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From The Dubois County Daily Herald
Wednesday, October 18, 1950

HARK THE HERALD

As Others See Us Americans
By A. T. Rumbach

The question one is asked most frequently upon returning from Europe is:   What are the prevailing conditions in Europe and what is the attitude of Europeans towards America?

As a casual observer, but interested enough to make inquires as one moves from place to place, we would say that economic conditions in Europe are greatly improved, thanks, primarily to the Marshall plan, the CROP, CARE, plus the individual efforts of thousands of Americans and to the Kind Providence which has just blessed most European countries with a bountiful harvest.

Turning first to the Marshall plan, we found that none named it, but to praise it.   Everyone whom we questioned, including citizens of France, Italy, Germany and England, gave full credit for the present state of progress in restoration of war-destroyed institutions, industries and establishments, and whatever measure of prosperity now prevails in their respective countries, to this American policy.

The people of Germany are well aware that the greater part of the destruction of their cities from bombing was the work of the American Air Forces.   But as far as one can learn from observation and inquiry there is no animosity or even resentment towards Americans.   They blame it all on the stubbornness and stupidity of Hitler and his advisors in their persistence in a policy of defying the allies long after it was apparent to everyone with common sense that theirs was a lost cause.  

The people of France as well as those of Western Germany look to the United States of American for leadership in building a strong, mobile and ever ready United Nations armed force to resist any further encroachment of Communism, specifically of the Soviet Russian government, upon Western Europe.   They are grateful towards, and filled with admiration for, the United States for the firm stand taken upon the invasion of South Korea by the Communist forces.   They followed every move in that campaign and were deeply concerned over the slow progress in the early stages and were highly elated over the later rapid strides made in driving back the Reds out of South Korea and following through in North Korea.

The reason for this is apparent.   All Europe was convinced that, had the aggression against South Korea remained unchallenged, the next step undertaken by the Reds would have been the invasion of Western Germany, with the Rhine, or even the Atlantic coast as their goal.   The result would have been a communist regime for all Europe, or else a bloody war necessitating the establishment of beachheads on the coast of France or on the Rhine with the completion of the destruction still visible from World War II in these countries.

There can be do doubt that Germany as well as the other democratic nations of Europe regard Russia as their natural foe, and that all are anxious to cooperate with the American program of maintaining preparedness against any aggressive move as the best means of preventing a third World War.   President Truman is held in high regard as the protagonist of such policy.

The people of Western Europe are sincerely grateful to the people of America for the assistance rendered them in the dark days of the post war years when they faced starvation and cold, for lack of food, clothes and shelter. The CROP program by which religious denominations cooperated in the collection of agricultural products in America and in the distribution of same in Europe in accordance with the needs of the suffering people was apparently carried out equitably and effectively.   The large number of CARE packages of food and clothing and individual shipments of such parcels by individual citizens of the USA to relatives and friends and to parties who were to the sender just a name of people in distress, were shared with neighbors and others in want.   These activities on the part of American citizens built up the morale of these people against the false promises held out by Communist propagandists.   They saved Western Europe from Communism gained the undying gratitude of the recipients and won for America the good will of these nations.