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The German People and Democracy.
ba
The German people are capable of learning the art of
successful'self-government. The proof of this statement lies in
past progress already made along the road toward this consummation.
The Germany of 1914 was only a semi-autocracy. Important civil
rights and Important parliamentary privileges had before been
and were then enjoyed by its people. It was part of the error
of opinion during the First War to think of German political
conditions as a complete antithete to democracy.
The German Republic for a decade manifested a clear ability,
possessed by its people and their leaders, to operate a parlia-
mentary system under conditions as adverse and as gratuitously
unfavorable as ever faced such an enterprise. The circumstances
which undermined and in the end subverted this Republic would
easily be removable if opportunity were accorded for a renewed
*NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AMD
RECOROS
attempt.
The Social Democratic Party maintained an organization-in-
exile in London in Hitler days. Its present leadership seems of
high ability. City elections in the American Zone last year sug-
gested the most interesting possibility that both it and its chief
antagonist had come so hear to evenly dividing the electorate that
Western Germany might be close to the point where government by
a single majority party, American fashion, would become feasible.
Nothing since is likely to have weakened either of these two
great parties unless it were either increase of communism or
stirring of renascent fascism induced by the hardships suffered in
the interim. This would make the more urgent reversal of policies
responsible for developments so untoward.
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"ocrText": "- 61 -\nThe German People and Democracy.\nba\nThe German people are capable of learning the art of\nsuccessful'self-government. The proof of this statement lies in\npast progress already made along the road toward this consummation.\nThe Germany of 1914 was only a semi-autocracy. Important civil\nrights and Important parliamentary privileges had before been\nand were then enjoyed by its people. It was part of the error\nof opinion during the First War to think of German political\nconditions as a complete antithete to democracy.\nThe German Republic for a decade manifested a clear ability,\npossessed by its people and their leaders, to operate a parlia-\nmentary system under conditions as adverse and as gratuitously\nunfavorable as ever faced such an enterprise. The circumstances\nwhich undermined and in the end subverted this Republic would\neasily be removable if opportunity were accorded for a renewed\n*NATIONAL\nARCHIVES AMD\nRECOROS\nattempt.\nThe Social Democratic Party maintained an organization-in-\nexile in London in Hitler days. Its present leadership seems of\nhigh ability. City elections in the American Zone last year sug-\ngested the most interesting possibility that both it and its chief\nantagonist had come so hear to evenly dividing the electorate that\nWestern Germany might be close to the point where government by\na single majority party, American fashion, would become feasible.\nNothing since is likely to have weakened either of these two\ngreat parties unless it were either increase of communism or\nstirring of renascent fascism induced by the hardships suffered in\nthe interim. This would make the more urgent reversal of policies\nresponsible for developments so untoward."
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