democratic and peace-loving countries that the principles
of the democratization and demilitarization of Germany
adopted by the anti-Hitler coalition at the Potsdam confer-
ence should be practically implemented throughout the
whole of Germany. And this is possible only if Germany's
unity is re-established and not a single part of Germany
remains outside the joint control of all the four Powers
charged with implementing these principles. The fulfilment
by Germany of her obligations toward the Allied countries
which suffered Nazi aggression and occupation likewise to
no small extent depends on- the re-establishment of Ger-
many's unity.
At the London meeting -no one openly objected to the
unity of Germany. Statements were even made to the effect
that the re-establishment of Germany's unity wais the prin*
cipal task of the meeting of the four Ministers. It tran-
spired, however, that the representatives of the U.S.A., Great
Britain and France wanted to reduce this task merely to
the arrangement of certain agreements aimoiig the occupa-
tion authorities concerning the elimination of zonal bar-
riers, for the purpose of facilitating the movement of goods
and so forth, ignoring the1 participation of the German
people themselves and of their democratic forces in the
restoration of the unity of the German State. It conse-
quently appeared that here, too, the concern was for the
convenience of foreign export companies in selling their
goods in Germany rather than for the actual re-establish-
ment of the unity of the German State.
Fundamentally different from this was the attitude of
the U.S.S.R. delegation.
For, .indeed, can one seriously speak of re-establishing
Germany's unity im conformity with the Poitsdam agree-
ment without the active piairtiicopation of the German' people
themselves and their progressive democratic forces? It is
5-46