Poge Eight THE SUMMER DAILY Thursday, July 12, 1973 Page Eight THE SUMMER DAILY Thursday, July 12, 1973 U.S. image fading in By OTTO DOELLING Associated Press Writer FRANKFURT, Germany - Once upon a time in this land of Grimm's fairy tales, there lived a virtuous knight in shining armor. With his mighty sword and red, white and blue shield he held the Fierce Red Dragon at bay and per- mitted the people of his Teutonic realm to live in peace and prosperity. This idealized view of the U n i t e d States persisted in West Germany through nearly two decades of the Cold War. But a debunking process has set in and the decline of American popularity and pres- tige has been recorded by recent public opinion polls. THE AMERICAN KNIGHT is s t ill around 28 years after the end of World War II and most Germans still regard him as their champion. Yet many are now looking more critically at him, disillus- ioned by Vietnam, U.S. domestic turmoil and international monetary crises. The Soviet Red Dragon continues to lurk in the Eastern marches, but growing num- hers of Germans are begining to feel that he may not be so fierce, after all. Few would want him as a house pet, however. How this shift in West German public sentiment came about may be explained in part by the comments of a woman who, like many members of her genera- tion, remembers with horror American bombings during World War II and with gratitude American aid in the postwar years. "THE MARSHALL PLAN, the Berlin airlift were great and generous gestures which helped to create a sort of 'big brother' image of the Americans among my generation," observed Dr. Carla Huet- tig, a language instructor at Bonn Uni- versity. The Americans, she recalled, "seemed capable and willing of helping anybody who asked them anywhere in the world. They seemed incapable of making the mis- takes we had made. We felt they were something close to God. ." Dr. Huettig, a bustling 63-year-old wid- ow with short-cropped blond hair, grew reflective, "Then came Vietnam and the dollar crisis. The Big Brother fell short of the image we had of him, which was too perfect. He shrank a bit while we ourselves grew up, so that we started feeling more like equals." "NOW," SHE continued, "we see that the Americans are people like you and me. And we feel we can' permit ourselves more criticism; which is genuinely well meant and not negative. I sometimes get the impression that the Americans see this a gain of 17 per cent ov month, but 22 points sh achievement. Pollster Guenteh Wick latest poll "showed more the previous one that the Vietnam was no longer sa public awareness." " The latest Wickert Poll popularity drop by 8 pt cent, indicating in Wicke German disillusionment ox results of the visit to Bc "Then came Vietnam and the dollar crisis. Brother fell short of the image we had of him, w too perfect. He shrank a bit while we ourselves so that we started feeling more like equals." -Dr. Carla as an anti-Americanism, which is really is not." Earlier this year, the impression of growing anti-Americanism was - strength- ened by a spate of local disputes be- tween the U.S. Army and West German municipalities over plans to expand a mil- itary air field and traiinng facilities. At the same time, a small but vociferous youth wing or Chancellor Willy Brandt's Social Democratic party was clamoring for withdrawal of the more than 200,000t U.S. troops from West Germany. A poll released in early May indicated that West German feelings of friendship toward the United .States plunged from 79 per cent in October 1971 to 40 per cent. The high marks were earned in 1971 as President Nixon was preparing for his journeys to Moscow and Peking. ON JUNE 6, the Wickert Public Opin- ion Institute published a follow-up poll to its May sampling that recorded a recov- ery of American popularity in West Ger- many. Of those queried, 57 per cent picked the United States as West Ger- many's most important friend. This was by Kremlin Leonid .I. B AMERICANS ENJOYEDI popularity among West G 30-49 age group, 64 per cited the United States asV best friend. This age grou part, was too young to h mbries of the war and gr during the Cold War per aid was essential to West+ vival. Less friendly, the poll West Germans in the 18-2 They are more likely to view of the United States b nam and to regard the Ma Berlin Airlift as ancient hi "The youngsters don't reasons for the Cold War, diplomatic source complai them don't even remembex ia." He referred to the 196 " - Communist down a liberal regime. SUMMING UP HIS views States, a young postal work burg remarked, "America-c dom-democracy. There are Germany er the previous and negative feelings. The Vietnam war y of the 1971 made the negative stronger than be- fore." kert said the The official American view of the cur- precisely than rent state of German-American relations e hypothesis of is that there is not so much anti-American- o strong in the ism in West Germany as there is a les- sening of respect for the United States saw S o v i e t and a growing indifference toward Amer- tints to 9 per ican policy goals. In some respects, West rt's view West Germans regard U.S. objectives as run- ver the modest ning counter to those of Bonn. onn last month Long burdened by Nazi war crimes, Ger- mans see themselves at least partially re- habilitated by such things as My Lai. The Big "YOU SEE, Americans commit w a r hich was crimes, too," is a widespread view. Blame has been leveled at the United grew up, States for exporting inflation to Europe through a flood of weakened dollars and for opposing burgeoning European' econ- Huettig omic power. Detente, which is being fostered by rezhnev. Chancellor Brandt's policy of friendlier ezhne v. ties with the East has decreased W e s t the greatest Germans' sense of dependency upon the ermans in the United States. As one American diplo- cent of whom matic source put it, there is a "decline Vest Germany's in the perceived Soviet threat." p, for the most ALTHOUGH THE West Germans may have vivid me- be changing their perception of the Sov- ew to maturity iet threat, there is no broad popular sup- -iod when U.S. port for the removal of U.S. troops from Germany's sur- West German soil. "Ami Go Home" signs are rare. showed, were "I hope the American military stays 29 age group. here. No telling what would happen if they hold a critical left," Frau Mariana Stopfkuchen, a pen- ecause of Viet- sioner living in Frankfurt, said in echoing rshall Plan and the sentiment of an overwhelming majority story. of West Germans. remember the, One public opinion poll conducted last " an American May showed that three-quarters of those ned. "Some of surveyed favored the continued presence r Czechoslovak- of American forces. 8 Soviet-led in- "AS I SEE IT, such trifles do not af- country to put feet the core of German-American rela- tions. However - and this must be said of the United in all seriousness - the Americans must er from Wuerz- - get used to the fact that the Germans criminality-free- are no longer the docile pupils of 1945-45. both positive The Germans have grown up." SUNDAY, 3a.m: Need We're Ready! 3 AM? SURE. MAYBE THE MUNCHIES HAVE HIT AND YOU'RE OUT OF CASH, OR MAYBE IT'S 11 P.M. AND YOU NEED SOME COIN TO BUY MORE TYPING PAPER FOR YOUR HISTORY TERM PAPER. 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