NO SOLUTION IN SIGHT
Sollmann, William F.
Report on Germany NO SOLUTION IN SIGHT By William F. Sollmann Mr. Sollmann haa a long and honorabl* record ai a Gorman liboral. Ho started his public career aa • member of tha Lutheran...
...Even strong anti-Nazis stress that the victors are greatly responsible for the unbearable conditions in Germany, since 3V4 years after the end of the fighting they have not even begun to discuss a peace treaty...
...His irreconcilable opposition to tho Nasis forced him to leave Germany in 1933...
...The fat and meat ration has increased, but it is still insufficient...
...They only spend for necessities...
...Although the situation has improved since June, scarcity continues and prices are extremely high...
...It is difficult to see how a working democracy will develop with such a multitude of parties and their lack of cooperative npiiit...
...Although the Marshall Plan is accepted as a great help, there is little belief in American generosity...
...Interest in the theatre, music, literature, and good movies, however, is great in all groups cf the people...
...In his opinion, there Js too much Marxian influence...
...TB among children is alarmingly high...
...The gap between students and young workers is much narrower than in former times...
...For instance, many Germans ridicule the over-emphasis on institutional democcracy and point out that no occupation army is able to present a good democratic example...
...Perhaps the younger generation will be more realistic...
...Nationalistic, anti-democratic parties seem to be growing fast Of course, they have to conceal their basically antidemocratic character, or they would not be permitted to exist by the occupation authorities...
...There are not enough clothing and shoes, especially for the winter, for approximately two-thirds of the people...
...THERE is no solution yet in tight for the problem of Germany...
...There is no widespread renaissance in 'the religious life...
...This presupposes an understanding with Soviel Russia...
...Most Germans doubt whether our officials have sufficient knowledge of the real political, economic, and cultural needs in Germany...
...This is true for individuals as well as for the public administration...
...There are no longer Socialist, Christian, Communist, Liberal, or company unions...
...ONE OF the real progressive steps towards democracy in the western yones is the unification of the labor unions...
...They blame Ihe victors for their disillusionment...
...Now an American citiien, Mr...
...Both were in abundant supply in the late months of the summer, and the prices were not so much more than twice as high as before the war...
...I did not see cooking oil anywhere and butter very seldom...
...In order to evaluate such statistics, one would have to know what products are included, and what is their proportion to the increase...
...The need for supplementing the rations by fat, rice, oil, cocoa, tea and coffee (the latter lor necessary stimulants) is very great for at least one-third of the population...
...The ignojance about the U.S.A...
...They are not as demanding as their parents, although they may be less industrious, less efficient, and less reliable...
...According to some statistics, the accuracy of which is doubted by many Germans, production in Bizonia now amounts to about 70",, of the output in 1936...
...For many years he was editor-in-chief of the Cologne Rhtintth* It it una...
...Bellman lectures and writes and is a rutting professor at Reed, Bard and Kavorford colleges...
...In this article he relates some of his Impressions during a recent trip to Gormony...
...Germans under 25 years of age have little, if any, memories of a normal life...
...Milk is very scarce, even for children and sick people...
...EXCEPT FOR farmers and well-todo people, all sections of the population are suffering...
...A high Roman Catholic priest assured me that this unity should be maintained, nJtfiough he distrusts some of the edu(ational activities...
...a pair of shoes, one or two days' work in this country, in Germany about one week's work or more...
...Employers, as well as workers, complain that the present export control by the victors is commercial espionage, and hinders them by delaying techniques...
...But other items are very scarce...
...In all these comparisons one must not forget that the quality of the goods is very much inferior in Germany...
...Ho started his public career aa • member of tha Lutheran Vouib Movement which opposed the Emperoi and worked for a democratic republic...
...Many workers express the opinion that tho American "capitalists" would find a way to make the European workers pay for this help...
...Most Germans do not seem to realize that for many years to come their living standard will be low...
...Quite a few Germans see in the faults of the victors a justification of Hitler's foreign policy...
...Hitler's dictatorship and his war arc berfnning to be forgotten...
...cialization of the big industries...
...Communists of the Russian type have little appeal—at least so far...
...Compared with the permanent problem of developing a sound balance of trade, t(|t dismantling of factories is only of tiansitional and mostly psychological importance...
...They are also less class-conscious, although there are still much deeper class distinctions than in the U.S.A...
...The occupation armies are generally criticized as too numerous, too costly, too much in favor of the wealthy classes, and too tolerant of former Nazis...
...They compare it with the splendor and drama of the Hitler Youth Movement and the glory of the army...
...They are very discontent with their present poor, drab, and insecure life...
...A suit is acquired by one week's pay in this country, but four to six weeks' pay in Germany...
...Workers of the higher groups, civil servants and members of the middle class are able to buy sufficient food on a subsistence level, but they do not have enough left for clothing and shoes...
...is great in spite of the efforts of our occupation authorities to spread better information...
...Many professional people are suffering because the currency reform has reduced the amount of money in their hands...
...Potatoes and vegetables are exceptions...
...However, even Christian Democratic statesmen, who are no friends of Socialism, told me that in case of a really free plebiscite, at least 70 percent of the Germans would vote for so...
...Meat prices are six times higher than here...
...However, tho nurrfber of Germans who are still convinced National Socialists is probably small, but a sizable and growing minority looks for a new synthesis of militant nationalism and some type of Socialism or Communism, so long as it is not the Slavic brand of Communism...
...One of the founders of the Weimar Republic, Mr...
...the same man in the U. S. A. can buy more than-a dozen eggs for one hour's work...
...Students, unemployed, sick and old people, and the large groups who are dependent on pensions and other small annuities, are as underfed as ever...
...It is still doubtful whether they will find export markets, and at what prices...
...They want a job and some hope for the future...
...Many ol them say: "Asia stands on the Rivei Elbe"—which means in the center ol Germany...
...The Germans will meet strong competition anywhere, especially from Great Britain, which also is in need of higher exports...
...Oranges, lemons and bananas are not existent...
...On the other hand, many Germans do not want the armies of the western powers to withdraw...
...The Social Democrats have about one-third of the votes in the western zones...
...Many think, in case of such a war, some type of neoFascism would be revived...
...They judge the American civilization according to the productions of Hollywood...
...Seme Germans would like to present to an international court, like that of Nuremberg, their own sufferings during and after the war as crimes against humanity...
...There is a lot of personal and public planning going on based on the wealthy past and not on present and future deficiencies...
...after which ha traveled all over Europe in an effort lo arouse public opinion to the throat of Hitlerbun...
...However, they know very well that that life has gone forever...
...Probably all Germans agree that three years ago many more of their countrymen were interested in democracy and internatioalism than now...
...Contrary to the older generation, most of them do not look for a bourgeois existence...
...Resentment und aggressive criticism of the occupying forces and the present German statesmen are increasing...
...A man's shirt, which in this country an unskilled worker buys for three hours' labor, costs the same type of worker in Germany at least three days' work...
...The Christian Democrats have about the name strength, but with more emphasis on middle-class, farmers, and businessmen...
...The currency reform in June, 1948, brought many hoarded goods into the market...
...It will be necessary to import not only 40 to 50% of the food, but such raw materials as cotton, wool, hides, mineral oil, copper, tin,iron ore,aluminum, lead manganese, chrome, tungsten and phosphates as well...
...Either they fear Russian-Communist domination, or they are afraid of a civil war...
...Most «>f them have known only scarcity, rationing, blackmarketing, soldiering, sir raids, burning cities, piles of corpses, evacuation, life in overcrowded dwellings or in ruins...
...In this respect, nearly all Germans are highly pessimistic...
...They represent mostly industrial workers, some lower-middle-class people, peasants, and intellectuals...
...One must also consider that the population of Bizonia is 6 to 8 millions higher than in 1936 because of the influx of refugees from the east...
...They have grown up iri an atmosphere of war, social disintegration and revolution...
...AS LONG as the Germans do not accept the fate of being an impoverished nation, they will have difficulty in adjusting themselves to the changed situation...
...A huge majority of the Germans believe that their destroyed cities and the starvation after war were sufficient punishment for Hitlerism and its crimes...
...Most of the American movies make the Germans feel culturally superior to us...
...These enormous imports must be paid for by exports...
...The price of eggs, for example, was 60 to 70 Pfennige apiece, or the amount earned in one hour by an unskilled worker...
...All organized workers i.rf in one type of union, which is politically and religiously neutral...
...Sollmann ¦erred in tho Reichstag from 1919 to 1933...
...The solution might be the reduction of tin armies to a small but highly mobile international police force...
...Large sections of the production must be withheld from home consumption...
...The political parties are still doctrinarian and uncompromising...
...A pound of coffee requires one half-hour's work here, in Germany about one week's work...
Vol. 32 • January 1949 • No. 3
