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eman Iioots
and ag'aziti ecs
After years of isolation, the German
people need fresh ideas and a broader
outlook. Increasing the circulation of new
thoughts from other lands and eliminating
those of Nazism are the goals of MG's Publi-
cations Control Branch which today is re-
orienting the German publishing industry
Earlier, all publishers were classified into
three categories -white, grey, and black -
according to their Nazi records. Only publish-
ers who are "white" are now licensed to
produce reading material for the German
public. There are 298 of them now in the
US Zone. New licenses will be issued only
to applicants who are better qualified than
any already licensed to produce high-priority
publications.
Each Land Information Control Division
has a German staff which studies current
publications and publishers' proposals for
new works and new editions. They also
advise Military Government on the best edu-
cational use of the available paper.  This
service is expected to grow in importance as
the new Land constitutions go into effect
guaranteeing freedom of expression for all
persons except specified Nazis.
Greatest obstacle to educationally-effective
publishing today is the acute shortage of
paper. Despite vigorous efforts to increase
the supply, book and magazine paper pro-
duction continues at' about 20 percent of
the minimum re-orientational requirements.
Funds were made available recently to sup-
plement German output by means of im-
ports, but action has been hampered by bad
weather and by world shortages of cellulose,
coal, and transport.
To relieve the situation somewhat pre-
occupation Nazi literature was confiscated
under an Allied Uoitri6 'Council order and is
being pulped inio new paper which becomes
available to publishers now producing un-
biased reading matter. Private donations of
paper from religious and trade union organi-
zations outside Germany also have helped to
keep the presses rolling. In addition, Publi-
cations Control Branch has a special program
to ease the shortage. It is trying to restrict
allocations to high-priority projects; increase
the production of paper to be used in the
publishing industry; obtain more private do-
nations outside Germany from churches, edu-
cators, foundations, and trade associations;
and buy paper in the world market through
the Joint Export-Import Agency (US/UK).
In spite of obstacles the German publishing
industry begins to show new life, especially
among the publishing trade associations. Dur-
ing the past few months, publishers' represent-
atives met in Frankfurt and presented useful
recommendations to Military Government. A
four-zone convention met at Bielefeld, 8 Feb-
ruary, and -another at Leipzig, 6 March.
Each meeting framed proposals for self-regu-
lation within the trade; for revival of the
traditional educational, statistical, and biblio-
graphic services of the former all-German
publishers' trade association (Boersenverein
der deutschen Buchhaendler); and for prop.>
erly regulated' interzonal business.  TWO
reference libraries are being set up by the
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