Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - The German Problem
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
officers and civil officials. We should have chosen
our personnel here with the same care that we have
taken traditionally when choosing our colonial civil
servants. We have not done this. We are not going
to be able to lead and control the German
development.”
In my opinion, it is inconceivable to undertake the
occupation of a country utilizing democratic
procedures. The process in itself has little to do with what
we in Sweden mean by democracy. Many examples
undoubtedly could be cited to show that the
Germans have real cause to feel disappointed. I am not
only thinking now of the rough measures which an
occupation power must take for purely practical
reasons, measures such as commandeering houses
and office buildings, with the result that thousands
of people suddenly have to leave their homes and
are forced to live under conditions they never
dreamed of. No, I am thinking more of the problem
touched upon by the British officer I just mentioned,
the fact that the minor officials of the occupation
forces have by and large not proved equal to their tasks.
It is not easy to find first class people. It is quite
natural that the best representatives of the various
professions prefer, after a war, to return to their
homeland to more peaceful and productive activity.
As a result, the occupation authorities do not have
access to the type of personnel they want. Another
drawback of the system is that officials in the British
administration in Germany are only given short
term contracts. This means that personnel changes
often, especially in the minor positions, and this in
turn leads to a lack of continuity and stability.
197
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
