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16
PARTISAN REVIEW
Von Beckerath was critical of the B.B.C. He said that before
the capitulation everyone had been eager to hear it, but now it
was boring and cautious and none wanted to listen. The items of news
from Gem1any were of exactly the kind which, in a country where
there are almost no communications and where each part is cut off
from every other part, were least interesting. To hear in Hamburg
that thirty trains had gone from Cologne to Dusseldorf, or in Dussel–
dorf that six ships had arrived in Rostock, was like hearing of events
in China. What would be far more interesting-if it is impolitic to
talk to Germans about Germany- would be to have at any rate a
serious discussion of the situation in England, or in France, or in Amer–
ica. The Germans know almost nothing about the situation of the
rest of the world outside Germany. The broadcasts to Germany should
therefore have a broad general political interest.
He asked : 'Why cannot the B.B.C. discuss the future of Ger–
many? Why cannot it comment on the implications of such actions
as the taking over of the I.G. Farbenindustrie, actions which cause
anxiety, because the I.G.F. manufacture many essential things, besides
making armaments?'
I asked him what he thought of articles such as those of Franz
Werfel and Thomas Mann, which had appeared in the English-con–
trolled German press. In his article, Werfel had written: 'Apart from
Pastor Nicmoeller, there was not visible amongst you one single man
who honoured God more than the Gestapo.'
'Werfel wollen wir ablegen,' 'We can put Werfel aside,' he
answered. 'He is a man who sees everything in terms of pure black
or pure white, without understanding the real issues involved. Thomas
Mann is, of course, more to be respected. He is a great literary artist,
but as Germany's preceptor he has always cut an unhappy figure.
During the last war he wrote a book in defence of Prussianism. He
lacks moral authority. What we need is simple, serious men to speak
to us, men whom we can respect and trust. There may be such
amongst the refugees, but the whole problem of our attitude towards
the refugees is very involved.'
The Rector of Bonn University, Dr. Konen, is a vigorous man
of seventy. He has a worn, thin narrow face with a refined spiritual
expression. He also has a sense of humour. He likes to illustrate what
he is saying with metaphors, parables, images, stories. But he does not
become garrulous.
Konen lives not far from von Beckenrath in a house on the hills
of Godesberg above the Rhine, looking out over the river towards
