Society for Prevention of World War III

The Society for the Prevention of World War III, set up in 1943, was one of several American WWII and postwar organizations that lobbied for a harsh treatment of Germany.

History

The Organization was a spin-off of the Writers' War Board, with both headed by (extreme anti-German) novelist Rex Stout and the organizations monthly publication mainly republishing material produced by the War Board. It succeeded in hardening attitudes towards Germany both in the media and in the government, but by 1948 it had basically failed its mission with JCS 1067 rescinded and the Marshall Plan helping Germany, along with the rest of Europe, back on its feet.

James Warburg, from the influential Jewish financial Warburg family, was involved in organizing it. The organization was led by the claimed Communist/Communist sympathizer Rex Stout, who also led the quasi-governmental propaganda organization Writers' War Board. In addition to the monthly magazine Prevent World War III, the society engaged in a number of lobbying efforts. For example in 1944, they distributed a booklet entitled Know Your Enemy where the German people were depicted as inherently aggressive, militaristic, and a permanent threat to peace. 10,000 free copies were given to Congress, media, and other influential individuals such as clerics.

In March 1947, the society helped organize a "National Conference on the German Problem". The conference was held in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York and was attended by 185 prominent individuals, including the Jewish Albert Einstein and the Jewish Henry Morgenthau Jr. The conference formulated a program to cripple the German economy and reduce the German territory. The resulting declaration, signed by amongst others the society, stated, "Any plans to resurrect the economic and political power of Germany ... [were] dangerous to the security of the world".

"Apparently the American public did not hate (or fear) Germans. In order to achieve this the Society for the Prevention of World War III was found in December 1943. At a first glance non-Jews like the German pacifist Friedrich Wilhelm Foerster and the American fiction writer Rex Stout were in charge, but the advisory committee was stacked with Jews like Paul Winkler, Louis Nizer and Clifton Fadiman. Jews were also overrepresented among the contributors and writers, because they were mustered in Jewish circles (S. Casey (2005), “The campaign to sell a harsh peace for Germany to the American public, 1944–1948,” p. 11) The Society was the vanguard of advocates for Germany’s dismemberment. In 1943 Paul Winkler published a book called The German Conspiracy: Secret Germany Behind the Mask (New York: Charles Scribner’s sons, 1943). In 1944 Louis Nizer published his book What To Do With Germany (Chicago: Ziff-Davis) in which he advocated that Germany’s sovereignty as a nation should be forfeited. The society was not very successful among the public. Indeed, its hatred for the Germans as a nation caused indignation among some writers and editors, who accused the society of “bad history, bad logic, and inverted racism” (Common Sense, June 1944 p. 207–212)."

Activities

In addition to the monthly magazine Prevent World War III, the society engaged in a number of lobbying efforts. For example in 1944 they distributed a booklet by T.H. Tetens entitled Know Your Enemy where the German people were depicted as inherently aggressive, militaristic and a permanent threat to peace. 10,000 free copies were given to Congress, media and other influential individuals such as clerics.

In March 1947, the society helped Eleanor Roosevelt and Edgar Ansel Mowrer organize a National Conference on the German Problem. The conference was held in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York and was attended by 185 prominent individuals such as Albert Einstein, Henry Morgenthau Jr., Eugene V. Rostow, Helen Gahagan Douglas. The conference formulated a program to cripple the German economy and reduce the German territory. The resulting declaration, signed by amongst others the society, stated, "Any plans to resurrect the economic and political power of Germany ... [were] dangerous to the security of the world".

Prominent members

• Rex Stout (In charge, also leading the Writers' War Board, government funded and with very close ties to the Roosevelt administration)
• William L. Shirer (Member of board of directors)
• William H. Hale (Member of board of directors)
• James P. Warburg ("ideologist" of the society)
• Clifton Fadiman
• Friedrich Wilhelm Foerster
• Douglas Freeman
• Walter Johnson
• Christopher La Farge
• Emil Ludwig
• Edgar Mowrer
• Lewis Mumford
• Allan Nevins
• Louis Nizer
• Quentin Reynolds
• Sigrid Schulz
• Mark Van Doren
• Lord Vansittart
• Walter Wanger
• Darryl Zanuck

See also

• Morgenthau Plan
• Warburg family
• Writers' War Board

External links

• Roosevelt’s Catos