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Military government weekly information bulletin
Number 98 (June 1947)
German reactions, pp. 19-20
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Page 19
Munich Conference Criticizing the withdrawal of the representatives of. the. Soviet Zone from the Ministers-President Con, ference in Munich early this month, the Sueddeutsche Zeittpg (Munich) said: "It is the tragedy of the Germans that in historical moments they are not able. to find a common de- nominator for their common fate. The strong hope arising from the announ- cement that .the ministers of the eastern zone would attend the Munich Conference was suddenly.extinguished by the "action" with which the same Ministers-President turned the pre- lude of the conference into a most tragic gathering. "Nobody could still doubt that the represensatives of the .eastern zone did, not want to 'put aside the bar- riers'... They arrived with the firm aim of forcing upon the conference a slant that, would have. annulled the idea of the conference. According to their instructions, they came to start a political discussion and to carry on that kind of political 'action' which correspondends to the conception of the occupation force of their zone. Their 'zonal' love of Germany and their attitude towards German distress and problems were more important to them than trying to solve economic problems together (which would have been a first step, towards the solution of political questions)..." "Among Germans on German soil we had to experience the same tra- gedy as Moscow, which prevented, in spite of the good will of the western democracies, the beginning of the re- organization of all of; Germany." The Stuttgarter Nachrichten said: "The fact, that the program of the conference had not been thoroughly prepared, is obvious. In politics there are other attitudes than extremes. Be- tween the conception of the unitary state and the Bavarian viewpoint of a federal state there: are theoretical and practical possibilities of: over- coming the contrasts. They need, however,,thorough preparatory think- ing because the creation of the Laen- der isWbased on totally different foun- dations in the various zones." Right Direction The Fraekischde Nadhirchten (Tau- berbischofsheim) does nrt believe that the new Economic Council is a panacea for the solution of German problems, but sees it as a step in. the right direction. In I a recent editorial, it said: "Compared with the'situation' ofto- day the Iessential point of progress is that a resolution of the Economic Council, if approved by both Mili- tary Governments, will have about the same significance as a statute Lof the former Reich, the Laender being executive institutions. But as long as the separation of zones lasts, as long as a peace treaty has not yet settled our rights and duties, this office will not be able to work out an effective all-round plan of Germany's future." Single Summer Time Commenting on the return to single summer time, the Sueddeutsche Zei- twng (Munich) observed: "Simple Summer Time will be re- introduced because the requests of German authorities-were; agreed to by the Occupation Forces. Therefore, one should not say that any sound German suggestion would be ignored as a matter of course and must fail; and that it would not be worth-while to present a petition to the Allies at all. That the German arguments were accepted certainly means that they were considered better and wore convincing than the counter-argu- ments. German initiative has been successful. "Let the conclusion be drawn that in other cases, too, we should present petitions to the Occupation Forces without an attitude of resignation, If we. feel we have the better reasons on our side." 'The Mit gensburg), one of four licensed suer- man papers to remember D-Day edi- torially, commented particularly on the grandiose gamble of the German military and teminded its readers that Germans were foolish enough to fight to the bitter end. It concluded:' *"May the German standing 'at the bank of the abyss learn only one thing: never again to trust ambitious military and bloodthirsty elements who afterwards assert impudently that Germany deserved this terrible fate because of her shortcomings in the military struggle." Potatoes for Berlin Three Berlin papers - the US- licensed Tagesspiegel, British-licensed Telegraf, and Soviet-licensed CDU organ tNene Zelt - reported 'that, according to Mr. Frank L. Howley, Director of the Office of Military Government, US Sector, a special shipment of potatoes will be made shortly to Berlin. The Tagesspiegel story advised that 4,000 tons 6f fresh potatoes from Ame- rican Army stocks in the American Zone will be sent to Berlin as soon as posssible. The report also said, American authorities will send 3,200 tons of dehydrated potatoes, corre- sponding to 19,000 tons of fresh po- tatoes. "The Director of American Mili- tary Government for Berlin Sector, Frank L. Howley, declared that the potato shortage is due to the fact that the Soviet Zone did no send all of the 160,000 tons of potatoes agreed on for exchange against products from the two west zones", declared the paper. "Mr. Howley said the Russians lag behind in their ship- ments by 99,000 tons, a Stock which would meet the needs of Berlin for two months, and would meet the needs of the American and British Sectors for four months." 1WEKY INFORMATION BULLETIN 23 JUNE 1947 19
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