MEMORANDUM TO GENERAL CLAY AND SECRETARY MARSHALL
Memorandum to General Clay and Secretary Marshall As-A S the ministers meet in Moscow to draw up tlie </V Or man treaty, a troubled period of history | draws to a close. The war began with...
...But that would mean: 1. Further "clarification of differences" in Berlin tiinl elsewhere an to the meaning in FourI'on er parlance of democracy, civil liberties and freedom...
...Socialization, be feels, should be.introduced only after * general mandate from the German people...
...Our own success in building a democratic central Europe able to defend itself against Communist dictatorship depends upon the degree lo which we encourage the people lo build their iiulitulioic in the onlv way short of the Soviet way— which is now open t<» them...
...The war began with Germany, and the peace will begin with it—hut only if we understand the nature of the political crisis at the heart of which European democrats are astill grappling with totiMttrian enemie...
...The headlines told of General Clay's refusal to •How the new socialization programs of...
...X A firm and vigorous announcement that the American position in favor of the "self-determination of peoples" includes the right of the German people, to ehdose a social and economic ' system for themselves oh the basis-of any principles which the masses are ready to accept—so lung a* they are consistent with political liberties and human rights...
...Still, as the news from Minden (capital of the Anglo-American Zone) illustrates, the understanding ,of European politics among our occupation autfiori-^_ t(«* is notably .defective...
...And the development of Germany in this direction oilers the otilv prospect of positive and successful opposition to Soviet oWhination...
...I'p to now American political education in Germany has been proceeding at a dangerously slow pace...
...We have here at last the basis for hope that dynamic young people will receive some direclion'and inspiration...
...Bui he is •landing up for genuine democratic procedure...
...St...
...Betrayal of human and political rights on the...
...heritage friim our Wilson-Roosevelt tradition...
...Whether we hive learned the lessons of the occupation period retrains to he seen...
...This notion that our government is actively opposed to changes which are necessary to mere survival under present European conditions is false and terribly dangerous...
...Still, text-book political science will not win the gigantic struggle to save the liberties of Europe...
...i>u the eve of the Moscow Conference, the news items from the devastated post-Nazi Reich form a disturbing pattern...
...Now that thu ¦ third year approaches, our officials Jiave finally acknowledged their former "naivete" and are preparing to allow the formation of group's for democratic youth education and voluntary associations for Welfare and reconstruction...
...It is a good sign that these differences have come into the open in the Berlin quarrels of the past week...
...the German Social Democrats lo swing, into acton...
...A second series of news items provides evidence...
...there i» a lack of private capital and private Initiative the stale mils...
...and turn it into another weapon of Soviet totalitarianism...
...Now techirfeally, as always, General Clay had his point...
...American occupation authorities listened to none ol 7the recommendations which came from the moie ; enlightened educational and political circles in America...
...He is opposed to the making of a basic change through a memorandum from' a newly-appointed minister's desk...
...America has unconsciously but persistently given the misleading impression that US capitalism is hostile to any attempt to introduce non-capitalist institutions...
...No !'doubt be sees, as well as the ne»t (one...
...T In Berlin the struggle between Soviet political .', philosophy and western democracy, despite misguided ..attempts to hush it up, has finally come into the ' Open* on concrete issues...
...The voting people were allowed to remain as they had been under Hitler: indoctrinated, cynical, hopeJfss, searching for a new way but finding none...
...policy which would frustrate this hope would lead to continued poverty and helplessness, which would offer the Communists a perfect field in which In build up llieir anli-American campaign...
...mrt of the US to preserve the appearance of i/iiiidra/uirlite unity would dissipate all of the international goodwill left in occupied Germain as the...
...During the^ first year of the occupation wa '-Hardly took notice of the needs of German youth...
...But the experience never has been harsh enough or upsetting enough to jar us off the old Potsdam Irack and put us on the way "toward peace'and freedom in Kurope...
...Both on the high Allied level and in the plane of native affairs there have been difficulties and perplexities...
...step In to aet things going...
...Until it i« considerably ¦ augmented, the United States will not be'able to play tbe part in world diplomacy that we must play ¦ if peace anil liberty are to be preserved...
...Will it be encouraged and given scope to function'.' Or will the German Communists, loyally serving Moscow, be allowed to penetrate it, control it...
...that.where...
...If we can learn out lesson from llicm in lime, we may vet save our position in Europe...
...The war began with Germany, and the peace must begin with it...
...During the second year, notice was finally 'taken of the German youth movement—but only to ..teach the boys how to play baseball...
...This is an urgent issue for the young and weak democratic forces in Germany and a le«tease for the professions of the western Allies...
...It 'serves, not rnerelv to bolster up the anti-Nazi, pro'¦ liberal forces in central Kurope, hut in addition to r furnish political education for our own Allied representatives...
...It is not to lie taken for granted that he is opposed lo .the socialization of some .German industries...
...A new, free labor movement is developing among the ruins of the Nazi slave • State...
...2. A positive program of re-education, reconstruction and reinforcement of the...
...General (day was justified in making his ruling, but it is of the utmost importance that be should make it clear to the German people that it does not contain a threat to their development along the path of democratic Socialism...
...German democratic movement against all of its enemiesGerman Nazis and militarists at home and, i'm« ported from abroad, a new sort of totalitarianism...
...Representatives of practically all tendencies among American writers', from Socialists to old-line conservatives—men like Waller Lippmaun, Sumner Welles, Ralph Robey, Raymond Moley, elc,— agree that democracy cyn be maintained in many parts ol Europe only on the basis of some sort of Socialist economy, for Germany, especially, this is tbe greatest hope...
Vol. 30 • February 1947 • No. 6
