Rx for Security

Clench-jawed Lord Vansittart left his post as Chief Diplomatic Adviser to the Foreign Office in 1941, the better to press his belief that salvation lies in taming the Teuton. Last week he reduced his formula to twelve points, published them in the New York Times Magazine.

1) Unconditional surrender--to destroy the myth of German invincibility.

2) Effective occupation of Germany by an Allied army and air force, establishment of an inter-Allied council of control.

3) Arrest of persons believed guilty of war crimes, and trial in countries where the crimes were committed; neutrals to be requested not to give sanctuary.

4) Complete demobilization and disarmament of all German and Axis armed forces.

5) Domestic police forces in Germany to be regional, free of central control and demilitarized.

6) Abolition in Germany of all military and semimilitary training at any age, in any form, including abolition of officers' corps and training corps.

7) Evacuation of all invaded territory.

8) Restoration of, or compensation for, loot, machinery and equipment destroyed or removed, including compensation for commercial and industrial interests seized.

9) Effective control and, where required, closing down of Germany's war potentials, including aviation in all forms.

10) No loans or assistance to Germany without Allied approval.

11) School and university curricula to be under inter-Allied supervision and advice until the German people are inculcated with the principles of international good will.

12) German radio and all other propaganda to be under inter-Allied supervision as long as necessary.

These points alone will not secure peace, Vansittart wrote, but no peace is possible without them. His basic reasoning: The German Right is beyond redemption; its militarists, Junkers and heavy indus trials must be liquidated as a class and as a political force. He growled that the German Left is not much better; most German Socialists have been infected with militarism. In both wars, said he, the Allies have had to fight the German people in arms. The main thing is to destroy their power to rise again: "We must realize that this is by far the greatest, most barbaric upheaval in history. We shall not escape its recurrence by half measures applied with kid gloves."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.