WHAT ROLE FOR GERMANY IN WORLD WAR III?
_ /£\_____
► By DON DOANE
AP Newsfeaiures
FRANKFURT — If war comes,
Germany is almost certain to be
right in the middle of it.
What role would the Germans
play in such a war? Would they
fight? On whose side?
These are among the world’s
biggest questions today. Much of
the east-west diplomatic maneu
vering is an attempt to make sure
of the answers.
When you talk about “Ger
mans” - nowadays, you have to
divide them. In one group are
the 18,000,000 East Germans, liv
ing in the one-third of Germany
occupied by Soviet Russia.
In the other group are the
47,000,000 West Germans, living
in the British, American and
French zones.
The Russians obviously are try
ing to make sure that in case of
trouble, the East Germans fight
for them. They’ve already armed
nearly 200,000 of them in “police
formations.” Of these, 50,000 are
given military training.
Now the western allies have
launched a campaign to enlist the
West Germans as soldiers on their
side.
So far, this campaign has not
gone beycmd the stage of prelim
inary talks. If war broke out
^within the next year, there would
n’t be a single West German sol
dier ready to fight.
If the West Germans agree to
join the West European army,
they might be able to whip 150,000
men into uniform by 1953. Many
would be battle-tested veterans.
Meanwhile, West Germany’s
role in the preparedness race will
be chiefly as a supplier of coal,
steel and machinery forr rearming
Europe.
This alone can be a mighty con
tribution. The big smoky Ruhr
4. valley twice armed Germany so
well that it nearly conquered the
world.
Allied occupation laws still for
bid the Germans from making
arms. But they can provide the
means for others to make arms.
Russia can expect no such mat
erial from poorer East Germany.
A little coal, some food, and such
manufactures as optical and el
ectrical instruments are about all
East Germany can contribute in
the years immediately ahead.
In manpower, West Germany
also has a tremendous advantage
over East Germany—almost three
to one.
That’s why the Russians are so
concerned about the prospects of
the western allies recruiting West
Germans as a full military part
ner.
The material and manpower re
sources of the two areas are eas
i « • * 1 • * * " \ V. » ' / ± *
GERMANY IN THE MIDDLE: Map shows U.S., British,
French and Russian zones.
ier to assay than it is to deter-«
mine how the Germans them
selves will desire to wield these
resources.
The western allies are convinced
that most West Germans prefer
; them to Russia and are optimistic
that they will join them militarily.
But there’s a strong and appar
ently growing movement among
West Germans—even those who
dislike Russia — which preaches
German neutrality.
West German leaders have
warned these people that no coun
try in Germany’s geographical po
sition—in the middle between east
and west — can hope to remain
neutral.
An even stronger feeling than
this might weaken the loyalty of
East Germans to the Russian
cause. Many East Germans are
ardent anti - Communists. The
I thousands of political prisoners
; taken by the Russians attest to
this.
Even the “people’s police,”
whom they armed, are losing the
trust of the Russians. They are
deserting to the west by hundreds
yearly.
There appears little doubt, how
ever, that in event of war soon,
Russia could get more military
help from its zone than their
western allies could get from
theirs.
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1950 Pack Canned Fishery
Foods Was Most Valuable
/
WASHINGTON, (/P)—1The Fish
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U. S. pack of canned food from
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The il 950 pack of fishery pro
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