THE BACKBONE OF GERMANY
By WALTHER WESTPHAL
NAZI propagandists are accustomed to paint a picture of a thoroughly united Germany, where Nazi principles are whole- heartedly accepted by the whole nation, where everybody and every- thing is gleichgeschaltet, and where representatives of independent views are safely tucked away in concentration camps. This view is also widely held in this country. People who discuss the future of Germany are too apt to start from the assumption that Nazism has permeated the whole life of the German nation and all its institu- tions so completely that everything must be destroyed or wholly recast when the Nazi regime is overthrown.
Hitler's latest speech, like Goebbels's articles in Das Reich, reveals a different state of affairs. All available evidence points to the fact that there is still a very wide gap between the totalitarian aspirations of the Nazis and the realities of the German Horne Front. The so- called Umbruch (break with the past) in 1933, though far-reaching in many respects, was not so radical as the Nazis meant it to be. They must now admit that even the German administrative machine is not yet completely nazified. Hitler has had to assume still greater powers because many civil servants are not reliable from his point of view and have not yet swallowed his new doctrine. Terror and propaganda could not eliminate all elements which belong to the traditional Germany. They will survive Nazi rule, and their stability will prevent chaos and disintegration when Hitler's days are numbered.
That, of course, is in line with the teachings of history. Even the most radical reformer cannot break entirely with the past. There is always some sort of continuity, and elements of the previous order survive. Tradition and the whole heritage of the past cannot be conjured away, not even by the most drastic reformers. Even in Russia, not only churches survived, but also, in spite of all anti- religious propaganda, the spirit which created them. In progressive America local government is still based in some parts on laws intro- duced by the Duke of York in 167o. Radical reformers like to talk of an entirely fresh start, but that term belongs to the realm of political propaganda, not to that of political science.
In our highly organised society, where the State has had to assume more and more responsibilities, an ordered life of the nation depends on the normal functioning of the administrative machine. It took centuries to build it up. The Nazis found out, and now admit openly, that it cannot be changed in a few years. A different opinion was held by the present Archbishop of Canterbury. He said in a most valuable contribution to a discussion on the future of Germany (Fortnightly Review of last November): " The Nazis have made a clean sweep of the old organs of government and administration." The Nazis would certainly have liked to do that, but it was simply impossible. What they have done is to take over the existing machinery, bring it entirely under their control, and try—not always successfully—to eliminate all hostile elements and replace them by
people who were reliable from their point of view, as far as that possible. In addition, they have created some new organs like Gestapo and the Ministry of Propaganda. They have not el occupied all key positions, because they were incapable of doing
It is impossible to predict what the future government of Germ will be like after the inevitable collapse of Nazi rule. In viex the elaborate measures taken by the Gestapo, a popular rising se very unlikely, at least before a complete military defeat. After t no opposition group (or only a military dictatorship, unacceptable the Allies) may be strong enough to assert its authority and to rest law and order. In that case, the functions of government will ha to be exercised by an Allied Reconstruction Commission. It have to remain in office till it could be replaced by a democra German Government.
While agreeing that the functions of government may have to exercised for some time to come by an Allied Reconstruction mission, I do not see the necessity, or even the possibility, effecting a complete change of the German administration, apart fro purging it from genuine Nazis. Even the Nazis had to leave the o machine largely intact. The members of , the "Old Guard" of party were good at street fighting and tavern brawls, but they co hardly be expected to replace experts in the administration. Wh Hitler came to power, only 2,080 civil servants were members of party, and it may safely be assumed that they did not represent elite of their profession. The Nazis have, of course, tried to na the administration more and more, and they control it complete but they had to be content with giving a certain number of repr sentative posts to their party members. They had to leave alone those posts which need a high degree of expert knowledge.
They could safely do that, because a considerable proportion administrative work is routine work, governed by the laws efficiency, not by political considerations. It has to be done in same way, whether the government is Democratic, Bolshevist, Nazi. An obvious example is the postal system. It is quite u necessary for a future regime to destroy or recast that organisatie The postman will have to throw his swastika emblems into t dustbin, and the man behind the counter will sell stamps u different pictures ; party representatives will have to be removed but the machine as such will function in the same way as befor The same applies to the State railways and to all those branch of the administration which render vital services to the communi but are determined by technical, not by political, laws. All th services cannot be scrapped and re-created, because there would be a sufficient number of trained people to replace the old hold of office. Everything which was left intact by the Nazis can safely taken over by the Reconstruction Commission or by any flit government. (This, of course, does not apply to the army.) There thus an impressive number of elements of stability which do not for destruction or recasting, but which can be used to shape future of Germany.
Hitler's speech confirms my own experience that even in pos which are not only technical but demand political decisions, we s find a considerable number of anti-Nazis who would be able willing to carry on their work under the directions and the suPe vision of an Allied Reconstruction Commission. Civil servants (1 everybody else in Germany) had the choice between complying wl the wishes of the Nazis and adapting themselves at least outwar to the regime or being marked as " enemies of the State" suffering the inevitable consequences. Is it surprising that comparatively few have risked becoming martyrs of conyictions?
A future German Government may think it necessary to carry a thorough purge and eliminate not only genuine Nazis but al people whom they distrust for other reasons. But the task of Reconstruction Commission is not to create a new political sys but only to pave the way for it. Some branches of the administra must no doubt be completely destroyed. An obvious example is Gestapo, but not the police as a whole. The police have En functions. Some of them require a knowledge which no foreign untrained staff can possess. A detailed survey of the activities the police would enable us to sort out those branches which TO be destroyed or wholly recast from those which must of new' aim. The Foreign Office (including representations abroad) and Ministry of Propaganda, which has many local branches and ntrols wireless transmission and the Press, are further examples of titutions which obviously cannot be left intact.
I am prompted to make these observations by Hitler's speech. It "firmed my optimism, which contrasts rather sharply with the ual pessimism of British writers on this subject. I do not think t "disintegration and chaos" (whatever that means) are the in- 'table consequences of Germany's military defeat. Eugen Diesel 'd once that our administration constitutes an " automatism of iency which secures eternal life for Germany." People whose on is not blinded by hatred ought to welcome this. After all,
declared war-aim of the Allies is not to " destroy " Germany, t to crush her military power and to annihilate Nazism.
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