SINCE 1947, the United States has sought to strengthen the economy of West Germany, and gave the initial impetus to recovery by granting aid on a large scale. But Germany herself had to do the rest. The German people had experienced the worst defeat in their country's history, but they brought their industriousness, their talent for organization and their scientific skill to bear to dig themselves out of the ruins and regain what they had lost in wealth and in international good will. The result was what has often been called the "German miracle." Germany's recovery, in turn, has had a beneficial effect on the economic development of her trading partners. By opening her doors to imports from the countries in the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, by making foreign exchange available for German travel abroad, and by resuming the service on her large foreign debt, Germany has indirectly made a substantial contribution to the recovery of other European nations. Health, it appears, is as contagious as disease.
