Show alim WIP i old pitfalls stand in way of future peace I 1 survival of german myth desertion of democratic elements would weaken postwar security structure by news analyst and commentator service union trust Build building washington D C SAN FRANCISCO C california lali fornia sunshine su n sinne Is pouring down on the bay a great white tog has begun to drape the distant gray green hills in the olds folds ot of its floating robe it has been a day ot of conferences an and d I 1 interviews where the great t tragedies ag e tea of little countries albania korea poland and the little differences between great countries have been tossed at us in vibrant earne earnest s t voices in stiff and proper accents it would be easy to lose sight of wo woods for the trees but as I 1 sit here leafing over faded notes of another such conference I 1 know that the tremendous goal for which these delegates have striven is so much higher so much wider than all the little controversies that it at still III is just what the chambermaid in my hotel said it was she was gray haired she had a ton son on saifan she told me and when I 1 asked her what she thought of this gathering she laid down an armful of linen and looked up 1 I guess this Is lust just about the most important thing that ever happened she he said trying to stop wars how important this meeting will prove to be depends on how well the world avoids the pitfalls which wrecked its last attempt to treat war as we treat disease not as something that we irreverently consider as an act of god like a tor nado but something to which mankind Is 1 exposed through ignorance and indifference and which can be prevented why did the league ot of nations fail an what are the pitfalls which the united nations must avoid germans thought armies unbeaten I 1 have been talking over that paris conference with a friend whom I 1 met there a quarter of a century ago he lived with the league of nations through its early uncertain days on until its death of malnutrition together we agreed on certain fundamental mistakes made in the past which must be avoided it if the result of the san Fr francisco incisco conference Is a success the object of the united nations Is the same game as the object of the league of nations to stop aggression before it starts last time efforts were directed specifically toward germany as the one potential aggressor germany has been so utterly defeated that she cannot strike back for a long time but our conduct toward germany after the last war can be related to all future attempts at aggression the first mistake made last time namely allowing the grow up that the german army was not defeated that other causes enforced capitulation cannot be made again since the german army Is now destroyed st but there Is danger that another myth may grow which will encourage urage nazi fascism elsewhere even if the so called german government headed by admiral doenitz formally capitulated to the allies in stead elead of having the various gener als surrender separately the nazis might well claim that they them selves never did surrender A very good legal case might be made out supporting the thesis that doenitz was not the authorized head of the german government and that government still existed in exile whether hitler and himmler are dead makes no difference no proof can be adduced that doenitz Is the authorized successor to hitler there has been no recognized revolution which could be recognized first de facto then de jure we do not know that hitler authorized doenitz as his successor we do know that he had publicly indicated certain successors I 1 saw and beard him do it in the reichstag meeting to in the kroll opera house in berlin on september 1 I 1 1839 1939 when he announced that he was going to the front to join the army already invading poland I 1 saw him turn from the lectern and indicate first herman goering Goerl ng sitting high on the as his successor if he tailed failed to return and second the tall and lanky hess sitting in the first row on the rostrum there has never been any other official designation of succession by the german government when hitler made that pronouncement doe nitz played no role in the nazi party he was just another naval officer therefore it would be easy toi for whoever claims official to have moved into norway while it i was still in german hands take a long distance submarine and find asylum and support in some country which would conceal his identity and where sufficient sympathy for naki fascism existed to carry on underground activities and foster the myth of the immortality of 0 nazi dom just as the myth of the german ardys invincibility y was kept alive that Is one thing that apparently Is not realized it is important it mus must t be watched now there are a number ol of other pitfalls which I 1 might mention but I 1 wont spend too long over these faded notes with fresh breezes from the pacific reminding me that we are living in the land of tomorrow and not yesterday but alas some of the dark shadows of yesterday have stretched down the years to today selfish interests stunt democracy one of the great mistakes which the peace loving nations of the world as they now call themselves made the last time was that they failed to help the democratic elements in germany against the very reactionary or national elements which made world war II 11 possible at present there Is no question about elements in the german government for it Is under allied military rule that problem is some distance in the future but here at san francisco and wherever the executive council or the assembly of the organization planned here may meet the same question will arise we have a concrete example in the question of argentina not too important in itself but interesting insofar as it reveals whose selfish political and economic interests affect world affairs certain countries wanted to renew normal business relations with argentina great britain has a great interest in argentina because of her trade and canada because the financing of many institutions there was handled bandied through canadian banks the representatives in the mexico city conference yielded to this pressure and when they came to san francisco could not reverse their position russia looked on chortled and said democracies arent so democratic after all it if they invite a fascist government to join up with them this is not too important but it Is an example of what must be avoided if the united nations really champion the cause of democracy throughout the world but the strong hope of avoiding the pitfalls of the last time lies in the interest the participation of the people the people of america As I 1 sit here in san francisco and see the earnest effort of these men of all creed and color I 1 feel they have the will to peace but their voices all cry in the wilderness unless the people support them I 1 look over these gray green hills and think into thine hands the hands of the people of america in order to provide agricultural information to servicemen and veterans of this war who are interested in agriculture the USDA has arranged to place kits containing samples of available information in separation centers hospitals libraries and vocational guidance and retraining centers of the army navy air forces and the veterans administration in cooperation with washington cepres representatives enta tives of the various branches anthes br of the armed forces and the veterans administration these kits will be available for review in approximately 1000 places in the continental U S and overseas accompanying compa nying each kit will be a supply of order blanks on which the veteran or serviceman can order from the department by a simple check mark any item or group of items he may want among the materials being offered ere are several general publications designed to help the agriculturally inclined serviceman or veteran decide whether hether or not he really does want to become a farmer |