he Re-education of Germany
All 'who have studied the question of European reconstruction ecognise that there will be no more difficult task than that of deal- g with the mind of the German people. There will be no onfidence in peace till the German people have altered their way f thinking—but thoughts cannot be forcibly thrust into people's inds. This is one of the main questions that lie behind the port on "Education and the United Nations," issued by a joint ommission of the London International Assembly and the Council or Education in World Citizenship, the former including represen- atives from most of the United Nations, but with Russians only as )bservers. Dr. Gilbert Murray was chairman. On the negative side the task of the commission has not been very difficult. It was easy to conclude that the Nazi de nts in German education mu* be extirpated, and these must be irlf me whole Nazi organisation which it will be the duty of the occupying Powers to destroy before they quit Germany. A period of United Nations administration in Germany is assumed, under which, it is suggested, a High Commissioner for Education, chosen in advance, would begin the work of purging the educational system of all that savours of Nazism. (This suggestion received support from the United States Commissioner of Education, who proposed last Tuesday the immediate formatian of a United Nations Education Commission.) The report also suggests that the Commissioner should supervise measures by the German people for their own re-education. Here it approaches the positive and more difficult tasks to be performed. It clearly recognises that the German people must re-educate them- selves ; and it as clearly recognises that re-education must take a form tolerable to the outside world. There is a certain contradiction here not easily to be resolved, though the proposed attempt to organise education internationally may have its attractions even for Germans, and tend to bring them into line. The suggested burning of Mein Kampf would only give that volume a scarcity value.
