Abstract

Rearmament: A German View

Six years ago West German rearmament was out of the question. Today it is taken for granted. This is true despite the failure of E. D. C., the uncertainties left by the London meeting, and the obvious fact that West German rearmament is a kind of time-bomb threatening to wreck any attempt at an all-European settlement. The rearmament of West Germany must be accompanied by measures for the protection of Germany's neighbors. At the same time any such measures should make the Germans feel that they had been denied equality of rights and would rob the military pact of a considerable part of its value. The rearmament of West Germany widens rather than narrows the gap between the two Germanys and creates tension which are fraught with peril for the whole of Europe.