Evening star., 1948-06-08

many has been long time coming. When the
foreign ministers Moscow conference broke up
in Illustration last spring, the western leaders
were pretty well convinced they would get no
agreement with Russia on Germany. Not, any
way in what they hopefully called the pres
ent situation" The way to reach solution.
they decided, was to change the situation. II
they changed it enough, Russia might eventu-
ally agree to adjust her ambitions to the reali-
ties of the new setup.
In London, last autumn, we made one more
attempt to talk Russia into joint Big-Four
answer to the German problem. When that last
try proved futile, the western powers went to
work on the situation
Already, they have gone long way toward
changing it. In wrestling with the problems OF
the day, we are prone to lose sight of the prog
ress made. Here in the United States, tenn
porarily at least we have succeeded in shatter-
ing the Soviet dream that we will disarm our
selves into oblivion. In Italy, we have shown the
Communists the limitations of their strength
where the ballot box is the arena. We have
evolved recovery plan for Europe and hope
full outline Of West European economic unity.
Both these programs now are moving from the
blueprint stage to the stage of action-dedicated
to the proposition that hopeessness and hun
GER in man or community, do not mix well
with freedom. And we have good reason to
think we are on the right track, for the reaction
to the Marshall Plan and Western Union con-
cepts has been as unfavorable in eastern Europe
as it has been favorable in the west.
The new agreement on Germany, announced
yesterday by the United States, Britain, France
and the Benelux countries, fits into the pattern
as the first real step by the Western Powers
toward changing the situation in Germany
ITSELF Since Russia has blocked German unity
so far by insisting it be established only on
her terms we now propose to unity that part
OF Germany which the Western Powers control,
and to establish 1t as federated state.
It Is clear we must do something Of this
Sort If for no other reason than that without
it, ERP and q Western Union are both un-
workable.
An Attempt to Fill Vacuum.
The Marshall recovery program is aimed, Of
course at setting Western Europe back on its
economic feet-at helping 1t re-establish itself
as going economic concern dependent on
nobody's charity Western Germany is Europe's
powerhouse. With it, the economy Of the
West-European bloc could be strong one.
Without it, the margin of power to make the
Marshall, Plan work would be lacking, no
matter how much aid we might pour into
car run without its motor. Gasoline alone
would not do the trick.
On the political side, the blunt idea behind
the Western Union proposal is to build up
unit which can effectively balance Soviet
Russia's East-European bloc. Again, such a
balance can scarcely be achieved when Ger
many remains a political vacuum OF great
potential weight, floating in the middle. Even
If 1t could be so achieved, there would be no
assurance OF its being maintained.
We are tired, then, OF simply pouring money
into Western Germany. We have agreed with
five other powers, after more than three
months discussion in London. that we will
convert the three western zones of occupation
from so many liabilities into one pillar of our
design for Europe. 1t is a sound decision. But
we should realize, in making it, that we are
subject to two important forms of attack.
These twin criticisms are worth considering,
for In the contrast between them can be found
the essential dilemma of the German problem
On the one hand we are accused Of destroying
German unity" by setting up a state which
does not include the Russian zone OF occupa-
ton. On the other hand, we are accused of
opening the way for the establishment Of a
new Frankenstein monster-the fourth Ger
man Reich, capable Of threatening the con-
We are, in other words damned because we
unity Germany and damned because we don't.
The accusation that we are destroying Ger
The fact that it is propaganda for German con-
sumption pure and simple does not mean we
can afford to ignore it,
The accusation that we are opening the
door to a new nationalistic and militaristc
Germany comes mainly from opposition critics
of the Schuman regime N France, and from
other sincere and worried Europeans on the
German border
The result of the London talks represents
compromise attempt to meet these two criti-
cisms. The announced decision had to 60
far enough toward setting up real German
state to be defensible against an anticipated
Russian propaganda blast in behalf of German
unity-in behalf, that Is to say, of an all
German government cut to the Soviet pattern.
But it also had to provide enough guarantees
against German resurgence to be acceptable to
the French people, who must be convinced If
this plan is to 60 through.
Anticipated Russian Move.
The Russian countermove is expected to
take form something like this: When the
Soviet stooges in the eastern zone Of Germany
have finished collecting signatures to a petition
calling for unity of all four zones under
provisional peoples government" Russia will
call a meeting of the Allied Control Council.
This might be in another week or SO. 1t will
be claimed. on the basis of the petition, that
some 80 per cent OF the electorate OF the
Russian zone want such a government.
When the Control Council turns down this
idea, Russia is expected to allow their "all-
German" government to establish itself in
Berlin as a rival to our western government
The idea would be that such regime located
at the traditional center of German power,
would have strong national appeal to the
Germans in all zones, placing our Frankfurt
on-the- Main government in psychological
shadow and tending to disrupt our plans for
united Western Germany.
The feeling here is that the Germans are not