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and
co-existence

basis of GDR
foreign policy

Twice in the 20th Century, Canada’s
youth has fought in wars which start-
‘ed from German soil. 100,000 of our
young men laid down their lives.
Countless others were maimed and
wrecked for life.

: It is little wonder that what happens
in Germany is of deep concern to the
people of our country.

Those who study history, especially
in the light of Marxism, do not place
the responsibility for these two holo-
causts on German imperialism alone.
They condemn also the role played by
other imperialists—British, French, and
in more recent history—United States.

But having said this, it is also a fact
that after the defeat of the liberal-
democratic revolution in 1848, Ger-
many was united under Bismarck as a
particularly aggressive . imperialist
state. The ruling class, increasingly

joined together in the great monopolies:

put its stamp of militarism and author-
itarianism on the German nation.
These same forces are still very much
alive in the German Federal Republic.
The Krupps and Thyssens still rule
behind the scenes. Old nazis are in high
places in Bonn. The kept big business
press of Axel Springer speaks its poi-

‘son far and wide. The drive continues

for another war of revenge, for the
restoration of the old borders behind
which imperial Germany held millions
of Poles and Czechs in oppression.
Pressure is uncéasing for acquisition of
nuclear weapons.

Resistance.to these policies of war

"PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OGTOBER 10, 1969-—Page.6

and revenge in West Germany is
mounting, as the great pre-election
demonstrations against von Thadden
showed.

But the most stalwart bulwark
against a Third World War arising
from German soil, and hence the chief
target of the West German monopoly
capitalists is the German Democratic
Republic.

For 20 years the German Democratic

Republic has stood as an ever bright- ~

ening reminder to all mankind that
there was and there is another Ger-
many—the Germany of its working
people, the Germany of democracy and
humanism, the Germany of Marx and
Engels, and Leibknecht and Thael-
mann, the Germany of Goethe and
Heine, of Bach and Beethoven.

Canadians need to know much bet-
ter this land of 17 million German
people now celebrating 20 years of
achievement.

Not only is it a proof in life that
socialism works very well indeed, but
it is also a state that is dedicated
resolutely and unswervingly to the
fight for peace in Europe and the world.

In a recent interview, Otto Winzer,
Foreign Minister of the German Demo-
cratic Republic said: “It is only nat-
ural that the safeguarding of European
security corresponds to a basic task
of the home and foreign policy of the
German Democratic Republic—that is
to prevent once again a war starting
from German soil.”

At the centre of the G.D.R.’s present
foreign policy is its struggle to bring
about an all European security con-
ference including the countries of
NATO and of the Warsaw Pact. :

Such a conference as the G.D.R.
statesmen see it could work out a
treaty on collective security for Eur-
ope. It would include in its terms the
recognition of the boundaries and ter-
ritories established- as a result of the
Second World War. It would include
agreement between the European coun-
tries on a renunciation of the use of
force, as well as measures for the re-
gional limitation of arms, leading to-
wards general disarmament.

The G.D.R. is quite convinced that
relations of fruitful co-operation with
the. people of the Federal republic can
be worked out, providing that the West
German leaders abandon the present
policy of revenge seeking and militar-
ism sparked by neo-Nazis in high

eee rr ee

|| TTT ee oe oe — |

40

German Democratic Republic is recog-
nized, that Bonn gives up its pretence
that it alone can speak for Germany,
providing that nazi propaganda is
stopped, and that the drive to secure
nuclear weapons is renounced.

If these policies fought for by the
German Democratic Republic and its
socialist allies can triumph, if condi-
tions can be created: for lasting peace
between the nations of Europe, then
all Canadians will know that their
hopes of living out their lives in peace
will be made more secure.

Is it not time in our own interests,
and in the interests of all. peoples, that
our government stopped gazing with a
blind eye at this new nation—-the first
peace state on German soil? Are we not
justified in demanding that the new
policy of good sense which seems to be
prevailing in relation to the People’s
Republic of China, should be continued
into the early recognition by Canada
of the German Democratic Republic?

CE
From war's ruins

to a leading

industrial state

in 20 years
EN

Today a new young socialist gene-
ration increasingly takes over the run-
ning of the government and economy
of the German Democratic Republic.

Rising from the ruins of World War
II, the G.D.R. has now become a lead-

. ing industrial state—all of which testi-

fies to the heroism of the German
working class.

Co-operation with the Soviet Union
proved a tremendous asset for the
G.D.R.’s development. It is worth re-
calling that the 122 factories which
used to belong to war criminals and
were destroyed by bombings, were re-
built by the Soviet Union, put into
operation, and handed over to the
G.D.R.

There is much talk these days about
the “miracle” of West Germany. The
real “miracle” took place in the Ger-
man Democratic Republic.

The theses for the Twentieth Anni-
versary pay tribute to the people of
the G.D.R. in these words: .

“Thanks to the heroic efforts of the
working people, the real German Eco-
nomic Miracle took place in the G.D.R.
There is growing recognition in the
world for the fact that the G.D.R. is
one of the leading industrial nations
of the earth...

“In the past two decades whole new
branches of industry have been built,
such as the petrol-chemical industry,
ship-building, and modern metallurgy.
At the same time there has been the
development of a modern agricultural
economy.

: 2 0

places in Bonn, providing that the

1

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It
“Many towns have been rebl! a
completely newly constructed “a0
“Since 1960 the national in?
increased by 25 percent .-" . wf
* Growth in social wealth na
it possible to increase real earm eu
250 percent since 1950. In the Fi
years state expenditures for © ith 5
professional training, sport, Fol ‘
vices, science and culture have ay
-.. In each 10 months oUF
produces as much as the whole 6.
many produced in a year 9 oss
It is clear that in the Prete
building a modern socialist
life of the people has improve i
A. relatively. small county
G.D.R. ranks only 92nd in Mog
in terms of territory and 29th nd
lation, yet it holds ninth place ne &)
of industrial production. 2
million citizens engaged in $0 9 !
pation — 3.6 million of ™aamm