Evening star., 1950-05-05
is Million Germans
Still Missing in USSR,
DR.. Adenauer Charges
by the ASsoeioied Press

BONN, Germany. May S.
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
charged today that is million
Germans are still missing in the
Soviet Union. He demanded in
the name of humanity, that the
Kremlin account for their fate.
DIR. Adenauer made a special
appearance before the West Ger
man Parliament after he learned
OF. last nights Soviet announce
ment that repatriation of German
war prisoners had been COM
pleted.
The Soviet statement dashed
the hopes of families of hundreds
of thousands of missing soldiers.
1t came as a great shock to the
West German capital Many poll
ticianS viewed 1t as a severe blow
to the Communist Party in the
West. When a Communist Dep
uty got up to answer DIR. Adenauer
virtually the entire body of law
makers, with the exception of
three Communist Deputies present
and three others, walked out.
Tass Reports All Returned.
Tass, the official Soviet news
agency, said the last group of war
prisoners-17,538 of them-had
had been returned to Germany.
But DR.. Adenauer told Parlia-
ment that German figures show
about is million German are still
left inside Russia. He added:
These terrible figures must be
cleared up. This is an appeal to
the humanity of all peoples"
DR.. Adenauer used Soviet figures
to support his claim. He said that
in 1945 Tass reported 3.5 million
Germans held in Russia. Last
nights announcement said 1884,
063 war prisoners had been re-
patriated. The chancellor said
that still leaves more than is
million unaccounted for.
DR.. Adenauer explained that
no exact German figures are
available. He said German Army
records are held by the Russians,
who have failed to keep repeated
promises to publish them. In
addition to the unknown fate OF
soldier prisoners nothing has been
learned of what happened to tens
Of thousands" of German civilians
deported to Russia. he added.
IL Reds Not Present.
Prior to the walkout, the Bund-
estag Qower house, approved a
motion urging the Western Allied
high commission to ask the Soviet
Union for information about the
missing Germans. The only votes
cast in opposition were the three
Communist deputies. The other
IL Communists in the Parliament
were not present.
After the motion was passed,
Heinz Renner. the CommNnist
faction leader. got up to speak.
He shouted after the departing
deputies: Are you afraid toshear
what I have to say?"
Before his remaining audience
the President of the Bundestag.
several clerks, newspapermen and
his two fellow Communists-vRen-
ner accused DR.. Adenauer of using
an improper tone toward the
Soviet Union.
Renner said it could be proved
that is million German soldiers
died in Russia if the Western
Allies would permit publication of
records they hold. The Western
Allies have denied Communist
allegations they are hushing up
German Army casualty figures.
A recent survey by the West
German Refugee Ministry indi-
Gated about 10000 civilians and
1.148.000, military prisoners are
still missing in Russia. This sur
vey. based on reports by relatives,
applied only to prisoners with rela-
tives in West Germany or West
Berlin and did not include those
from the Russian zone.
Two months ago, when the Rus
slams said virtually all captured
German soldiers except war Grim
inalS had been freed, West Ger
man authorities claimed the So
viets still held about 100000 The
United States and France on April
rs accused the Russians of trying
to hide the fate of hundreds of
thousands of German prisoners
still not accounted for.