ANTI-SEMITISM
StR,—ln his article (January 8) on the current out- break of anti-Semitism and neo-Nazism in Western Germany, Mr. Bernard Levin's suggestion that people should keep a sense of proportion when considering this matter is indeed timely. One point which Mr. Levin raised, however, merits some correction, and this is his statement that all the old German gib- berish about race and blood, etc., 'will have to be eradicated in Germany if her neighbours (particu- larly those on the wrong side of the Oder-Neisse line) are ever again going to sleep easily o' nights.'
The latter portion of this statement implies that a re-armed Germany could again strike eastwards, and thereby ignores the fact that the Second World War, seen in retrospect, represented a last fling by Germany to establish her hegemony over the continent of Europe before the processes of industrialisation and modernisation, accelerated by the centralised govern- ment of Stalin, raised Russia to the superpower that
she is today. This endeavour by Germany having failed, and the Russian giant at last having awoken to become the power equal of the United States, it can be said that just as Britain and France have become second-class powers—due essentially to their concentrated industrial areas and their relatively small populations being so highly susceptible to nuclear extinction—so also has Germany. Except then for an American-backed counter-attack to Rus- sian aggression, with the Bundeswehr acting as a satellite force to American annies in a localised non or tactical nuclear conflict, the Oder-Neisse line should remain inviolate for years to come. That the master race nonsense should be eradicated is most desirable, but modern power realities acting as a brake on future German expansion, it no longer represents the threat which it did in the past.
Finally, sir, could Mr. Levin at some later date perhaps comment on the position regarding appoint- ments of officials of the Nazi era to responsible posts, etc., in Eastern Germany? One finds, not amongst Liberals, but very much amongst a segment of the otherwise sane non-Communist Left, a completely blind spot as regards critical thought on this latter subject-Lpeople who shout the name of General Speidel from the rooftops very often have never heard of Field-Marshal von Paulus, for instance. A few paragraphs on this from Mr. Levin would, I feel sure, be welcomed by many of your readers.—Yours faithfully,
A. R. NICHOLSON
73a Kempshott Road, Streatham, SW 16 [Bernard Levin writes: 'I only mentioned the Oder- Neisse line because much of the German attitude to the "lost provinces" seems to exhibit all the worst nationalist tevlencies of which I was writing. As for Mr. Nicholson's last point, I entirely agree with him; too many people are apt to ignore the use made in Eastern Germany of Nagis. I didn't discuss it myself because my point was precisely that it is in Western, democratic Germany that revivals of Nazism are disturbing. There is nothing surprising about a Com- munist dictatorship using Nazis or anyone else for their purposes.'—Editor, Spectator.]
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