- 3 - d) With respect to treatment of the German popula- tion, no steps should be taken by the occupation authorities for the purpose of providing a higher standard of living than is reuired for the prevention of disease and disorder. Agree- ment should be sought on a uniform quantitative definition of this standard and on the measures which the victorious powers might be prepared to take if necessary to assure such a minimum. This agreed minimum should not be raised until it is agreed that political tendencies within Germany justify some relaxation; the needs of liberated countries should, in any event, re- ceive priority. e) We should favor the conversion of the remainder of German industry to peacetime production, in- cluding particularly the production of repara- tion goods required to effect an early contribu- tion to the rehabilitation of European countries. The reparation program should be of short dura- tion; and should consist predominantly of pay- ments in kind, with, perhaps, some labor services. Its size must depend upon the scope of the mea- sures undertaken under (c) above. Extensive restrictions on heavy industrial exports imply a comparatively small reparation program, with emphasis on transfer of existing German capital equipment rather than of current German output. f) Payment for such current imports as the control authorities allow to Germany, and other similar, current expenses should become a first charge on German exports, ranking above reparation payments. Unless this principle is accepted, we run the danger of being called upon to pay for Germany's imports while other countries are extracting reparation payments from Germany. g) We should favor full restitution of identifi- able looted property. Restitution should be handled at an inter-government level and should be returned to the government having jurisdiction over the place from which the pro- perty was looted. |