Evening star., 1948-06-07
Agreement on Reich
Part Of Master Plan
To Block Communists
By John N. Hishtower
Asseeiotsd Press Stoff Writer

Western-power agreement on Ger
many Is fairly simple. It is part of
the anti-Communist grand strategy
of revising Western Europe.
That, it least, is the way top
American diplomats see it. They
have been among the leaders in
bringing it about. Here is the story
as they tell it:
In order to recover economically
the 16 Marshall Plan countries of
Europe need the production of West
ern Germany-especially the coal,
coke and steel of the Ruhr.
Western Germany itself needs
unity and a sense Of "going some
where" in order to produce well. In
political vacuum, the people can
not work with spirit and hope for
a better future.
Reds Balk Any Agreement.
The best way to solve the German
problem would be the way originally
planned-with Russia, America,
Britain and France all agreeing on
what to do. But two years Of effort
along that line simply hardened a
split between Russia and the West.
To deal with this split and make
start on a self-supporting Ger
many, the United States and Brit
ain merged their occupation zones
economically more than a year ago.
But Frence did not come in.
France thus held the key to West
ern Germany unity and the political
and economic future of the area.
The central and all-important
purpose of the London Conference,
therefore, was to work out formula
by which France could agree to CO.
operate with America and Britain
in restoring Western Germany to
some semblance Of order.
Other Help Also Sought.
A secondary problem was to win
the support and cooperation OF
Belgium, the Netherlands and Lux
embourg. Those neighbors OF Ger
many are the first countries OF
Western Europe to work out credit
union. They hold key places in the
Marshall Plan, they are symbols OF
the small nations Of Europe.
The French had two major wor-
ries about agreeing to Western
German unity. They feared they
might lay the basis for a powerful
new Germany. They also feared
they might anger Russia by going
along so openly with Britain and
America.
These fears are not held by the
French government leaders SO
much as by the French people. The
split between the leaders who think
in terms of the Marshall Plan and
the people who feed upon their ira
ditional fears is the cause OF the
prospective political crisis in France
over the German agreements.
Seek to Meet Fears.
The French leaders sought to meet
the peoples fears by providing as
surances of security. They wanted
military guarantee from the
United States against both Germany
and Russia. They wanted to sep
arate the Ruhr from Germany
They wanted to nail down long
range occupation plans.
They also wanted government
with limited powers and a federal
organization. They wanted the in
dividual states of Germany, which
are relatively small and harmless. to
have most of the power. They
wanted to avoid setting up a politi-
cal machine for new Hitler.
The United States and Britain
saw almost eye to eye with the
French on the kind Of government
they wanted Germany to have. But
they could not go the whole route on
security guarantees. The United
States cannot undertake a military
alliance with all or any part Of
Western Europe at this time. Nor
could London and Washington agree
to carve the Ruhr out of Germany;
they did not think it would work.
International Plan Results
The result was the proposal to
create an international control"
of the Ruhr, which today's an
nouncement did not clearly define.
The result also was to stress that