5

German People
rged Fo Unite
For Peace

a a RAVELY alarmed for the fate of our people, we Germans from the Western regions of

"© Germany, fully aware of our responsibility, have united, regardless of religious and po-

)
{

} Men and Women of Germany!

jit people realize with greater
arity that the government is hid-
@& the truth from them. The
s2ople were told a deliberate lie
iat the war is allegedly being
enducted in defense of our vital
-a.terests. Subsequently the Ger-
an ministers openly admitted
jat it is a war of conquest.
From the very beginning the
sople were deceived and told that
{ 1€ war would be short-lived, that
‘ctory had allegedly already been
on. But the war has been in
rogress now for more than three
yet peace seems further
way than ever before.

We are being deliberately de-
tived as to the extent of our
lsses. But there is mourning in
rery German family and the
umber of Sacrifices grows with
“rery passing day. We have been
seeived as regards the results
' submarine warfare. This is tes-
fied to by the landing of big
merican and British armies in
“orth Africa. We are being de-
berately deceived as regards the
tuation on the Eastern Front
ad Russia’s strength of resist-
ace.. This is testified to by the
rone Russian offensive.

The fact that whole German
“mies are being flung far back,
jicircled and ground down, is
@ sine concealed from us, and they
ie trying to.hide from us the
ct that the German economy
ad food question are in a state
i terrible degradation.

Qur people demand the truth.
he fate of our nation is at stake
‘d it is our duty to learn from
@-e experience of the war and to
*-opagate its lessons. The pro-
¥ action of the war gave England,
i merica and Russia time for the
ill development of their economic
Wight, whereas after almost three
Sad a half years of war Germany
nearing exhaustion.

e@

lack of labor power and
raw materials, the transport
‘ifficulties and the rapid wear and
#sar of machinery has led to an
Ser greater drop in, industrial
: reduction. The lack of labor
“iower in the countryside, the
Shortage of fodder and fertilizer
4md poor cultivation are leading
to erop failure. Our cattle herd
43: sharply declining. The food
Supply base of our people is be-
yog ruined.
Extreme strain over a number
Hf years and malnutrition of the
yorkers are undermining the
nost prized possession of the
meople—labor power. Labor pro-
jiuctivity is declining and the
jealth of the people is greatly
mperilled,
| The armed forces of the empire
Sire Scattered far apart and dis-
jersed. “The army is suffering
trom a shortage of men, tanks
and planes for serving the far-
dung front. The German army
i0 longer has superiority in ar-
manents. It no longer dominates
the air.
@ur cities and industrial re-
Zions are not protected against
heavy air raids. Lack of gasoline
restricts the possibilities of using
equipment and curbs the manoeu-
verability of troops on the front.

wificers and Soldiers! Every day ~

The enemy's armies have already
attained numerical superiority.
They are better armed and better
equipped.

Lack of skilled officers and
well-trained soldiers tells more
and more on the German army.
The big offensive operations at
Stalingrad and in the Gaucasus
failed; yet they were continued
merely because of considerations
of prestige, as a result of which
the army has been greatly weak-
ened.

The position of the Axis in
Europe is growing steadily weak-
er. It may be considered that the
attempt, by means of occupation
and forcible methods, to compel
the peoples of Europe to submit
to German rule has failed. Meth-
ods of violence have evoked pro-
found hatred among all peoples.

Yugoslavia remains an arena
of military operations. The Dutch
and Belgians, Norwegians and
Greeks are openly resisting the
Hitlerite “New Order in Europe.”
And now, by occupying the whole
of France, Hitler has again
aroused the whole French people
and evoked their profound indig-
nation.

Even in the countries of Ger-
manys allies, particularly in
Italy, there is a growing desire
to break away from the Axis and
conclude @ separate peace. Un-
limited claims to power and an
unrestrained military policy have
led to the fatal isolation of Ger-
many. The events in North Africa
have shown that a second front
will be opened and will coincide
with popular uprisings in the oc-
ecupied countries:

e

Te continue the war is to con-

vert Germany into a theatre
of military operations, into an
arena of war. And although more
and more voices are raised warn-
ing the army, economic circles
and the people, Hitler’s adventur-
ist government is unswervingly
steering its course towards a dan-
serous reef. Frightening us with
the bogey of a “terrible peace of
a new Versailles” and threaten-
ingly raising the question of
“victory or death,” the Hitler goy-
ernment is trying to force our
people to go on with the war.

To prolong his rule and that
of his party, Hitler is gambling
with the life of Germany. The
longer the war lasts, the weaker
and more defenseless will Ger-
many become. The longer the war
lasts, the more sacrifices it will
demand, the greater number of
wounds will be inflicted upon us
and all mankind. The longer the
war lasts. the longer the claims
to foreign territory persist. the
heavier will be the weight of re-
sponsibility resting upon our
people. :

The longer the war lasts, with
the numerous crimes of the SS.
and Gestapo in the occunied coun-
defenseless war prisoners, the
more bitter and the greater will
be the hatred of the peoples for
our peovle. The longer our offi-
cers and soldiers continue to fight
for Hitler’s lost cause. the great-
er their persistence. the harder
will be the terms of peace which

tical convictions. Overcoming many obstacles and defying all dangers we assembled at a
secret conference. After a thorough exchange of opinions we arrived at the unanimous de-
Sion to issue the following manifesto to our people:

we will eventually have to con-
clude.

Qur people in the rear, the offi-
cers and soldiers on the front
must understand that the contin-
uation of the war is not the way
out, not our salvation, but a false
path, the way to death!

In the name of our people we
aecuse the present government
of leading our state to a second
Versailles and to disaster!

What is the way out? The way
for our people to reach a just
peace? 3

e

TANDING between our people
and a just peace are the
treaties violated by the present
government and its boundless ter-
ritorial claims and conquests, its
policy of violence and ~ crimes
against other people. But the way
to a just peace is open for our
people if they themselves put an
end to the war, to the Hitler sys-
tem and the policy of violence!
The question arises whether

With growing persistence the
people are demanding peace.
Forces everywhere are coming
into motion. Is there not a strong
national and democratic anti-Hit-
ler, anti-war opposition among
the people, in economic circles
and within the army leadership?
Has not Hitler removed many
generals? Is there not opposition
even in the organizations of the
Wational Socialist Party?

This opposition is growing, for
all honest Germans who have been
following Hitler are now deeply
disappointed. They see that in-
stead of an honest administra-
tion, here is the worst kind of
mismanagement and favoritism;
instead of public welfare, there
is the pursuit of selfish ends and
the unscrupulous enrichment of
the Nazi fuebrers; instead of the
salvations of the peasantry, there
is an exodus from villages and the
ruin of agriculture; instead of
promised favorable conditions for
handicraft workers, there is loss
of independence for the small
handicraftsman; instead of the
former six million unemployed we
have today over six million killed
and crippled and millions of wid-
ows and orphans.

@Qur people have not only the
strength for action to bring about
their salvation; there are also
people capable of guiding the des-
tiny of the State. There are such
people in the army, among the
officers and soldiers, among the
workers and peasants, in the uni-
versities and among the clergy.
Such people have been thrown by
Hitler into prisons and concen-
tration camps. Such people are
the famous German scientists,
statesmen and executives who
have been deprived by Hitler of
the rights of citizenship and
driven from our country.

e@
HE nation has men, able lead-
ers. Healthy forces are being
accumulated in the ranks of the

HIS, the

Peace Manifesto
adopted by the
Peace Movement Conference
held recently in Western Ger-
many, is the most significant
document yet to’ come out of
Germany. It was broadcast over
the illegal “German People’s
Broadcasting Station’.

National

there are adequate forces among
our people to do away with the
Hitler party and regime? Yes,
there are such forces! They are
seattered as yet. They must be
united into a big national Ger-
man peace movement! There are
forces among the parties and or-

' ganizations suppressed by Hitler,

as well as among the troops and
in the opposition within the Na-
tional Socialist camp. There are
forces among the workers, intel-
lectuals and peasants, as well as
among the middle classes and the
bourgeoisie.

We have in mind the support-
ers of the old big parties of the
Center, the German WNational
People’s Party, the Communist
Party and the Social Democratic
Party, the members of the form-
er Christian and trade unions, the
members of the former coopera-
tive and sports movements, the
old members of the SA., and even
those who are formally affiliated
to the Nazi organization. A single
will for peace, justice and free-
dom must unite us all in strug-
gle!

All who are against the war
and against Hitler must join the
ranks of this great national peace
movement! Cast away all hesita-
tion and fear! Put an end to in-
different silence and hesitant
waiting!

people. Let us unite in a national
peace movement. Let us unite the
people and those who are their
finest representatives, We propose
that our joint struggle for our
common aim be guided by the
following ten-point program.

i. The immediate end of mili-
tary operations. The recall of the
German army to Germany and the
renunciation of conquests of for-
eign territory.

2. The overthrow of the Hitler
government and the formation of
a national democratic peace gov-
ernment.

3. The arrest and punishment of
those responsible for the war and
the confiscation of their property.
The disbandment of the SS. and
the Gestapo.

4, The liberation of the arrested
and convicted clergymen, depu-
ties, party and trade union lead-
ers and of those imprisoned by
the Hitler government for politi-
cal activities. The abolition of
concentration camps and humili-
ating racial laws.
ing racial laws.

5. Freedom of speech, press, as-
sembly, religion and opinion. The
free performance of religious
ceremonies. The freedom of politi-
cal, economic and cultural organ-
izations. ?

6. The abolition of all the eco-
nomic laws enforced by the Hitler
Government to the detriment of

the people. The restoration of the
freedom of peasant households
and handicrafts and the freedom
of trade. The security and free-
dom of just distribution of the
taxation burden. Aid to enter-
prises producing consumers’ goods
and foreign trade. The constitu-
tional protection of legally ac-
quired private property.

7. Work, fair wages, an eight-
hour working day and the right
to rest for all workers and of
fice employees. The restoration
of civil rights- to civil servants.
Aid to the youth to facilitate their
education and development,

8. Adequate state relief and
ample relief to the victims of the
war and the relatives of the men
killed in the war, at the expense
ef confiscating the property of
those responsible for the war and
of all profiteers and robbers.

9. A foreign policy of interna-
tional collaboration with peoples
and states. The recognition of the
right of all peoples to independ-.
ence and their own statehood.

10. The convening, on the basis
of equal and direct suffrage with
secret ballot, of a new constitu-
ent national assembly to work out
a democratic constitution and to
establish constitutional and ma-
terial guarantees of rights, of law
and order.

e

ERMAN Men and Women!
Officers and_ Soldiers! The
national peace movement is striv-
ing to build a new Germany, a
truly democratic state, a state of
peace and freedom. The new dem-
ocratic Germany will not be a
weak, defenseless state; it will
be a strong state, backed by the
unity and freedom of the people.
We do not want to look back into
the past, but into a better future
for Germany. Provided the peo-
ple have the will, they will find

the means for its realization.

“Let us rise in the strugele for
the worthy aim of peace and
freedom! Let every section of the
people fight with all the means
which their respective abilities
and stations place at their dis-
posal,

Executives can create difficul-
ties in disturbing the promissory
notes of the Hitler government;
they can sabotage the laws on
labor conscription and the distri-
bution of raw materials. The
peasants can sabotage the laws
on forcible sowing and deliveries
of agriculture produce. Workers
are able to employ extremely ef-
fective means of struggle, as on
their labor depends the work of
the war industry, coal output and
military transport.

Intellectuals and clergymen
have the possibility of supporting
the demands and aiams of the na-
tional peace movement by cour-
ageously voicing their opinions in
the universities, schools and
churches; thus helping to spread
the truth.

In the ques before the stores,
in front of the city halls and
military offices, the women can
express their will for peace and
their just demands for Improved
food supplies. The whole people
can delay or refuse payment of
all sorts of taxes, levies and de
ductions.

It is the sacred duty of the
officers and soldiers in the army,
as the armor bearers of the na-
tion, to develop among the troops
an irresistible movement for the
immediate cessation of hostilities
and for their return home. To
restore honor and dignity to
the soldiers it is necessary to
disarm the Gestapo and the SS.
and to arrest the base Hitler ele-
ments among the troops. All hon-
est officers and soldiers who are
imbued by a truly national spirit
must together with the people
establish law and order in Ger-
many.

All out in the struggles of the
people against the war. This is
the slogan of the day. Germans
of all sections of society, all re-
ligions and parties! Unite for the
common cause, for the common
aim—for the salvation of our
state, for peace and for the wel-
fare of the people and the country!