Evening star., 1949-11-19
Fundamental Chance
In U. 5. Dealings With
Germany Held Vital
" Western Powers Tied Own
Hands by Policies Held
In Error From Sturt
By Dorothy Thompson

Germany were. from the begin
ring, a colossal error and, second.
that they must be totally revised.
The first error was "uncondi-
tional surrender" With that
formula the Western powers tied
their own hands. We made 1t
impossible to end the war no mat
ter what might happen in Ger
many-except complete collapse.
Although overtures were at
tempted in Sweden, Switzerland,
and Turkey by the anti-Nazi Ger
mans and German officers who,
convinced that Germany must
lose. wanted to throw the victory
to the West, nobody would seri-
ously listen to them and the only
reply they got was the meaning
less unconditional surrender"
The second error was In mill
tary intelligence. AS with Japan
our intelligence greatly under
rated the enemy's exhaustion. We
were convinced that our armies
could not possibly enter Vienna,
Prague or Berlin before the Rus
slams and, again tying our hauds
In advance, we made political con-
cessions on the assumption that
the distribution of forces would
compel them anyhow.
Third Error Historical.
The third error was historical.
It was to assume the possibility OF
q community interest in Germany
between the Western powers and
the Soviet Union. This assump-
tion contradicted the whole his
tory of Russian-G German ana
Russian-Western relations since
the first World War. The treaty
of Versailles was directed against
both Germany and the Soviet
Union, and established a common
grievance between them. The
Versailles arrangement IN East
ern Europe could only have been
upheld in the long run by bring
ing Russia in as a full partner.
and making concessions to her.
BY trying to keep both countries
down, they were driven together,
first at Rapallo. and finally in
the Russo German pact of 1899,
which guaranteed the outbreak
of war against the West.
The interests of the West lay,
above all, in preventing a union
between Germany and Russia,
no matter which of them might
be the dominant partner. Only
the fear of such a union justi-
fed aiding Russia. For II Hitler
conquered and absorbed Euro
pean Russia he would control the
central strategical area OF the
globe, including the entire Middle
East. But exactly the same Situa-
ton would be true in reverse. Il
Russia could absorb Germany. she
would be in an even better position
to dominate the world, for even
Hitler hardly hoped to subdue
Asiatic Russia, and establish q
land frontier on China.
The interests Of Russia. on the
contrary, lay in preventing the
Western Allies from obtaining any
permanent foothold in Germany :.
The Soviet Union showed by
every move it made that Stain
and his advisers. political and
military, never lost sight Of geo
political realities. They followed
q classical pattern Of war: Defeat
the enemy; reduce his power IN
terms Of territory. population and
potential; and then add 1t to ones
own.
The Western Allies had no policy
but to defeat Germany, ehmi-
nate her military potential, reduce
her industrial capacity. re-edu-
cate her people for freedom and
democracy" and leave her hang-
ing in the air.
Final Error PSYCHOLOGICAL.
The final error was. and Is,
psychological. It Is that you make
nations good by Furnishing them
and that, for that matter, there
are good" and bad" nations.
as such.
Hitler and the wild national
ism and superiority complex OF
the Third Reich were the fruits
of resentment over unequal treat
ment following the first World
War. Decisive political acts are
the result of accumulated sub
conscious forces. The Weimar
Republic following the first World
War wanted nothing so much
as to cooperate wholeheartedly
to rebuild Europe, but no one can
cooperate effectively except as
an equal.
Today, the overwhelming mass
OF the German people want to go
with the West. At this juncture.
they are the least nationalistic
people in Europe. The Commu-
nists are willing to lose Germany
In the Soviet Union: the Christian
Democrats and Social Democrats,
the two largest parties Of the
Western zone, are willing to merge
Germany In a federation Of Eu-
rope. It Is not Germany, 1t Is
France, Britain, and the other
Western powers who are timfd
Of seizing this tide at the dood;
who again tie their own hands,
out Of fear and lack Of imagina-
ton.
To give Germany sufficient con-
cessions to enable her to rebuild
a large measure Of economic
power, without tying her heart
and soul with the West-which
latter can be accomplished only
in complete equality-is exactly
to repeat the errors following
World War I. We win put her
in an improved position to strike
bargain with Russia. out Of the
accumulated resentments Of q ma
ton rejected by what It loves.
we shall be repeating toward