
ever, about the effect of Molotovs propa-
ganda on the German people Roger is con-
vlnced it will take more than words to
convince the population, especially of the
Soviet zone, that Russia desires German
independence
The German reporters here, hand-picked
though they are by the military govern
ments, are none the less sign of evolution
in the attitude of the occupying powers in
all zones. For the first time the momentous
debate over the future of Germany is be-
ing reported to Germans by Germans. Ger
man people will not fail to be impressed
by the fact that the first door through
which they can look into international coun-
ellis is opened to representatives of the
press. This is sure to increase their respect
for the mission and Importance of the
press.
For other observers the handful of Ger
mans here serves as a reminder that Ger
many isn't merely the paper problem 1t
often seems as the foreign ministers
wrangle over phrases in their search for
formula they can accept as basis of dis
cussion. The easiest thing of all to forget
in these conferences is that real people are
waiting outside for verdicts that the whole
lcourse of peacemaking to date operates to
postpone. Soviet tactics of delay patiently
designed to keep arguments going until de-
velopments outside decide the issue take
no account of what happens meantime to
human beings left dangling on the edge of
chaos and despair.
It is infinitely preferable that the weary
ministers at Lancaster House keep on
rather than break off their talks, but be-
hind piles of paper and the fog of words
it isn't easy to see the real Germany. This
is still truer of Austria, where all the words
have been repeated and all the figures re-
viewed to no avail. DR.. Karl Gruber, the
Austrian Foreign Minister, is still here hop
ing against hope that the last sentence on
Austria has not been spoken at this confer
ence. Deputies on the Austrian settlement
are likewise hanging about unwilling to be-
lieve their months of work are completely
fruitless.
Nobody really thinks, however, that the
| Austrian question will be reopened at this
meeting. This postponement is cruelty hard
on Austria, burdened with four armies OF
occupation four years after the hrst
Foreign Ministers meeting in Moscow
solernnly agreed to treat it as liberated
country, to be restored to independence as
soon as hostiities ceased. While some
members of the American and British dele
cations are beginning to feel that until the
big power impasse is resolved it is wiser
to keep the armies in Austria than with
draw them and expose it to the fate OF
Hungary, the Austrians chafe bitterly un-
der continued occupation and argue that
the country is being drained so rapidly I'M
der the present regime that a definition
of German assets will soon be wholly aca-
demic
| Dr Gruber points out that his govern
ment is the stablest democratically elected
administration set up in Europe since the
war. The Peoples party and the Socialists
work as team; the Communist element
remains less than 5 per cent despite pres
n1etelv reliable. But how long can this gov
ernnoent hold if people who support it are
o;ven no assurance of evacuation and
neace? How long can Austria be counted
IN to cling to its perilous position stradd1;n .
the dividing line of Europe? What can the
Foreign Minister tell his people when he
returns from sterile conferences on which
all their hopes are fixed? - New York
Times.