Evening star., 1950-09-13
Problem Of Germany
Involves Rebuilding
OF Republic Itself
Action on Re-urmoment
Will Affect Profoundly
Soviet Thinking, Strategy
By Da,id Lawrence

1QG mOSL L1Ch11SIl SubJCCU III
international relations today IL
whether or not to rearm Germany
The policy adopted by the Coun-
ell Of Foreign Ministers. now ir
session in New York, will have O
more profound effect on Soviet
thinking and strategy than any
thing that could happen in the
Far East.
For the question of rearming
Germany revives the age-old fears
of the Russians concerning q
strong standing army in Germany
which could invade their terri
tory. Fear of Germany was basic
in the first alliance that Stain
made with Hitler in 1899 and fear
of the restoration of German
military power is probably to nc
small extent responsible for the
buffer-state complex of the So
viets which has led to the infil-
tration of the Balkan countries
Immediately adjacent to Soviet
Russia.
Military men here have specu-
lated from time to time on the
reasons why Moscow has been SC
anxious to control Eastern Ger
many as well as Poland and why
she has felt that the governments
of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Ro-
mania and Bulgaria must be
under Soviet control. A defense
psychology is historically strong
In Russian military planning.
Could Bring Climax.
For these reasons, the world
may witness a momentous devel-
opment when a policy is finally
agreed on by the United States,
France and Great Britain with
respect to German rearmament.
It could be, on the one hand, O
provocation to early military &C
ton by the SovietS in the event
that they come to believe they
must act now to overrun Europe
before it is too late. It could, on
the other hand, be the very lever
age which would force an overall
agreement on world problems be-
tween the East and the West.
The North Atlantic Pact and
the military assistance agreement
are to the Russians mere blue
prints that may never be effec-
lively translated into standing
armies. The rearming Of Ger
many, however, is a concrete step.
It could bring o climax In world
affairs.
The French attitude toward re-
ar1ntng Germany has been mega
tive because Of the very same
kind Of fear that has been mani
tested by the Russians. Indeed,
France and Russia were allies for
many years because they had q
common problem-fear Of Ger
many's military power.
Many plans have been sug-
eested as q compromise so as to
take care Of the apprehensions
Of the French. One plan calls for
q German Army which would be
tntegrated into an Allied Force
and would have top-level COM
manders from the Allied Staff.
This may be all right as a starter.
but In the end 1t will be found
that the morale Of any army and
Its fighting spirit is more impor-
tant than the uniforms or insignia
allotted to them. Mercenary
troops never do as well In com
bat as those who volunteer. It Ia
patriotism and love Of country
which basically makes an army
powerful.
Unless the German Army is
given a certain independence and
is permitted to feel that it is
defending the people Of Germany
against Soviet attack and not
just doing the bidding Of foreign
powers. no re-armanent scheme
will succeed. Conversely. If the
old Nazi generals are brought
back and given positions of re-
Sponsibility. this will antagonize
various groups In Britain, France
and America.
military men say the Pyrennees
So the whole problem contains
many delicate aspects and will
have to be resolved on the basis
OF q calculated risk. The Soviet
Army today could march across
Germany and into France without
difficulty. Air power, which has
been counted on to stay their
progress, has not much chance to
succeed without substantial forces
Of ground troops.
The Allies will have to make
up their minds soon whether to
risk a, re-armed Germany or a
Sovietized Germany. For if the
Germans are unable to defend
themselves. the Soviet Armies will
occupy the country and the Allies
will find themselves driven from
all Of the continent with the pos
sible exception Of Spain. where
military men say the Pyrennes
mountains would provide an ef-
fective barrier against invaders
The real answer lies in what
kind of government Germany Il
to have and whether the Allies
are going to nurture a real re-
publican Germany and give it the
moral and material support which
they failed to give a similar effort
on the part of Germany in the
early 1920's. Ultimately the Ger
man people will have to be ad-
mitted into the family of nations
There is no reason why the Ger.
man nation cannot become a part
of the free world, and anti mill.
taristic, too. But this will no
happen if the German nation Il
to be treated indefinitely as 6
4AAI &~x J.