-16-
 
 
old associates. Now, of course, the type that is qualified to make
a revolution is very far from the type that is qualified to rebuild. So it has come about that he is surrounded chiefly and the party in general is made up of people who are not only inferior in intelligence and ability but who have the wrong kind of temperament and the wrong kind of ability for the
work now in hand. In this way, it was said, a vicious circle has been set
up. Evolution within the party toward a better and wiser policy of government is the only hope for improving conditions, and the very nature of the party makes impossible the recruitment of the kind of people who could bring about such a healthy evolution.
 
 
 By this time it must be clear that my informants were generally
pretty well all of one kind and that my information is one-sided. I feel
this restriction on the significance of what I am putting down very keenly
and have no doubt that the people with whom I talked are in no sense at fair sample of the German population. But, as I said in the beginning,
they were selected not because of their political views but because of the
fact that I had access to them either on business or through professional
connections or through old personal associations. Therefore, I think their
substantial unanimity of some importance.
 
 
 There has been talk recently of the beginnings of malnutrition in
Germany. One man whom I know well and trust, who is the head of a big clinic
in one of the poor quarters of Berlin, told me clearly and emphatically that
there are as yet no signs of malnutrition in his hospital. Personally I
regard this one piece of evidence as decisive. However, I can well believe
from other things that were said that Germany is very close to the line in
this respect.