Evening star., 1949-09-10
The New German Parliament

After sixteen hectic years OF NaZl dlcCa-
torship, war and foreign military occupa-
ton, there is again German Parliament
in the normal democratic sense of the
word. The legislative branch of the Ger
man Federal Republic has formally con-
vened at Bonn, small city in the Rhine
and as the birthplace Of Beethoven.
The practical Importance Of this new
parliamentary beginning Is probably over
shadowed by its symbolic and psychology
cal signifiance. The legislature Is not
sovereign assembly. It is part Of govern
ment strictly limited in its competence
and authority by the terms Of an Occu-
patton Statute formulated by the three
powers which still militarily occupy West
ern Germany and exercise ultimate control.
Furthermore, the Federal Republic is itself
merely the rump Of the former Reich,
nearly half Of which is either in the Soviet
occupation zone or has been practically
annexed by Poland and Russia. And the
outlook for reunited Germany, while
pious aspiration in virtually all German
hearts, is dubious eventuality.
How far Germany has fallen from It's
former proud estate was visualized by the
circumstances OF this Inauguration. The
parliament building Is hastily repaired
structure, one of the few which survived
the terrific bombing to which Bonn was
subjected during the late war There was
neither pomp nor color in the simple
ceremonies, the members themselves for
the most part being attired in shabby
clothes A drizzling rain added somber
note, chilling the already tepid interest
of a small turnout of spectators.
Nevertheless, that gathering consisted of
the legal representatives of some 100000
Germans, duly chosen in fair and free
election, who will henceforth function as
the legislature of a government with
specific powers and prerogatives. No longer
is West Germany trilogy Of foreign occu-
patton zones, its Inhabitants possessing
neither allegiance nor sense of duty to-
ward a state authority of their own.
Within the limitations Of the Occupation
Statute there Is a broad field for the
exercise of initiative and the making of
policies. All this tends to restore national
dignity and foster sense of responsibility.
lHe SCdIt may De uuIuple, DuG germany
has begun to lift itself from the abyss of
defeat, collapse, despair and Illustration
into which it had fallen.
The best augury for the course of this
new Parliament is its political makeup. It
is to be run by the Christian Democratic
Union, combination of two parties with
virtually Identical basic beliefs stressing
economic freedom and individual liberties.
But its majority is not unwieldy, the loyal
opposition" being the Social Democrats
who closely resemble the British Labor
Party. Obviously, both groupings are es-
sentially moderate parties with democratic
principles. The extreme left" consists
only of a handful of Communists. And
there is no extreme right" in the totali-
tartan sense. 1t is highly significant that
those groups which stand politically to the
right" Of the Christian Democrats refused
to sit on the outermost right Of the
Chamber, because that was reminiscent Of
the Nazis. A row or two OF empty chairs
had to be installed before they would take
the seatings allotted to them.