Evening star., 1949-05-29
New West German Republics Outlook
BY Brock Curry

Some border on the lunatic
fringe. Others have menacine
overtones.
None has shared widespread
public backing. But German
politicians recall that a multitude
of conflicting parties contributed
to the weakness and downfall OF
the Weimar Republic.
Take your pick Of panaceas for
Germany's ills and you'll find a
new political movement advocat-
ing 1t.
There is a party pumping for
a world government. Another
wants autonomy for the German
states. Still another would flip
back the pages Of German history
to q monarchy.
Almost without exception the
new groups swing to the political
extremes of left or right. You
have independent" Communists
and king lovers. Nazi imitators
and Bavarian separatists all
cIamoring for support.
Do they pose q threat to the
development Of democratic irsti-
tutions In Germany?
Wary of Movements
Shortly before leaving his post
as American military governor,
Gen. Lucius D. Clay called two Of
the new groups nationalistic and
said:
Although these groups are rs
yet small, democratic German
leaders recall with uneasiness
that, until 1929. national social
ism itself was a negligible move
ment."
T. At the present. Western Ger
many is nearer two-party sys-
TEN than Germany ever was. Two
parties-the Socialists and the
Conservative Christian Democrats
the political arena.
The vast bulk of the Western
Germans belong to these groups.
But the Allies and moderate Ger
man leaders are warily watching
the upsurge of new political move
mentS.
American officials have publicly
two groups as national
istic" and the British have cracked
down on a third,
These three groups are the
League for German Revival, the
National Democratic Party and
the German Rightist Party.
The League for German Revival
was formed late last year by fol-
lowers of Otto Strasser. Strasser
was Hitler lieutenant until 1880.
The Nazis booted him out for TAX
ing their socialistic program too
seriously. He fled Germany in
1888 and now lives in Canada.
Delegates from all over the
zone State of Hesse
flocked to the small town of Fried
burg to organize the Strasser
Their principal de-
mand is re-establishment of a
United German Reich.
The Strasser group rejects both
and capitalism and
what they call "solidar-
ISM" 1t would convert capitaliStic
enterprises into co-operatives.
Workers, managers and the state
would share the property. man
agement and profit.
Strasser asked permission to re-
turn to Germany this spring to
head the movement. British mill
tary government said no" Can
ada said it will not grant Strasser
an exit permit to return to Ger
many.
The National Democratic Party
has publicly demanded restoration
of Germany's prewar boundaries.
This group operates in q number
Of counties in the American zone
State Of Hesse.
Nazi HANGOVER
The third ''nationalistic" group
is the German Rightist Party OF
the British zone. Members OF this
group have swaggered through
towns singing Deutschland Uber
Allies" and waving the old Nan
colors. They wore Jack boots and
breeches-a favorite attire Of the
Nazis.
In April the British banned the
party In the County Of Gifhorn.
the core Of its strength. 1t still
functions in other scattered areas.
At the other extreme. q Ruhr
has announced plans to
form q German Communist Party
with no link to Moscow.
The American zone State OF
Bavaria Is q fertile field for new
political movements.
The "Bavarian Party" fayors
separatism for Bavaria--or 1t
best q loose connection with any
German government. 1t Is lib
orally sprinkied with monarchists.
Bavaria's strong monarchist
sentiment also finds expression in
the king and Country Party" .
new political group. Another new
movement, the World Demo-
cratic Union" in Bavaria. plumps
for . world government.
The newest Bavarian movement
is the fiercely anti-C Communist
"Fatherland Union It has Just
been licensed as . political party
for the city and district OF Mu-
mich, capital Of Bavaria.
Bavaria also has produced Al
fred Loritz, perhaps the most
and controversial political
figure to emerge In postwar Ger
many.
Loritx catapulted back into the
political arena In December after
fleeing Jail from black market
charges. He was acquitted. He