German Leaders Get Straight Talking

Chronicle (Levin), 10 December 1949, Page 5

German Leaders Get Straight Talking

Received Friday, 7.5 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 9. Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick, chief of the German section of the British Foreign Office, was uncomrppnly frank when at their inyitatipn he addressed leading Ruhr and Rhineland industrialists and hankerg in Dusseldorf last night. He told them the more the mwmal Briton heard of the origins of the war the stronger became his resolve not to permit another German aggression. Suspicipn of Germgny was deeprooted in Britain, Sjr Ivone said, but the belief that Britain was detefmined tp plhninate Germany as a Qpmpetitor was .nniustified. British policy was gpided hy security. Britain h,a$ subsidised German eoonomie recove^y to the tune of £200,0.00,0.00, and but for Britain ihe permitied ievel of German steel prod.uction today might have b.een only 5,000,000 or 6,000,000 in-. steaii of 11,000,000 tons. The British were justified in taking a serious view of the renewed Gernian tendency to believe the worst of Britain, he said. It was the third time he had seen that happening in his lifetime, and if the Germans were propos- ■ ing to rely in the future on their favourite theory that Britain was npt only wicked but decadent, they I would find it just as expensive as I in the past. Sir Ivone said an effort was re- I quired on both sides if AngloGerman relations were to be put on a sound basis, but so far the effort had been from the British side only. VMmVAV.VW.'AVV.VA'.