Evening star., 1952-05-26
Digest of German Peace Contract

policies as breaking up cartels.
restitution and compensation of
victims Of the NaZis. reparations,
settlement of prewar and postwar
debts and foreign property rights.
1t had been intended to hand
over some 700 war criminals in
Allied prisons to German custody
but due to constitutional diff
culties. they will remain under
Allied control. The convention
provides for an Allied German
board to consider termination or
reduction of sentences. Review
OF sentences now being carried out
separately by the three powers
will continue in the meantime.
Full Control of Civil Aviation.
The Germans are given full
control over civil aviation again.
A convention defining the sta
tus c. Allied forces is similar to
that regulating activities of the
United States Air Force in Britain.
But it has some special features
because West Germany is "a for
ward exposed strategic area
where an obnormal number of
troops are stationed in positions
which in certain eventualities
might early become scene of
military operations" @p
This convention also provides
for logistic support, accommoda-
ton and German auxiliary labor
for the Allied forces.
Allied soldier will have to
observe German law, from which
occupation forces are immune.
Soldiers will be tried for criminal
offenses in their own military
courts, but German courts will
have jurisdiction over them in civil
cases. This would, for example.
make soldier liable to legal action
for failure to maintain their chill
dren by unwed German mothers.
No Allied courts will have juris.
dictiOn over Germans.
There is provision for full co.
operation between German au-
thorities and the military over
security. ...,
Tax immunities are granted
Allies forces in accordance with
the international principle that
one government does not tax an
other.
Financial Provision.
Finally, what was the most diff
cult convention to negotiate
finance.
The Federal republic undertakes
to make a financial contribution
to western defense comparable to
that made by other western coun-
tries on the basis of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization
scale.
Monthly payment of $50 million
marks 2,300,000) from the ef-
fective date of the peace contract
until June 80. 1858. is set.
For the first six months an
average of 551 million marks
($131, 100000 will go towards the
cost of the Allied forces in Ger
many. For the next three months,
the Allied share would be 3l9
million marks ($78.920,000).
A diminishing scale was adopted
to allow for build-up of a Ger
man contingent for a European
army. How much the Allies would
get after June. 1853, is left for
future negotiation. .
This convention provides for
gradual transition of French, Bel
gian and Luxembourg troops in
Germany to the status of Euro
pean Defense Community forces,
but they will remain on the same
basis as other forces until June 80,
1858.
A postwar bugbear Of French
German relations - the disputed
Saar territory - comes into the
pact. In an attached letter, West
German Chancellor Konrad Ade-
nauer declares and the high COM
missionerS confirm the agreement
OF their governments that inclu-
sion Of treaties and agreements
referring to the Sarr does not
constitute German recognition of
the present status of the Saar.
The Germans claim the Saar is
legally theirs and object to it's
present political separation from
Germany.