Evening star., 1951-08-26
Germany May Return to Family of Civilized Nations This Fall

developed the foreign trade promotion
program which might make Germany
self-supporting.
For all these concessions, broad
area Of restrictive powers has been
retained by the Western Allies. The
Germans have insisted that they
cannot. as q self-respeeting nation,
contribute to Western defense while
they were under the burden Of such
restrictions on their sovereignty. The
problem Of the Allies, therefore. has
been how to enlist German help in
Western defense by granting the
Germans something that is not quite
sovereignty-but so close to 1t that
the difference can hardly be dis
cerned.
The conferences which have been
in progress In Bonn in recent months,
between the Allied High Commission
and the Adenauer government, have
dealt with the specific subjects which
could be covered in q contractual
arrangement. short of peace treaty.
A peace treaty for Germany awaits
Big -Four agreement-United States,
Britain, France and RuSsia-on unifi-
cation of all Germany, since there are
territorial questions which could be
handled no other way. Also there Is
the question of Berlin, which all four
powers occupy and which is not
part of the federal republic.
1t is possible. however, without
waiting for peace treaty. to make
certain contractual arrangements
with the Bonn government which will
restore to it all the powers now re-
served in the occupation statute. ex-
cept those which the Western Allies
consider necessary for security as
long as the Russians keep an exclu-
sive hold on Eastern Germany.
The contractual Arrangement,
therefore, will provide-aS one of a
series of conventions-for such things
as the stationing of NATO troops on
German soil.
German rearmament will not be
covered in those conventions. The
creation Of a German armed force
whether as national army or as
series of divisions or regiments
will depend on the completion of the
Paris conferences on European
army. The representatives now meet
ing in Paris will make recomlnenda-
tions to their governments, it is
hoped, simultaneously with compile
ton of the negotiations for replace
ment of the occupation statute. Then
the creation of new German armed
force can coincide with the restora-
tion of limited sovereignty to the
Bonn government.
Won't Restore All Powers
It is not likely that all the powers
now reserved to the occupying au-
thorities will be restored to Bonn.
There is still a question of whether
the Allies should retain some power
over the legislation passed by the
Bonn Assembly-and, if so, how
much. And there are many other
questions as to which the West Ger
man government could not be re-
garded as supreme, because of the
security interest of the Western
powers.
But in spite Of the unresolyed
questions. progress is being made on
the two essential matters which
grew out Of the Brussels NATO
conference last December-German
participation in Western defense and
restoration of greater measure of
German sovereignty.
Before the year is out-and time
presses the State Department OIL
cials who are doing this work-some
de1nitive arrangement must be
reached which viii bring Western
Germany into close and direct re-
latiCnship with the rest Of the world
that wants to resist Russian nag
gresSion.