▁ ▁History ▁After ▁the ▁E K D ▁conference ▁at ▁Tre ys a ▁achieved ▁some ▁administrative ▁unity , ▁critics ▁still ▁found ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁contr ition ▁in ▁the ▁church . ▁Niem ol ler ▁stated , ▁with ▁some ▁fr ustration , ▁that ▁" you ▁should ▁have ▁seen ▁this ▁self - s atisf ied ▁church ▁at ▁Tre ys a ." ▁ ▁American ▁represent atives ▁reporting ▁from ▁the ▁Tre ys a ▁conference ▁vo iced ▁views ▁similar ▁to ▁Niem ol ler . ▁Robert ▁Mur phy , ▁a ▁career ▁diplom at ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁State ▁Department , ▁commented : ▁ ▁Other ▁Americans ▁were ▁perhaps ▁more ▁diplom atic ▁in ▁their ▁statements ▁but ▁the ▁meaning ▁was ▁no ▁doubt ▁the ▁same : ▁ ▁It ▁cannot ▁be ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁attitude ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁toward ▁its ▁political ▁responsibility ▁is ▁as ▁yet ▁satisf actory , ▁let ▁alone ▁clear .— St u art ▁H erman ▁ ▁The ▁Dec laration ▁was ▁prepared ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁church ▁represent atives ▁from ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁Switzerland , ▁France , ▁Britain ▁and ▁the ▁US ▁who ▁came ▁to ▁Stuttgart ▁to ▁re est ab lish ▁t ies ▁with ▁the ▁German ▁Protest ant ▁Church , ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁" rel ations hip ▁of ▁trust ." ▁The ▁represent atives ▁believed ▁that ▁any ▁relationship ▁would ▁fall ▁apart ▁in ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁a ▁statement ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁church men , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁hat red ▁felt ▁in ▁their ▁home ▁countries ▁toward ▁Germany ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁ ▁But ▁the ▁eleven ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Council ▁had ▁differ ing ▁ideas ▁on ▁the ▁moral ▁responsibility ▁of