110
PAR T I SAN REVIEW
Greenwich Village Revolutionaries and the nightmare doesn't seem
much more unconventional than the early Edna St. Vincent Millay.
If
one stripped this book of its affectations, the best in it would be closer
to James M. Cain than to Henry Miller and the humor more reminis–
cent of S.
J.
Perelman and his ingenious burlesque of our advertisement
culture than of James Joyce. The latter is mentioned because from time
to time the reader feels Joyce's ghost hovering over Mr. Patchen, but so
far they have been unable to establish contact.
ELIZABETH
HARDWICK
THE TEST OF UTOPIA
GERMANY
Is
OuR PROBLEM.
By H enry Morgenthau, Jr. Harper and
Brothers.
$2.50.
I
T IS
very fortunate for human guinea pigs that few social Utopias are
tested by events. In recent history there has been one important ex–
ception: the attempt, namely, to reorganize a defeated Germany and
create a lasting peace. But it was not publicized. When, through an in–
discretion, some of the specifications of this blueprint for Germany leaked
out and a heated debate was started, it was officially stated that there
was no such plan for dealing with Germany.
Only a year has passed and we now learn not only that there was
such a plan, but also that its author is none other than Mr. Henry
Morgenthau, who assures us that his plan was really the directive of
the Big Three. In fact, Mr. Morgenthau presents some impressive evi–
dence: a facsimile of the hitherto denied Morgenthau plan in its original
form, a "top secret" memo taken by Mr. Roosevelt to the Quebec Con–
ference. We have also learned from Drew Pearson that a memo signed
by Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill on September 15, 1944, in Quebec,
contained a good part of the Morgenthau memo, above all, the idea of
the pastoralization of Germany. We also know that partitioning was
envisaged as early as Teheran, while the conversion of Eastern Germany
into a purely agrarian province was decided on at Yalta. And should
there still be any doubt about the connection between the Morgenthau
plan and the Potsdam agreement-after the tri-partite decisions had
been put into effect by the conquering Russian armies-Mr. Morgen–
thau has republished the Potsdam declaration to prove it.
In fairness to him it should be said that his prescription has been
followed completely only by the surgeon in the East. The Russians have
not only removed the heavy industries of the East-plus almost every–
thing portable-but they have also cut off East Prussia, Southern Silesia,
