Victors and Vanquished
RUSSELL, BERTRAND
Victors and Vanquished___ By Bertrand Russell IN the treatment of Germany and Japan after the war, there are certain general principles which apply to both countries, but ia their application...
...The leading nation in the Far East after the war will be China, and China's strength will be so great that Japan cannot but acquiesce...
...Wa have te and a solution for two different problems: first, to make Germany and Japan incapable of waging war for * period of years, and second, to make them not desirous of waging aggressive war when that period has elapsed...
...YeJ if we consider the fact that there is a "Free German" Committee in Moscow, and a Union of German Generals, which assure the German people and the German army that if they overthrow Hitler they can all be saved, the recognition of Badoglio by the Soviet Government fits into place...
...This ws ahall only achieve If we are firm bat not vindictive...
...Then it might have been taken as a proof of Anglo-Russian-American unity of policy and strategy...
...But Stalin ycted alone and without giving advance notice to London and Washington...
...ALL these provisions should be for a minimum of ten years, but should continue for a longer period if their relaxation appears, when the time comes, likely to be followed by a renewed attempt at German military aggression...
...A* regards the economic treatment of Germany* it would be unwise to do anything that might cause * ordinary German to look back to the period of Nasi njernment as a golden age...
...I do not doubt that the Japanese have been guilty of vast atrocities...
...They have bad governments at the moment, but every country sometimes has a bad government...
...If, on the other hand, things don't work out that way, Stalin has done nothing which could be held against him by the democracies, for ho has only recognised in Italy the government we ourselves have helped establish...
...Of course, there is also Russia's interest in western Europe snd the Balkans to be considered, and here Russia is perhaps managing to hit yet another bird with the same stone...
...For most economic purposes Germany should be treated just ss the rest of the Continent of Europe should be...
...It would cause great resentment, sad would almost certainly fail to achieve its object...
...The Allies, TJetprione, ought to make it one of their chief ~" ^ »imj to prevent the re-appearance of German "••Jl'Jssaut, ia the middle class as well as among wage-earners...
...we must therefore seek a long-term policy which will have as little ultimate bitterness as ia compatible with security in the yeara immediately following the war...
...While Samuel Grafton vies with Walter Lippman for the palm of sophistry, and while fellow-travelers seek excuses for their political fatherland, the probable connection between Stalin's latest move in Italy and his German policy is ignored...
...Recognition of Badoglio can be interpreted as repudiation of Communism and acceptance of the Churchill line for western Europe...
...At the same time, there ie s form of partition which is likely te come shout whether we like it er sot...
...But it would be a failure of wisdom, and in the long run very much against our own interette, to be carried away by vindictive feelings...
...It may be, therefore, that the two halves of Germany will each have puppet governments, one like the government that Russia intends to establish in Poland, the other like the governments that the State Department and the British Foreign Office would wish, if they could, ts establish in Italy and France...
...1 do not myself think that this would serve any useful purpose...
...Japanese heavy industry depends upon imported raw materials, and can therefore be easily reduced to very small proportions when Japan no longer controls anything outside her own islands...
...Any attempt to impose repsrstions would be ss futile snd ss self-detesting aa it proved last time...
...On those grounds, it is possible to view the future in the Far East with a reasoned if moderate optimism...
...I think Allied military occupation will be necessary h both countries for at least ten years after the end of ths war...
...But unless a considerable percentage of the population is to die of hunger, a large export trade will be necessary...
...Johannes Steel, who can be counted upon to give at least an echo of the Kremlin line, says that Russia's primary objective "being the winning of the war at the expense of all possible ideological considerations," it would "not bo surprising to see Badoglio invite the leaders of the Communist Party to enter his government...
...Neither Germany nor Japan should, for a number of years, be allowed any navy or air forces, and only a small lightly armed land force for police purposes...
...Their vices are the product of circumstances,, snd in other circumstances may be expected to disappear...
...There will have to be loans to Germany for the purpose of repairing German cities and factories destroyed by war, and German export trade will have to be allowed to revive, except in armament and heavy industry...
...What could be better calculated to encourage the German Generals to overthrow Hitler and set up a new government in the hope of a Russo-German peace than the expectation of future recognition...
...Victors and Vanquished___ By Bertrand Russell IN the treatment of Germany and Japan after the war, there are certain general principles which apply to both countries, but ia their application there are important differences...
...If this clique is broken up, as it must be, a rapid improvement will follow...
...Stalin's chessboard if the world...
...I think it will slso be necessary, if disarmament is to be effective, to place the control of heavy industry in Allied hands...
...We must, therefore, adopt pats the, , while we here the power, which sre likely te generate a love of peace among oar former enemies...
...Sooner er later, disputes between other Powers wlH reuse the alliance of ex-enemies to be Bought, or the victors will grew tired of maintaining garrisons la distant countries which they will have forgotten to hate...
...It seems to be the Russian intention that Nand should have East and West Prussia, including fcenxig, but not Koenigsberg, which is apparently to be incorporated in the Soviet Union...
...The Kremlin has at least two strings to its bow, depending on whether at a given moment Stalin's interests are best served by unity with ths democracies or a "separata'' foreign policy...
...There should be a German government with limited powers, and we should insist upon its being democratic...
...Bearing these two aims in mind, we shall, I think, be wise if we deprive the Axis Powers almost completely of military power, bat at the same time inflict a mini-mum of economic hardship...
...As regards Japan, the same general principles apply...
...Russia is a country where almost everyone plays chess...
...But *bnt happens in this region will be whst Russia de-any protest by the Western Powers will be ••msletely ineffectual...
...Such courts, in any case, will have to be created for the punishment of war criminals...
...This would >* diminish the injustice but would probably in the jjj* *«* diminish the friction and the incentive to It must be said, however, that tko whole sekemo *"*>P*t*MtM(i Poland for the loot of Polisk terri-*JJf hi tko gift of German territory «e disastrous, **h te be accepted because we eennof prevent it...
...In regard to both Germany and Japan It mast be remembered that world peace cannot be secure so long aa they remain discontented and safttea...
...Suggestions have been made for the forcible division ef Germany into a number of small States...
...There is a large liberal element in Japan which vnll be glad of a chance to make itself felt...
...The Nazis, by l?"00* m*nns, cured unemployment, which previous ¦"•"menta had been totally unable to do...
...The liberal element ahould be encouraged to change Japanese education, eliminating the absurd and harmful Shinto myths which have been used to generate fanaticism...
...A liberal policy in economic matters is the surest method ef causing ordinary German opinion to lose its fanatical nationalism...
...If Badoglio is recognized after displacing Mussolini, General von Blank may also expect recognition after leading a revolt against Hitler...
...the same is true of Bantig, though not of the surrounding territory...
...The funeiamenUl aims in both cases should be world security, but the pursuit of this aim . will be found to involve severity in certain directions and leniency in others...
...f regions at present inhabited by Germans are to •• annexed to other States, it is probably desirable ¦at the German population ahould be forcibly evacu-•*•* *nd replaced by Ruasions or Poles...
...So long as Allied troops are in occupation it is unnecessary, and when they sre withdrawn, it will be very difficult to enforce...
...India, the Dutch East Indies, and perhaps China, will be willing to take Japanese goods, and should not be discouraged from doing so...
...Japan is a country in which there is much extreme poverty, and there will inevitably be more after defeat...
...or as a bait to the German Generals...
...indeed, their brutalities in China have long been known...
...Japan is less solid Ilia" Germany, and is therefore In some ways an easier problem...
...There should be, in Germany, a prohibition of discrimination against Jews, and also of sll persecution of unpopular political opinions...
...There must be military occupation for a number of years, and oomplete disarmament...
...If Stalin's action had been taken in concert with the governments of Britain and the United States, the whole affair would have a different complexion...
...If this happens, R will make the wise hsndling of post-war Germany impossible...
...It is only during the present century that the Germans have been thought wicked...
...It msy be assumed thst, st the end of the war, the Russians will be in occupation of the eastern part of Germany, and the Anglo-Americans ef the western part...
...There should be Allied police and Allied courts to investigate and punish breeches of these regulations and to prevent a reign of terror...
...Te subject them permanently to domination by alien forces is impossible even if it were desirable...
...I think it is reasonable to hops that, after a period of violent social unrest, the country will settle down under a hotter political and economic system, and abandon the brief dream of empire by which it has been temporarily intoxicated...
...But when once they are defeated, we shall not make them more humane by ourselves practicing inhumanities, and punishment motivated by vindiotiveness is never justifiable...
...The cleverness with which this last arrow has been shot is shown by the fact that its target could be either Germany or us...
...If the King of Italy, Badoglio and the Italian Communists can run in harness, why should not the German Generals and Conservatives form a government with the Communists, if that is Moscow's price for peace and the survival of the Reich...
...In all long-range plans for the utilisation of victory with a view to the common good, this obvious^ truth must be remembered...
...AI'AN has been in the hands of a small dominant clique, representing the high command in the army and navy...
...East Prussia is eompetely German, and there is no valid reason for J*** it away from Germany...
...As was decided at Cairo, the Japanese must be deprived of all the territory that they have conquered during the present century...
...If Steel is right, then Russia will have acquired a strong position in southern Europe, and will also hsve set a pattern for a future Wehrmacht-Com-munist alliance in Germany...
...Stalin's Recognition of the Badoglio Regime By Freda Utley "THE obvious explanation for Russia's recognition of the Badoglio regime appears to have been missed by every commentator, columnist and editorial writer...
...he perhaps knows better than anyone whan n pawn can be mora valuable than a knight, and how to move his places , into position to checkmate his opponents without their being aware of the significance of his moves...
...Minor criminals, it ia true, are to be tried in the countries in which they have committed their crimes, but no one country can claim a monopoly in the punishment of the leaders...
...Economic penalties, especially such aa fall upon wage-earners, cause more wide-¦¦read resentment than is caused by compulsory disarmament, and, moreover, cause resentment in just those classes which it should be easiest to conciliate...
...This is one of the strongest res-seas fsr hoping that cooperation* between Russia sad the Western Powers will be more wholehearted in regard to Germany than it is proving te be ia regard to Poland...
...It does not look at present as if there would be any identity of policy between these two groups...
...The only difficult territorial question in regard to Germany is what is to be done with East Prussia and **anzig...
...We must not allow ourselves te imsgine that there is any Innate special sinfulness in the inhabitants of the countries that wa are compelled to light...
...In the last war, the Japanese were our gallant Allies, and were generally admired...
...After the last war, and l?*Ully *fter the beginning of the depression, most J*7*»ns suffered great hardships...
...This is not to say that Russian policy is cleat -dut, or one and undivided...
Vol. 27 • March 1944 • No. 12
